(322) Promoting Student Professional Identity Formation with Financial Support to Attend Professional Conferences

Objective : To evaluate the impact of the student travel scholarship on co-curricular participation and professional development among full-time students at the Ferris State University College of Pharmacy.

Methods: The Ferris State University College of Pharmacy Alumni Advisory Board established a student travel scholarship to support students in attending professional conferences by providing financial assistance. A list of pre-approved conferences with estimated costs is provided to students each semester. Students with a GPA of 2.0 or above are eligible to apply for funding. Students are required to apply within two weeks following the conclusion of the conference. Students receive the scholarship funds as a credit to their student account through the University’s Financial Aid Office.

Results: From 2017 to 2023, the student travel scholarship has granted a total of $96,642 to 320 unique students for attending pharmacy and interprofessional conferences at the state, national and international level. The award amount per conference has ranged from $55 to $1,000 based on cost of attendance and level of participation. There was an upward trend in participation from Fall 2017 to early 2020. While participation has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, we have observed a steady increase in awards since in-person conferences resumed. Students routinely report growth related to communication, professionalism, self-awareness, interprofessional collaboration, and leadership as a result of participation.

Conclusions: The Alumni Advisory Board student travel scholarship supports professional identify formation of student pharmacists at the Ferris State University College of Pharmacy by offering them opportunities to attend conferences, develop their networking skills, and enhance their leadership abilities. This project highlights the significance of supporting students in their co-curricular activities to foster their future engagement in the pharmacy profession.