I was assigned to FCI Florence in Florence, Colorado. As a third year pharmacy student, I was given quite a bit of autonomy. Of course, I did the conventional pharmacy duties, such as inputting prescriptions, filling, and counseling. However, I was also able to participate in other activities that aren�t typically available in your average retail setting. For example, I was able to sit in with the staff psychologist and contract psychiatrist when they held their psychological clinics to evaluate the inmates. I was also able to do a couple of drug utilization reviews, which I then presented to the P & T Committee. Additionally, I was allowed to participate in a Hepatitis C class by giving a short presentation to inmates on the therapy and treatment of Hepatitis C.

As a PHS JRCOSTEP student, I decided to wear a uniform while working at FCI Florence. Although I did not receive any compensation for purchasing the uniforms, I felt it was necessary in order to be addressed professionally by the inmates and other staff members. Even as a female in an all-male prison, I never felt threatened or intimidated by the inmates. I was often in close quarters with the inmates, but typically, I wasn�t alone with them, except maybe walking down the hallway. I was well-trained and prepared by my preceptor to be in the setting. He was very helpful in letting me know what to do in an emergency, what I could and could not bring into the prison, and the general conduct to have with the inmates.

The medical staff at FCI Florence was great. Everybody was very helpful and patient with me while I was learning the ropes. They were an awesome group to work with for the summer. I would recommend this program to anybody who asked me about it. I had a great time and I learned a lot of things that you just wouldn�t learn in a typical pharmacy setting. If I had it to do all over, I would definitely do it again. In fact, this experience has opened my eyes to a possible career with PHS. If you want something new and exciting, this is a great place to find it!

This summer I was presented with the opportunity to do a JR COSTEP with the Bureau of Prisons. It was an amazing experience and I would encourage this opportunity to anyone who may be interested. Many people seem to be frightened or turned away at the prospect of working with inmates, but this summer I learned a great deal about institutional health care. I learned how prisons function and how the health care system within them works to provide the inmates with the best health care possible. I saw how the pharmacy operates and the many jobs and roles that the pharmacists of the BOP undertake. I found this all to be a very challenging and worth-whiled experience.

I did so many things this summer, things that I would not be able to do if I was standing behind a counter counting pills, or dealing with insurance companies. I was able to conduct a DUE on H. pylori treatment with in our institution and also one on the use of Ace-inhibitors in diabetic patients. I was allowed to counsel patients on their medications, and was able to observe a telemedicine clinic. Telemedicine is a live conference via satellite with various health care providers discussing a particular patient�s case. Since many of the patients are required to come to the pharmacy daily or weekly for their medications, you are able to learn more about the patients health concerns and monitor treatment on a individual basis. This allows for greater chance of positive treatment outcomes. This was one of the features that I liked the best with in the prisons system. I also learned not only about many medications and their functions, but also about the disease states that they were treating. It was so wonderful to put what I learn in school and read in books into practice. I would like to thank the BOP for presenting me with this opportunity and also thank my preceptor for making this a fantastic experience.

In the next couple years, all of us will be faced with some very tough decisions. One of these decisions will be on what specific path in pharmacy to pursue. There are so many opportunities to choose from, what will be the best for you? After this experience as a JRCOSTEP, you should know much more about the specific opportunities for pharmacists in the Public Health Service. There are many misconceptions and unknown benefits about service in the Commissioned Corps of the PHS. Some of these include pay, assignments to duty, length of duty, work environment and setting, and other compensatory and amenity benefits. After this summer you can lay any misconceptions to rest both for yourself and for fellow colleagues.

Each of us should take time to weigh the many aspects of a career choice. No single aspect should be the sole basis for a decision. Rather, aspects such as compensation, vacation, benefits, retirement, work environment, job satisfaction, and professional support should be accounted for in the decision process. You should find information on all these aspects relating to the PHS readily available from your preceptor and if it hasn�t been presented to you yet, request it from them. You and others need to know that the pay, with housing and food allowances, is competitive to the private market as you begin your career and exceeds it as you progress. Vacation is 30 days per year, there is unlimited sick leave, there are great medical benefits, great retirement plans and incentives that become even greater with extended service up to 30 years, and job satisfaction that makes you proud to be a member of the pharmacy profession, to name just a few (A comprehensive list of benefits can be found at www.usphs.gov/html/benefits.html). If you didn�t know yet, the Public Health Service is at the forefront of utilizing pharmacist�s services including collaborative practice, prescriptive authority, and pharmaceutical care.

When talking with some students that have applied for the SRCOSTEP program, many have commented that the benefits offered by the PHS far outweigh many they have explored and the professional stimulation to practice what they are taught in school is worth the effort in starting their careers here. They also comment that the tuition reimbursement, pay while in school, and starting bonus also assisted in their decision. When you make your decision for a career, look at all the options ahead of you and ask how many hours you�ll have to work, when will you have to work, how much vacation, what benefits, what retirement and investment options, what kind of staff will you have, what will your duties include, will you be able to practice the way you want to practice. These are just a few of the very important questions you should be prepared to ask.

I commend you on your decision to venture out of your own comfort zone and explore some of the other options for future pharmacists. Your leadership through this experience will serve you well in future endeavors. I can assure you that this kind of attitude will benefit you in the future and I implore you to use your experience to educate others about what you have done and pharmacy in the PHS. When you go back to school, make up a power point presentation about your experience. Include pictures from your summer and information on what you did, as well as some general information about the PHS for other students to see. Lets help to make sure that more pharmacy students know about �pharmacy�s best kept secret.�