LKS spotlights student and alumni members that are making a difference in their chapters, in their communities, and in the field of pharmacy.
Chapter: Alpha Chapter (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences)
Tell us about yourself: (school, chapter, work, hobbies, LKS activities, meetings attended, career plans)
Hi everyone! My name is Vivian Bang and I am currently a P3 pharmacy student at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences in Boston, MA. Outside of pharmacy school I enjoy working at my two pharmacy internships. I am an Oncology Pharmacy Intern at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New-Haven Hospital for about 2 years now, and I also work at a local Walmart pharmacy near my hometown in Connecticut. I am part of the Alpha chapter here at MCPHS and joined when I was a sophomore during the Spring of 2017. I am the current treasurer for the 2019-2020 school year, but I help with recruitment events and the Corresponding Secretary whenever possible. I was lucky enough to attend the 2019 Convention this summer in Milwaukee, Missouri. It was an amazing experience being able to create new bonds with sisters from other schools around the nation and explore the mid-west. I hope to be able to attend the next convention before graduating pharmacy school! After graduation, it has been a dream of mine for a while now to be a part of a residency program and become an Oncology pharmacist, with a focus in the Ambulatory Care setting.
Which of our core values (sisterhood, leadership, service, scholarship and integrity) do you feel you most strongly represent and how?
Out of the all the core values, I believe I most strongly represent Sisterhood and Leadership. Since I joined LKS, I was able to meet new amazing girls in the same pharmacy class as me that I didn’t know beforehand, as well as older girls within MCPHS. They have all had a great impact on me. I know I’m always able to come to them for advice, whether it’s about being stressed for exams or just in general. They have definitely become my best friends and go-to people over the years. I believe I also represent leadership because being the current treasurer has given me the opportunity to hold more responsibility within the chapter by taking care of dues and our budget. Furthermore, being treasurer has bettered me in learning how to balance school life, extracurricular activities, and social life altogether. Even though I wasn’t able to hold an e-board position until this school year, I have always been active with the chapter. Whether it’s helping out with past social events, the corresponding secretary, etc. I am always willing to help out a sister whenever possible.
What pharmacy or LKS related events are you looking forward to in this upcoming year?
This November our chapter is hosting our first Winter 2019 Banquet and having our annual Sister’s Giving Potluck, which also includes the sisters from the Alpha Rho chapter at Northeastern University. I am extremely excited for both of these events before the upcoming finals begin. These two social events definitely let us take a break from our crazy, busy school schedule and allow us to bond with one another.
What is your favorite chapter/school tradition?
One of my favorite chapter traditions here at MCPHS would have to be Founder’s Day! It is an amazing event where we are able to have our whole chapter together, as well as our Alumni members such as Elicia Fauvel DeParolesa and Christine M. Perry. It’s always great to hear stories about LKS in the past, pharmacy experiences, and the world of pharmacy in general from our guest speakers. This year we were fortunate enough to have an alumnus come back to speak to us, Dee Adams!
Who do you see as your role model in LKS and why?
My role model in LKS would have to be of course one of our own Alpha alumni’s, Christine Perry! Since I’ve met CMP as a sophomore joining LKS at final banquet and over the years being a sister, she has always dedicated much of her time in helping us better our chapter with her advice and guidance. Even though Christine has a full schedule being the Manager of the Pharmacy Recruiting and College Relations team for Shaw’s Osco and Albertson’s, along with her many other activities…she is still always here for us and we all always appreciate her help. Christine definitely plays a part in keeping our Alpha chapter going and progressing!
What makes you excited to be a ‘lamb for life?’
Being a “lamb for life” means I will always have sisters that have my back and vice versa whenever I need them. The meaningful connections and bonds I’ve formed with my sisters will last a lifetime no doubt. Our Alpha Alumni Chapter is extremely active within our chapter, and I can’t wait to be part of it and have the opportunity to give back to the girl’s in the colligate chapter like our alumni’s have done for us all these years.
