Overview of the Club
The Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) is a national, voluntary organization committed to advancing patient care and medication management in the hospital setting through continued education, mentorship, and collaboration with other healthcare professionals. With over 3000 members across Canada, on a provincial level, the CSHP BC Branch plays an important role advocating for clinical pharmacists and pharmacy student supporters.
Highlights or Club Initiatives
Each year, CSHP-BC Branch hosts a variety of opportunities outside of the didactic setting to build on clinical knowledge and communication skills, and to gain insight on the intricacies of hospital pharmacy. There are 3 main annual educational events: Clinical Symposium in September; Annual General Meeting in November; and Spring Therapeutics Update in April. During these events, renowned hospital pharmacists present on the hottest topics of the year, providing updates on the most recent clinical guidelines and medication research. Students are able to build on their classroom knowledge, review topics already covered, and network with some of the greatest leaders in our profession.
One of the biggest draws to our association is the CSHP-BC Student Mentorship Program. This program pairs clinical pharmacists and current pharmacy residents with students from 1st year through 3rd year in order to gain more exposure to hospital practice. Due to the high demand for this mentorship program, application and successful pairing is not guaranteed but runs on a first come first serve basis after students have applied for or renewed their membership to be a CSHP Student Supporter. The activities of the mentorship program are at the discretion of the mentor and mentee availability and comfort level but may be anything from coffee chats, shadowing at the hospital, volunteering for research projects, or other relevant opportunities to facilitate a student’s understanding of and interest in hospital pharmacy.
If you are interested in applying to residency upon graduation from the pharmacy program, the CSHP-BC Student Branch also hosts events such as the annual CSHP Residency Information Session each summer. This is a great event to learn about the different residency programs available in British Columbia and the accompanying application process. Students will also have the opportunity to network with all 5 hospital residency coordinators (Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services, Island Health Authority, Interior Health Authority, Northern Health Authority, and BC Cancer Agency) in order to learn more about the specifics of each residency program and the job opportunities after residency.
Benefits of Being a Member
As a CSHP Student Supporter, you have the benefit of:
- Automatic enrolment in the Student Mentorship Program on a first come first serve basis
- Getting involved with the BC Branch through volunteer work with the CSHP committees
- Networking with various hospital pharmacists and pharmacy residents
- Applying for a continuing education grant to attend CSHP conferences or other educational events
- Applying to become a Student Membership Coordinator or National Student Delegate to help liaise between the association and the student body
- Applying for annual local and national awards offered through CSHP
- Receiving discounts on CSHP events and symposiums
How to Be a Member
Applications for Student Supporter membership and renewals are usually opened at the beginning of July each year but can be renewed at any point throughout the year. Please look out for our membership post in the Facebook group pages. The registration and renewal processes are done fully online through the CSHP website.
- Please visit the CSHP student supporter webpage for more details: https://cshp.ca/site/mbr/membership-benefits/renew/student-pharmacist-supporter?nav=member
Links to the Club’s Pages
- Email: cshpstudentcoordinator@gmail.com
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cshpbcstudents
- CSHP-BC Branch: https://cshp-bc.com/
- CSHP National: https://cshp.ca/
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