School of Pharmacy Hosts Career Fair

UCSF School of Pharmacy hosted a career fair at the Millberry Union Gym on Monday, October 29, for pharmacy students who are looking for pharmacy intern positions.

The career fair tables were filled with a number of different Bay Area employers interested in providing jobs and internships, including Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS/Pharmacy, Kaiser and Cardinal Health. While mostly first-year pharmacy student attended the event, the career fair was open to all students in the School of Pharmacy.             

The California Board of Pharmacy requires 1,500 intern hours in order for pharmacy graduates to take the California Pharmacist Jurisprudence Exam (CPJE).  UCSF pharmacy students receive at least hour of these hours from the school, the remainder of the hours is obtained on their own through outside commitments such as a job or volunteering.

First-year pharmacy student Linda Chen found the career fair uplifting and encouraging even though the job market has been fairly tough lately.

“With the increase of pharmacy schools, it has been more difficult in obtaining a job now than it was 8 years ago,” said Chen. “However, career fairs are promising to students because it provides them with a starting point for networking and gathering information from prospective pharmacy employers.”