The dynamic duo of Joshwa Summer (P3) and Kyndell Bynum (P3) came in first place in the Clinical Skills Competition at the SNPhA Regional I and II Conference in Chapel Hill, NC held in mid-March! Competing against 15 other teams from schools in the region, the pair qualified to compete in the finals at the national convention July 31-August 4 in Rockville, MD.

You probably assume that Joshwa and Kyndell credit their win to the rigor of the CoP curriculum; the mentorship of faculty and their SNPhA advisors, Dr. Deborah Elder and Dr. Vivia Hill-Silcott; the various leadership engagements they’ve had with alumni; and the experiential opportunities they’ve had in the community.  Well, you know what they say about assumptions!  The two credit the motivating words of an Uber driver named Delicia, who they are convinced assured their victory.

“Everything that could go wrong, went wrong the morning of the competition,” explained Joshwa. “It was raining; I had a major wardrobe malfunction; and on and on. By the time we got in the Uber to go to the convention center, we were both nervous wrecks.  Delicia picked up on our stress immediately, so we spilled our guts to her. We told her we were in this Clinical Skills Competition, and that we were up against 15 other top schools in the southeast, including the number one pharmacy program in the country, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.”

“Delicia was so motivating and encouraging,” continued Kyndell. “She told us that we had to take control of our situation and overcome the internal battles we were experiencing.  She urged us to quit doubting our abilities and to believe in ourselves.  And she summed up everything by saying that we had the competition won if we owned our victory.”

Delicia was right.  The PharmDawg Team slayed their fears and excelled at their five-minute simulated patient session that included counseling about new medications, over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, and life-style choices and behaviors. “We worked really well together,” added Joshwa. “We were very organized in our delivery, and our presentation just flowed. The five judges must have felt the same way, because we walked away with the prize!”

A prize indeed—thanks to two outstanding PharmDawgs—and an Uber driver named Delicia.  Congratulations to Joshwa, Kyndell, and the entire SNPhA organization!