After pursuing a bachelor’s degree in immunology from McGill University, third-year pharmacy student Margaret Lu was keen to return to her West Coast roots to put her science know-how into practice.
“I went into pharmacy because I wanted to merge my interests in science and helping people,” says Lu, who was one of the first students accepted into the University of British Columbia’s Entry-to-Practice PharmD program, launched in 2015.
Lu has been an active member of the pharmacy student body, applying her technical ability and marketing prowess to raising the profile of two influential student pharmacy clubs on campus – UBC’s Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (PhUS) and the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI). In these roles, Lu manages social media and website content, marketing events and initiatives to members. She regularly lends her expertise to student-led events and meetings, and recently implemented a live streaming system to broadcast a seminar across Canada during Pharmacist Awareness Month. She is particularly proud of integrating a job board into the PhUS website, helping students gain further practical experience in the field.
As Lu moves closer to graduation, she has big plans for her future career. She wishes to work collaboratively with pharmacy business and technology experts to integrate practical, innovative processes and technologies into the patient care experience.
“I hope that in the far, far future, I’ll be able to contribute to the profession by creating systems to make adopting logical and reasonable technology and innovations easier for those who want to do it.”