Why Join "Double T?"

"There are so many student organizations out there competing for my membership! Why should I join 'Double T'?"

The objective of TTSSHP ("Double T") (not to be confused w/ TT-ASP) for all members is to:

  • Advance your knowledge of all areas of pharmacy in addition to retail/community pharmacy

  • Advance your clinical skills to become a highly proficient clinician in any area of pharmacy

  • Advance your professionalism through networking at meetings and seminars

  • Advance your leadership skills by providing leadership opportunities and events so that you can move forward the profession of pharmacy as a student and future professional.

Ok... so who are you, and what do you want?

We're the student affiliate of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). ASHP is a 35,000-member national professional association that represents pharmacists who practice in hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, home care, and other components of health care systems. ASHP is the only national organization of hospital and health-system pharmacists and has a long history of improving medication use and enhancing patient safety.

We're also affiliated with the Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists (TSHP), one of the nation's most active state health-system pharmacy societies that advocates expanded pharmacist practice rights both for Texas pharmacists and for all pharmacists nationally. TSHP is a leading pharmacy professional organization in Texas whose lobbying and legislative efforts have resulted in the increased practice opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians here in the State of Texas.

Joining a student organization affiliated with one of the major pharmacy professional organizations with not just national affiliation, but with state and local affiliation, will provide you a tremendous amount of benefit. Our organization is dedicated to providing you with the resources, people, and information to help you decide what type of pharmacy practice you want to pursue here and now.

What are the dues to become a proud member of TTSSHP?

Dues are $76 for the academic year. Dues paid in the fall semester pays for memberships not just for TTSSHP, but also for the national, state, and local societies as well, making you a member of four organizations! Your dues cover membership fees for September 1 - Aug 31 and gets you all the benefits that ASHP and TSHP has to offer for student members. It's not just a 4 for 1 deal, it's a great investment that will go a long way to help you map out your future pharmacy career.

So just what are the benefits of becoming a member of "Double T"?

  • Annual "Pill Talk": The "Pill Talk" is an informal "wine and cheese" program that TTSSHP hosts every April featuring the SOP's residency directors, residents, and P4s accepted into a residency program. Students that attend get  the opportunity to ask questions of these individuals in a casual and relaxed environment and gain advice and insight from our faculty and residents on how to approach, or what even to consider when thinking about pharmacy residencies. No question is stupid, and, all questions are welcome!

  • Speakers at General meetings: In our mission to advance your knowledge in all areas of pharmacy practice settings, we strive to host speakers practicing in health-systems pharmacy to talk about their careers and offer valuable insights on their specific practices areas. This is helpful to those of us still deciding what exactly it is we want to do when we graduate.

  • Networking Opportunities: You've heard it from a million (ok.. well maybe quite a few) people that pharmacy is a small world. The conventions and meetings hosted by ASHP and TSHP provide students with a first-hand opportunity to meet and converse with prospective employers and mentors willing to give their insights and advice to students, and an opportunity for students to see what summer and graduate opportunities are out there! In addition, ASHP's MentorExchange offers students a method to network with mentors nationwide. Members can also join 1 or several ASHP practice-based Sections and are automatically enrolled in the Pharmacy Student Forum at no additional cost. The ASHP Pharmacy Student Forum has over 9,000 members like you who represent the new generation of pharmacists in clinical practice.

  • Clinical Skills Competition (CSC): TTSSHP sponsors the annual Texas Tech Clinical Skills Competition (CSC) during the fall semester. Winners of the Texas Tech CSC get the opportunity to represent Texas Tech at the national CSC held during the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, with free registration! CSC is a tremendous opportunity to apply what you learn in lecture to real-world scenarios.

  • American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (AJHP) / up-to-date information on health-system pharmacy practice: ASHP publishes the world's premier health-systems pharmacy journal, as well as a wide variety of clinical and management references, textbooks, online products, and video training programs. All members receive this journal monthly as a benefit of membership - a $265 value provided to you for FREE. Through TSHP and ASHP, you also receive monthly email updates on what's happening around the state and nation regarding pharmacy practice and legal policies that could potentially effect you as a student and as a future practitioner.

  • Discounts on all ASHP Drug Information Publishing: For 50 years, ASHP has provided an evidence-based foundation for safe and effective drug therapy through its AHFS suite of drug information products (AHFS DI, AHFS Essentials, and AHFS MedMaster Consumer Medication Information). Members can buy these standard-of-practice references and PDA software for a generous student member discount!

  • Free Continuing Education (CE) Opportunities: ASHP is one of the largest accredited providers of Continuing Education for pharmacists. CE is free for all members and can be accessed both online, and through live seminars at the TSHP Annual Seminar and ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Local societies in Amarillo, Dallas/Ft Worth, and Lubbock host monthly CE dinners that all student members are invited to attend and take part of at no cost. All CE credits gained through our organization are applicable to your license requirements and for IPP credit.

  • Clinical Practice opportunities: TTSSHP is dedicated to giving you opportunities to practice and improve your patient assessment and ambulatory care skills, both for the sake of school and for your personal benefit. Every semester, we set up events where you can interact with patients to apply what you learn in lab. There's no better way to get something you learned in class to stick in your head than by putting those skills to use!

  • Community Service Events: Pharmacists are at their best when they're aware of the community's needs. Our organization is dedicated to engaging with our local communities and assisting those in need. We do this throughf teddy bear and book donations to pediatric wards at our local hospitals, and building houses with Habitat For Humanity, just to name a few.

  • Residency Showcase at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting (MCM): Have you ever thought residency? ASHP is the sole accrediting agency for all pharmacy residencies in the United States. At MCM, the Residency Showcase is a 2-day event featuring all ASHP-accredited residencies from across the nation, providing you the unprecedented opportunity to scout out residency programs and to make contacts with potential residency programs you are interested in applying to. In addition, ASHP provides a national online directory of all ASHP-accredited residencies.

  • Exclusive Academic and Leadership Scholarships: The TSHP Research and Education Foundation and the ASHP Foundation offer leadership and academic scholarships exclusively to members, of which many TTSSHP members have been prior recipients. For many of these, all you need to do is fill out a simple application!

  • Reduced Member Dues/Meeting Registration Rates: Members enjoy all ASHP and TSHP benefits plus special services at greatly reduced rates! Why pay full price when you can pay a fraction of registration costs and save money?

  • Leadership Opportunities at the national, state, local, and SSHP level: TTSSHP offers you tons of opportunities to lead at the student affiliate, local, state, and national levels, giving you the unprecedented opportunity to shape policy in these organizations. You aren't "just a student" with our organization, unlike with some other pharmacy organizations. With us, your opinion really counts and is considered at the highest leadership level. Leadership opportunities include:

    • ASHP Student Forum Executive Committee (SFEC)

    • ASHP Student Forum Advisory Groups

    • ASHP Councils

    • ASHP Policy Committees

    • TSHP Student Section Executive Committee (SSEC)

    • TSHP Section Councils

    • TTSSHP Officer positions

    • TTSSHP Committee Chair, Co-chair, membership positions
       

  • Health-System Internship Opportunities: Each year in the spring, TSHP Internships are awarded to pharmacy students to provide exposure to the variety of pharmacy practice settings available in health-system pharmacy. These include:

    • Hospital Pharmacy Internship: A Hospital Pharmacy Preview
    • Pharmacy Internships in Managed Care
    • Internship in Federal Pharmacy Procurement Programs 

So you've read all the benefits that membership gets you. What are you waiting for? Join us now!

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