For the second year in a row, greater Boston area high-school studentswill learn first-hand what the pharmacy profession is really like. Held at Northeastern University, the second annual “Pharmacy Summer Experience” is a four-day camp that welcomes teenagers who want to get a glimpse into theeducation and career options in the field of pharmacy. The program was created by Northeastern’s School of Pharmacy faculty members, pharmacists, and pharmacy students to increaseawareness of the opportunities within the field of pharmacy.

“Last year’s camp was a huge success and created a demand for us to do it again this year,” says Yolanda Hardy, program organizer and Assistant Clinical Specialist in Pharmacy Practice at Northeastern University. “Most high school students don’t know much about the pharmacy profession and may not consider it for a career. This summer program gives them enough information about this field to help them make an educated decision when it comes to applying to college.”

Participating students can experience what it’s like to be a pharmacy student in college by attending classes themselves. They learn how medications work, how they are developed, and how pharmacists counsel people on the correct way to take them. This year, organizers added an extra day for a shadowing experience, where students get to shadow local pharmacists while they are working.

Organizers are hopeful that, in addition to appealing to students interested in science and healthcare, the program ultimately will increase the presence of currently underrepresented groups in the pharmacy profession.

This year’sPharmacy Summer Experience Camp starts with the opening banquet on Sunday, July 29 and ends on Thursday, August 2. For more information, please contact Renata Nyul at 617-373-7424 or at r.nyul@neu.edu.

About Northeastern

Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.