LKS spotlights student and alumni members that are making a difference in their chapters, in their communities, and in the field of pharmacy.
Tell us about yourself: (school, chapter, work, hobbies, LKS activities, meetings attended)
I graduated with my PharmD in 2018 from MCPHS University – Boston (formerly known as Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). As a 0-6 Doctor of Pharmacy program, I completed my doctorate without an undergraduate degree. I joined Lambda Kappa Sigma’s Alpha chapter in Spring 2013 which was very exciting because one of my first LKS activities was to help host Centennial, the 2013 LKS convention celebrating the 100th anniversary of our Fraternity! While I was a collegiate member, I held an executive board position as Professional chair during the 2014-2015 academic year where I was responsible for coordinating over 20 professional, personal development, and community outreach events for my fellow sisters. I really enjoyed my time as Professional Chair because my work provided professional opportunities for fellow sisters in addition to educating my peers and the public.
After graduating, I completed a PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in my home state of Washington. I was part of the program’s inaugural class so it was a unique experience to establish the program, undergo the accreditation process, and develop my clinical knowledge. Now I currently work as a clinical staff pharmacist between two hospitals in the Greater Seattle area. When I am not working, I enjoy hiking, trying new fitness classes, and creating DIY projects. I also recently completed my first ever half-marathon!
What do you do to continue furthering your knowledge, self-development, and leadership skills?
An easy way I like to stay up to date is following pharmacy/health accounts on social media. #TwitteRx is amazing for pharmacy fun facts, quick quiz questions, and discussion threads on new literature and guidelines from fellow professionals. I also subscribe to ASHP and NEJM newsletters, and of course listen to the Lamb TaLKS podcast to learn from my fellow sisters!
Which of our core values (sisterhood, leadership, service, scholarship and integrity) do you feel you most strongly represent and how?
I most strongly resonate with integrity because when you are a health care professional, lives are in your hands. You need to be trustworthy to gain respect from your patients and fellow professionals, courageous to speak up when necessary, and humble to admit when you’ve made a mistake or when you don’t know something. By practicing integrity everyday, I know that I am doing the best I can to help others.
What is one thing that LKS has helped you grow and develop in (personally, professionally, etc.)?
One thing that I learned early on is that you do not have to do everything yourself. When I joined LKS, I joined a community of strong, intelligent, successful women who want nothing more than to support and encourage you! If you’re trying something new for the first time – such as taking the NAPLEX/law exam, applying for pharmacy residencies/jobs – lean on your fellow sisters and mentors for advice because likely someone has gone through it before and can coach you for success. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel and it turn, you’ll work smarter not harder.
What is the best advice you could give to other members?
Utilize your network! When I was in pharmacy school, my upperclassmen sisters were (and still are) my role models and I attribute many of my accomplishments to them. Shout out to Czarina, Jessi, and Thelma for inspiring me to develop my leadership skills to later be inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma, and to Amanda and Sherin for inspiring me to study hard to later be inducted into Rho Chi. Also, shout out to Maria for recommending me to help me get my first pharmacy job, and to my grand big Hanan for giving me advice on residency applications!
If you had not chose pharmacy as your career, what would have been your second choice?
That’s tough because I’ve known since high school that I wanted to be a pharmacist, hence applying for 0-6 pharmacy programs. What I really enjoy most about pharmacy is tailoring a drug regimen to best fit my patients and seeing them improve. I also love taking such a complex topic like drug therapy and converting my knowledge into more digestible content for patients to better understand their treatment plans. I really do enjoy health and fitness, so my second choice professions would likely be a registered dietitian and/or personal trainer.
