Student represents Sydney Pharmacy at awards ceremony

The Faculty of Pharmacy selected Matthew Huang to represent the University of Sydney at the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA) Pharmacy Student of the Year Award (PSTOY) NSW finals, held July 4.

With such a high calibre of students, selecting only one student was no easy task for the Faculty, but after a series of heats, Matthew was selected to be the university’s representative for his excellent communication skills in a pressurised situation.
Aimed at final-year students, the annual awards are held to recognise and celebrate the importance of communication and counselling skills in best pharmacy practice. The award process allows students the chance to apply their knowledge and skills in front of a judging panel of industry leaders.
In the lead up to the state finals on July 4, Matthew said, “It’s a great achievement to be acknowledged as being amongst the top students in NSW, but there’s still a huge journey ahead of me and still so much to learn. As a pharmacist you play a huge role in a person’s health and well-being, it’s not only about the medicine but also about being able to create positive change for people and improve their health and quality of life. Participating in these awards enables me to put the skills I’ve learnt into practice, and that’s fantastic for my career development.”
With a two-phase finalist process, university finalists first competed in state finals, followed by state finalists competing in the prestigious national final. The national winner will be announced at the PSA’s national conference in Sydney, held from July 29–31.
In addition to receiving the coveted national title of Pharmacy Student of the Year, the national winner will also receive the National Travel Prize, which includes an all-expenses paid trip to an international pharmacy conference.
The awards are an exciting way to bring the pharmacy community together and recognise the outstanding professional abilities of pharmacy students across Australia. We wish Matthew, and all state finalists, the very best of luck.