LIFE AFTER UNIVERSITY: Pharmacy students prepare for the corporate world
Pharmaceutical students from the University of Botswana are preparing themselves for the ever-changing world of work by engaging industry experts and hosting seminars to uncover opportunities in Botswana.
Fourth year student and founder of Nerdpharm, the student led organisation that is the brains behind the platform which has been created for pharmacy students in Botswana - Tshephaone Kethibogile, explained the potential that lies in the healthcare industry.
He said that they started the seminars after observing that for graduates to be assets in the marketplace they have to be well-vested in other issues that go over and beyond one’s academic certificate.
Skills transfer, empowerment, entrepreneurship, networking, personal branding and mentorship are some of the topics tackled in the seminars conducted by the student-led organisation.
The fist seminar was held late last year under the theme 'Enterpreneurship in Pharmacy: Transversing through wholesale Pharmacy’ and was graced by industry leaders such as CEO of Mediland, George Seleke and Raymond Mapena, founder of Ray Maps Media.
Another seminar was held recently under the theme 'Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy: A scoop into retail pharmacy.' It was set up to explore both traditional and non-traditional business models used in retail pharmacy.
Kethibogile explained that locally it is very hard to start a pharmaceutical enterprise but when one is able to set it up it has the potential to become a very lucrative entity.
Once graduates look beyond being employees and start their own health care companies they will be helping reduce the high rates of unemployment.
The seminar’s objective was to transfer knowledge from industry experts to the learners.