Our Mentor

Dr. Anand Shedge,  Vice President, Indian Pharmaceutical Association – Maharashtra State Branch Mentor for Student's Forum.

Leadership and Professional Excellence Nurturing the Next Generation of Pharmacy Professionals and Leaders For more than 11 years, Dr. Anand Shedge, Vice President of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association – Maharashtra State Branch (IPA-MSB), has been actively contributing to the overall development, grooming and leadership development of pharmacy students through a wide range of academic, professional, cultural, sports and co-curricular activities. His approach to student development extends beyond conventional classroom education. He believes that students must be given opportunities to plan, organise, implement, evaluate and learn from real-life activities so that they gradually develop the confidence, communication skills, leadership abilities, teamwork, decision-making capacity and professional responsibility required to become successful pharmacists and future leaders.

 A Practical Approach to Student Grooming Dr. Shedge has encouraged students to learn through the complete cycle of an activity:
Concept → Strategy Planning → Team Formation → Resource Planning → Implementation → Monitoring → Outcome Assessment → Evaluation → Learning → Improvement

This approach enables students to understand that successful professional activities require not only knowledge but also planning, coordination, execution, problem-solving, accountability and outcome evaluation. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for various aspects of an activity, including:
- Developing the concept and objectives
- Preparing an action plan
- Allocating responsibilities
- Team building and coordination
- Communication with stakeholders
- Financial and resource planning
- Event execution
- Time management
- Risk management
- Documentation
- Monitoring and supervision
- Feedback collection
- Outcome assessment
- Identifying strengths and weaknesses
- Preparing reports
- Developing strategies for future improvement

Through this process, students learn to transform an idea into a professionally executed programme. Developing Young Leaders Through Experiential Learning One of Dr. Shedge's important contributions has been his emphasis on experiential learning and leadership by participation. Rather than limiting students to attending programmes as audiences, he encourages them to become organisers, coordinators, volunteers, team leaders, anchors, speakers, rapporteurs, event managers and evaluators. This gives students direct exposure to real-world situations and helps them understand:
 «Leadership is not merely holding a position; it is the ability to take responsibility, work with people, solve problems and deliver measurable outcomes.»

Students therefore get an opportunity to experience leadership at different levels and progressively develop the confidence necessary for their future professional careers. Major Student Development Activities Over the years, Dr. Shedge has been associated with and guided students through a variety of activities under the student development initiatives of IPA-MSB.
1. Rx Festival The Rx Festival provides students with a platform to demonstrate their creativity, professional knowledge, communication skills, teamwork and organisational abilities. Dr. Shedge has encouraged students to participate not merely as competitors but also as event planners and organisers. Students learn to:
- Design activities 

- Prepare schedules 

- Form committees 

- Coordinate teams 

- Manage participants 

- Handle logistics 

- Communicate with institutions and professionals 

- Conduct competitions 

- Manage time and resources 

- Evaluate outcomes Rx Festival thus becomes a practical laboratory for leadership and event-management skills.

 
2. World Pharmacists Day / Pharmacy Day Celebrations Pharmacy Day and World Pharmacists Day celebrations provide students with opportunities to understand the professional identity, social responsibilities and public-health role of pharmacists. Students participate in awareness activities, professional programmes, competitions, exhibitions, public outreach, seminars and other initiatives. Under appropriate mentoring, such programmes help students develop:
Professional identity + Communication + Public engagement + Teamwork + Social responsibility 

3. Sports Activities Dr. Shedge also recognises the importance of sports in developing well-rounded professionals. Sports activities help students develop:
- Team spirit 

- Discipline 

- Leadership 

- Strategic thinking 

- Decision-making 

- Stress management 

- Competitive spirit 

- Respect for others 

- Cooperation 

- Physical and mental well-being Sports provide a practical environment in which students learn that success depends upon team coordination, preparation, discipline and performance. 

4. Literary Activities Literary activities provide students with opportunities to develop their language, communication, analytical thinking and creative expression. Activities such as writing, elocution, debate, essay writing, poetry, public speaking and related competitions help students become more confident communicators. These skills are particularly important for pharmacists because professional practice involves communication with patients, healthcare professionals, institutions, industry and the community. 

5. Aesthetica and Creative Activities Creative and aesthetic activities provide students with opportunities to explore their talents beyond academics. Participation in such activities helps develop: 

- Creativity 

- Presentation skills 

- Confidence 

- Innovation 

- Teamwork 

- Stage presence 

- Time management 

- Event coordination 

Dr. Shedge encourages students to recognise that professional excellence requires both technical competence and human creativity. 

6. Cultural Activities Cultural programmes provide students with a platform to demonstrate their talents while developing interpersonal and organisational abilities. Students learn to coordinate performances, manage teams, communicate with participants, prepare programmes and work within deadlines. Such activities contribute to the development of confidence, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership. 

7. Conferences Participation in conferences exposes students to the larger professional and academic environment. Students gain experience in: 

- Scientific communication 

- Poster presentations 

- Oral presentations 

- Networking 

- Interaction with experts 

- Professional etiquette 

- Conference management 

- Scientific discussions 

- Knowledge sharing

Students also learn how professional associations function and how networking can contribute to their future careers. 

8. Workshops Workshops provide hands-on learning opportunities and allow students to acquire practical skills. Dr. Shedge supports the concept of learning by doing, where students are encouraged to actively participate rather than remain passive listeners. Workshops can develop competencies related to: 

- Communication 

- Leadership 

- Event management 

- Research 

- Professional skills 

- Technology 

- Career development 

- Entrepreneurship 

- Team management 

9. Seminars and Expert Lectures Seminars and expert interactions connect students with experienced professionals and provide exposure to developments beyond the conventional curriculum. Students learn how theoretical knowledge can be applied in professional situations. Such interactions also encourage students to ask questions, participate in discussions and develop professional perspectives. From Participation to Leadership A distinctive feature of Dr. Shedge's mentoring philosophy is the transition: 

Student → Volunteer → Coordinator → Team Leader → Event Manager → Young Professional → Future Leader 

Students are progressively encouraged to accept greater responsibility. Initially, a student may participate as a volunteer. With experience, the same student may become a coordinator, committee member, team leader or event manager. This gradual development creates an environment where students learn leadership through actual responsibility rather than only theoretical instruction. Planning, Implementation and Outcome-Based Learning Dr. Shedge emphasises that conducting an activity should not be considered the final objective. The complete process should include:

1. Planning What is the purpose of the activity? Who are the beneficiaries? What resources are required? What is the timeline? 

2. Implementation How effectively can the plan be converted into action? 

3. Monitoring Are the activities progressing according to the plan? 

4. Outcome Measurement What did the students actually learn or achieve? 

5. Evaluation What worked well? What challenges were faced? 

6. Improvement What can be done differently and better next time? 

This Plan–Implement–Evaluate–Improve approach develops a culture of continuous improvement among students. Development of 21st-Century Skills Through these activities, students are encouraged to develop a broad range of competencies, including: 

- Leadership 

- Communication 

- Teamwork 

- Critical thinking 

- Creativity 

- Problem-solving 

- Decision-making 

- Event management 

- Strategic planning 

- Time management 

- Financial awareness 

- Digital skills 

- Networking 

- Public speaking 

- Professional etiquette 

- Conflict management 

- Accountability 

- Social responsibility 

These competencies complement academic knowledge and help students become more employable and professionally confident. Building Confidence and Professional Identity Many students possess talent but lack opportunities to demonstrate it. Dr. Shedge's mentoring approach attempts to provide students with a platform where they can discover their strengths, overcome hesitation and develop confidence.

When students successfully organise an event, address an audience, coordinate a team, solve an unexpected problem or evaluate the outcome of a programme, they gain practical confidence that cannot be acquired solely through textbooks. Creating Future Leaders for the Pharmacy Profession The ultimate objective of these initiatives is not simply to conduct successful events. It is to create a generation of pharmacy professionals who can take responsibility for the future of the profession. Dr. Shedge therefore views student activities as a leadership-development ecosystem. Through continuous exposure to planning, implementation, teamwork and evaluation, students are prepared to assume future responsibilities in: 

- Professional associations 

- Pharmacy practice 

- Pharmaceutical industry 

- Academia 

- Research 

- Healthcare organisations 

- Entrepreneurship 

- Public health 

- Community service 

- Professional leadership 

A Mentor Beyond the Classroom Dr. Anand Shedge's contribution to student development reflects the philosophy that education should develop the complete individual. His mentoring extends from academic and professional development to cultural, literary, sports, social and leadership activities. For him, every student activity represents an opportunity to answer four fundamental questions: 

What did we plan? How did we implement it? What outcome did we achieve? What did the students learn from the experience? This approach transforms student activities from routine programmes into structured learning experiences. 

Long-Term Impact Over more than a decade of engagement with student development, the emphasis has remained on creating opportunities for students to: 

Participate → Perform → Plan → Lead → Evaluate → Improve → Inspire 

The objective is to ensure that students leave their academic institutions not only with a degree, but also with the confidence, competence, leadership qualities and professional values required to contribute meaningfully to society and to the pharmacy profession. 

Dr. Anand Shedge's sustained involvement in student development through IPA-MSB reflects a strong commitment to grooming young professionals and nurturing future leaders. His mentoring philosophy combines strategy, experiential learning, event management, teamwork, professional exposure and outcome-based evaluation. Through initiatives such as Rx Festival, Pharmacy/World Pharmacists Day celebrations, sports, literary activities, Aesthetica, cultural programmes, conferences, workshops, seminars and other student-centred initiatives, students are given opportunities to move beyond passive participation and become active contributors and leaders. 

His approach can be summarised as: “Develop students not merely to participate in activities, but to plan, lead, execute, evaluate and create meaningful outcomes.”
In this way, Dr. Shedge continues to contribute to the development of confident, competent, responsible and future-ready pharmacy professionals and young leaders.