PharmCamp, A Family Tradition
This year marked extraordinary milestones for PharmCamp, it celebrated twenty-seven years of inspiring students to pursue careers in pharmacy and healthcare while beginning a family tradition, solidifying the importance of PharmCamp on future generations of pharmacists.
Established in 1997 by Theodore Tong, PhD, PharmCamp began as a unique summer camp with the aspiration to educate and inspire middle school students throughout southern Arizona in the pharmaceutical and health sciences. Since then, more than 900 students have engaged in workshops, lab exercises, presentations, discussions, and field trips throughout the UA Health Sciences Campus, including the patient simulation lab at the College of Nursing and the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. With nearly three decades of community impact, PharmCamp has helped countless campers discover their passion for learning and helping others.
It was twenty-five years later that the Coit College of Pharmacy had the honor of continuing one family’s PharmCamp tradition for a Tucson mother and daughter. Rayna Vasquez, PharmD, was a camper that first summer in 1997 and credits the camp as the experience that set her on the journey of becoming a pharmacist. “I remember learning how to compound anti-itch lotion and how to read sig codes from prescriptions,” she said, recalling activities that have stuck with her through the years. “It was a unique and interactive experience. Dr. Tong was so supportive throughout the program, and he continues to inspire us all.”
This summer was a special one, the cohort included Vasquez’s daughter, Faith. “Sending my daughter to the same PharmCamp I went to was truly a remarkable experience,” Vasquez said. “Watching her learn and succeed in the same program that I once participated in was incredibly rewarding.” For Faith, PharmCamp was an opportunity to learn about parts of being a pharmacist that aren’t often seen by students her age. When asked about her favorite camp activity, she said, “I liked learning about compounding and how to interpret prescriptions.” She also toured the Coit Museum of Pharmacy & Health Sciences and viewed the extensive collection of pharmaceutical history and memorabilia collected by the college over the past 58 years. It was on this tour that Faith especially enjoyed “learning about the history of pharmacy and how there are many different forms of medications.”
When he first began PharmCamp, Tong had a clear goal: “I wanted to plant the seed early and help youth feel comfortable about the idea that they can attend college and attain careers in pharmacy or nursing.” With a focus on middle school students, the camp is a crucial opportunity for young people interested in health sciences to get first-hand knowledge and experience of the rigors and rewards of health-oriented careers. After graduating from PharmCamp, Vasquez went on to the pharmacy program at the University of Southern Nevada and today works as a pharmacist. “I enjoy being a pharmacist because it's an excellent opportunity to help patients be the healthiest version of themselves,” she said.
Tong has been with the Coit College of Pharmacy since 1982, serving now as Professor Emeritus, and continues his legacy as an invaluable resource for generations of students and faculty. Throughout his career, he has served on several professional pharmacy associations and boards and received numerous awards and honors for serving the College of Pharmacy and the pharmacy community.
Each year PharmCamp collaborates with MESA (Mathematics, Engineering Science Achievement) as a way to increase awareness and interest in health science degrees and careers. MESA is one of the oldest STEM programs focused on increasing the number of under-represented students interested in and pursuing STEM. Today MESA consists of 10 states pursuing a shared mission to advocate for STEM education, equity and access. PharmCamp students are selected from an extensive applicant pool of candidates to participate in the program, which provides activities and lunches free of charge, ensuring each camper has access to opportunities to learn regardless of background.
To learn more about MESA, visit their website. To view all the fun campers had at PharmCamp 2024, visit our Flickr feed.