In a small, spotlit room tucked within the University of Florida’s Harrell Medical Education Building, Lorelei Whiteside’s gold hoop earrings flashed as she quickly turned her head between a human patient simulator lying in a bed and its vital signs projected on the wall.
The rising high school senior from Jacksonville was learning the essential roles pharmacists play in a hospital setting as part of the 2026 UF Gator Pharmacy Exploration Camp, which immersed 30 Florida high school students in the pharmacy profession from June 7-12.
“Getting to experience the UF Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation and seeing how the human patient simulators react was really cool,” Whiteside said. “I was inspired to participate because I’ve recently stayed in the hospital, and I saw all that the pharmacists were doing for me. As an aspiring pharmacist, this week gives me the opportunity to learn about the areas I want to go into, like pediatrics and infectious diseases.”
Florida students starting their senior year can apply for the camp, a weeklong residential program hosted by the UF College of Pharmacy that aims to inspire students to choose careers in pharmacy. By pairing students with knowledgeable student ambassadors, faculty members and pharmacy community partners alike, students discover the many paths a pharmacy career can take.
An immersive education
Mary Beth Yokomi, assistant director of admissions for the UF College of Pharmacy, has led the camp since its inception in 2022, alongside colleagues Nazandria Jackson, program coordinator for the college’s Office of Student Success, Wellness and Community Engagement, and Chardaè Whitner, Pharm.D., a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy education and practice and the director of community engagement. Yokomi said the week aims to illustrate the myriad ways pharmacists impact patient care by immersing students in varied clinical and research environments on UF’s Gainesville campus.
“By the end of the program, our goal is for students to leave with a deeper appreciation for the profession, a clearer understanding of the educational pathway to becoming a pharmacist and the confidence to pursue their goals,” Yokomi said. “Most importantly, I hope they leave inspired by what they have learned and excited about the opportunities that a career in pharmacy can provide.”
Over the course of the week, students hear presentations from pharmacy professionals, test their own skills in lab exercises, dive into faculty-guided case studies, tour the college’s facilities, classrooms and History of Pharmacy Museum, and participate in a variety of team-building activities.
During a drug compounding exercise held in the college’s skills lab, Daytona Beach rising senior Hezekiah Perea bowed his head in concentration as he learned techniques critical to capsule making. He said he’s thrilled by the opportunity to take a mortar and pestle in hand and create potentially life-saving medications from disparate ingredients.
“I want to work with medicines in my future career, and I’m interested in compounding because I like chemistry a lot,” Perea said. “This week opened my mind to the vastness of paths you can take with a degree in pharmacy. I used to think pharmacy was just dispensing medications, but it’s so much more than that.”
A supportive springboard
For many campers, the week marks the first time they are away from their homes and families for a substantial length of time. To ease this transition into young adulthood, Yokomi bunks with the campers each night in a residence hall on campus, while a dedicated team of counselors are on hand to guide campers through the week. Counselor Patrick Lydon, who will begin his studies at the UF College of Pharmacy this fall, pulls from his own time as one of the program’s inaugural campers in 2022 as he mentors this year’s group.
“I see myself in a lot of the new campers. This experience was my first time being away from home for a longer period of time, so it was nerve-wracking, but the more hands-on activities we did helped me bond with the other campers,” Lydon recalled.
“For me, it was a great opportunity to learn more about UF and the campus while solidifying my desire to go into pharmacy. The camp set me on a fast track to getting into the UF College of Pharmacy by teaching me how to apply to the Pharmacy Early Assurance Program,” Lydon said. “It’s a full-circle moment to follow in the footsteps of the counselors I looked up to, and who continue to help me along my journey, one of whom even sat in on my pharmacy school admissions interview. I hope that this year’s campers get that opportunity, too.”
Yokomi said by the time the week culminates in a banquet held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, formerly shy and reserved campers have forged close bonds marked by shared interests and have gained a sense of confidence in their futures, connections and skills that will prove indispensable as they navigate the professional pathways right for them.
It’s “amazing” to see how quickly the campers connect through shared experiences and their interest in health care, she said.
“I have seen students leave camp in tears, because they’re saying goodbye to the friends they have made during the week,” Yokomi said. “While they certainly miss their families while they’re here, they leave with memories and relationships that often have a lasting impact.”
June 7-12, 2026, in Gainesville
Gator Pharmacy Exploration Camp Photos
