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One of the advantages of having a faculty as experienced and diverse as we have at Midwestern University is that they are often asked by local media to provide expertise on various healthcare topics. I never fail to be fascinated by the amount of hard work that goes into creating such a small window of televised reporting.

From my office located in one of the oldest buildings on campus, the brick and mortar of Prabhu Hall are being crushed into small scattered debris on the Downers Grove Campus.

Not too far from Midwestern University’s Downers Grove campus, a new multi-story building is being constructed that will eventually be the Midwestern University Clinic.

Ninety-six... ninety-seven... ninety-eight... ninety-nine... We looked at each other hopefully across the table as the last stragglers lined up at the Cafeteria door. ONE MORE!! we seemed to be saying to each other telepathically as we struggled not to laugh out loud.

One of the projects our department is working on is designing a Midwestern University mobile website for smartphones. Midwestern University students will be able to access important MWU information just by pulling their phones out of their pockets and tapping a touchscreen.

This week, Midwestern University’s President and CEO Dr. Kathleen Goeppinger held one of her recurring Town Hall meetings on the Glendale Campus.

Midwestern University's annual Thanksgiving Breakfast was held on Wednesday, November 16, and once again the faculty and staff of the Glendale Campus came together to enjoy some good food and great raffle prizes presented by the University's admin team.

As some of you may know, we recently wrapped a photo shoot on the Downers Grove Campus to update our marketing photos arsenal. As I have said in the past, photo shoots are definetely the funnest part of my job because I get to meet many students and facutly that I otherwise wouldn't get to interact with.

A funny thing happened when I went to visit my father at the Midwestern University Dental Institute the other day. I noticed that after the staff would give me their friendly welcoming smiles, they would sneak a peek behind me. Like I was being followed. I quickly figured out why – they have come to expect that when I drop by for a visit, I’m usually bringing along someone from the media.

This week, I was given the opportunity to sit in on a round of peer debates that the Midwestern University Physical Therapy program held with its first-year students. A bit of background here - I was on the speech team in high school, so I had the chance to observe these kinds of formal debates extensively. I always thought the format was fascinating even though I never tried it myself.

A part of my job is to work directly with many of our community and business partners through our membership with the Downers Grove Chamber. A chamber, which was once chaired by our Vice President of Finance, Dean Malone. In addition, Karen D. Johnson, Ph.D., Vice President of University Relations, also held a seat of the Downers Grove Chamber Board for several years.

Students are the lifeblood of the university and the future of the profession of pharmacy. Chicago College of Pharmacy has terrific students! Their energy, enthusiasm and passion for pharmacy never ceases to amaze me. While students, they are learning and practicing pharmacy. Here is PS-III student Sandra Naegele, who describes her involvement in student organizations. She describes how students associated with one organization have administered more than 1 million vaccinations since 1997! Students can and are making a difference in the health and well-being of patients all across America.

On Saturday, October 15, the Midwestern University Glendale Campus turned into a glamorous al fresco entertainment plaza for the annual Bright Lights, Shining Stars gala. Bright Lights, Shining Stars is a black-tie-optional event that raises money for Midwestern University student scholarships. Guests are treated to live music, cocktails, a sumptuous dinner, and a silent auction in addition to an awards ceremony that bestows honors upon community leaders for their service and students who have won Spirit of Service scholarships.

Health care is a team business and pharmacists are an integral part of that team. Here is Dr. Brian Cryder, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, describing his team approach to taking care of patients with chronic diseases at his ambulatory care clinic in Chicago. Dr. Cryder is proud to be a pharmacist and is rewarded when patients learn to manage their disease and improve the quality of their life.

The community was the star of Midwestern University's annual Bright Lights, Shining Stars Gala, held last weekend at the Glendale Campus.

The College is so fortunate to have so many gifted and dedicated faculty. Here is Dr. Sally Arif, Assistant Professor in Pharmacy Practice, describing her practice setting at Rush University Medical Center. Like all of our clinical faculty, Dr. Arif spends part of her time on-campus teaching, conducting research, and meeting with students. The rest of her time is spent at her clinical site providing care for cardiology patients.

There is a mystique about the white coat; its appearance gives off the confidence and power to the individual wearing the coat. And becauase of that, I take a lot of pride in planning the White Coat Ceremony each year.

Here is Dr. Marc Scheetz, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice describing how he works on improving patient outcomes at his clinical site, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL. Click on the title above to read more.

One thing I have been impressed with since I started working at Midwestern University is the patient-centered focus that all of the programs have espoused. In particular, I want to talk about the Midwestern Clinical Psychology program. Part of the College of Health Sciences, Clinical Psychology is one of the newer programs to the University, having graduated its first class only this past summer.

Last weekend, CCOM hosted the annual Clinical Refresher Course with the OSTEE Award presentation and the Class Reunion Weekend. Many alumni gathered in Downers Grove to celebrate their alma mater and honor their colleagues.