As we continue our celebration of American Pharmacist Month, we focus on the career pathway of academia.
How did you originally get interested in pharmacy as a profession?
Originally, I declared my major as chemical engineering. I was always interested in science, especially chemistry, and solving problems. After reviewing what classes I would have to take for ChemE, I started questioning that decision. Then I met a pharmacist who told me why this was the greatest job. I came to freshman orientation and changed my major to pre-pharmacy that day, and the rest is history.
What is your favorite memory from pharmacy school?
My favorite memory from pharmacy school is walking out of the white coat ceremony wearing my brand new white coat. I was so proud to be starting this journey, full of promise and ready to do my part to help improve lives through pharmacy. I still feel that way every time I put on a white coat.
What class or professor do you remember the most and why?
There are so many I could talk about here, but my most memorable class was the Independent Pharmacy Ownership Elective that was held at the SCPhA headquarters. We had many pharmacy owners that I looked up to come to speak to our class and share their experiences, who are now colleagues as fellow pharmacists, like John Pugh and Deborah Bowers. We also had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Smith Drug warehouse to view how the orders are packed before they’re sent out to pharmacies. This experience helped shape my dedication to independent pharmacy during most of my career so far.
Tell us about your career:
My current role is the pharmacy technician program director at Trident Tech in Charleston. When I was hired, I was singlehandedly charged with rebuilding the program from scratch into an ASHP accredited program, which I modeled after my experiences from pharmacy school. My days are always different. Two days a week, I teach in-person lab classes, inspired by the lab classes that I took here at USC COP, like Compounding Lab, Community Pharmacy Lab, and Sterile Compounding Lab. Much of my time is spent networking with preceptors and visiting pharmacy locations to check on externship students. Other times, I’m doing tours of our Lab Classroom or visiting local middle/high schools to share what pharmacy is all about and expose them to the different avenues of where pharmacy can take you. Recently, I’ve also had the opportunity to present at a couple of local and national conferences about utilizing AI in exam preparation. Pharmacy has given me so many gifts. I feel so blessed in my current role, to share the joy of pharmacy with others and open them up to what opportunities are out there.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement has been the chance that I have to influence my students’ lives. At the start of the program, I ask students about why they want to go into pharmacy, and they respond with answers about wanting job security and the opportunity to grow. I get to see that growth when they step into their new pharmacy jobs after graduation. They are so excited to share that news with me, and I am so proud when I visit and see them working in the pharmacy!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
In life, things never turn out exactly the way you pictured it would go, so you have to be ready to pivot and flow with it. It helps if you can find the silver lining and something positive you can laugh about, even if it’s only later when you laugh.
Who has been a mentor to you?
I am proud to say that Alyson Shirer, a fellow USCCOP alumna, has been my mentor and friend. We met through a local exercise group where we earned the nicknames of Script (Alyson) and Refill (me), and we’ve been buddies ever since. Both of us have pursued non-traditional roles in pharmacy over the years and been each other's biggest cheerleader along the way. Alyson was a pioneer for all of us, as an early pharmacy resident at MUSC, way before it became as popular as it is now. Also, she navigated the roles of both pharmacist and mom to four kids, so I have often asked her for advice and perspective as a mom to three myself. Having Alyson in my life has been such a blessing as I navigate my pharmacy path.
What is your advice for current students / future pharmacy professionals?
Make sure you give yourself a well-rounded pharmacy education, so you are prepared for a variety of pharmacy roles. Healthcare is always changing, and we have to be able to change with it. You also never know where life will take you so you need to be prepared for anything.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I stay pretty busy with my kids’ school and activities and with SCPhA. I help run my kids’ Boy Scout Troop. I’m Vice President of the PTSA at my kids school so I’m constantly organizing volunteers/donation, running events, and fundraising. For SCPhA, I serve in the House of Delegates as a LowCountry Delegate, representing pharmacists in this part of the state, and I serve on several committees. My kids and I also travel the state performing the Tinikling, the iconic Filipino folk dance that involves dancing between bamboo poles, as members of Hiyas-Min, the Philippine Cultural Society of Charleston.
What is top of your bucket list?
I’m not a great runner, but I love seeing where my two feet can take me. I’ve run
some long-distance relays and a couple of half-marathons, so my next goal is completing
a Sprint Triathlon