A third-year pharmacy student from Curtin University has won a national award for providing outstanding educational support to fellow pharmacy students.

Ms Lavina Chagani, 22, from Carlisle, won the Outstanding Senior Leader/Mentor award at the 2012 Australasian Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) Leader Achievement Awards held at the National PASS Forum in Melbourne.

Ms Chagani was up against stiff competition in her short-listed category and won the overall award for demonstrating exceptional qualities as a mentor and facilitator and for enhancing fellow students’ learning and engagement.

The PASS program has been running at Curtin University since 2011 and is a free, voluntary, academic assistance program that uses peer-led group study to help students succeed.

Ms Chagani said that she felt extremely privileged and honoured to receive the award.

“I have enjoyed every minute of mentoring fellow pharmacy students,” Ms Chagani said. “The pharmacy subject that I provide support for can be quite challenging. It’s been really rewarding to see students who have participated in the program improve and obtain great academic results.

“Mentoring is provided in a relaxed and casual environment, and this great program also provides an opportunity to connect with other students studying the same course.”

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The School of Pharmacy offers the only undergraduate entry course in Western Australia leading to registration. With research excellence and innovation through collaboration with research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, healthcare providers and government, opportunities also exist for postgraduate students to undertake higher degrees in fundamental aspects of drug discovery, drug action, drug delivery and formulation science, or applied areas of healthcare delivery.

We are the oldest School of Pharmacy in Western Australia with a proud history of providing many years of excellence and innovation in teaching and research. Working closely with the profession we provide a first class four year undergraduate degree with a strong focus on clinical education and the underpinning sciences related to pharmacy. The Curtin School of Pharmacy offers the only undergraduate entry course available in Western Australia that will lead to registration as a pharmacist.

A feature of the B Pharm program is the extensive practical experience provided to students by direct interaction with community and hospital pharmacy and other areas of the profession. The program in Pharmacy is delivered by experienced and dedicated staff under the supportive environment of state of the art facilities. The School has just completed a curriculum review with emphasis on outcomes-based learning. Our graduates therefore have a level of pharmaceutical expertise, which is valued highly by prospective employers in Australia and around the world.

Our undergraduate teaching laboratories include a model dispensary with up to the minute software and hardware, a newly developed teaching facility for pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing, an aseptic suite, and spacious, modern laboratories for the teaching of pharmaceutics, physiology, pharmacognosy and medicinal chemistry.

For more information on Studying Pharmacy in Australia, contact KOM Consultants, the Canadian Representative for Curtin University.

Don’t forget that KOM will be hosting a free webinar with Curtin University, Faculty of Health Science, this Sunday 24 February @ 7:30pm EST.   Register now.