ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

What is your current position? How long have you been in this position? Can you give us a brief overview of what it is you do in your work?

I am currently an Emergency Medicine/Intensive Care Unit Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at BronxCare Health System (formerly Bronx Lebanon Hospital). I have been in this position for two years after I completed my residency training. As a clinical pharmacy specialist, I work side by side with doctors, nurses, medical residents, medical and pharmacy students providing evidence-based recommendations on pharmacotherapy, ensuring medication safety, and being a drug information resources to my patients and my medical team.

What skills do you need to do the work you just described?

You need to be dedicated, engaged, and creative. Medicine is always evolving and changing - we have had first hand experience with that in a global pandemic. It is important to stay engaged and be able to learn new information to discuss with the medical team. It's equally important to be dedicated to patients and their care and get creative with educating and distributing new medication information.

Please describe any experiences at Westlake High School that influenced your career decision?

I had two very excellent Chemistry teachers that really sparked my interest in medicinal chemistry: Dr. Epting and Dr. Banner. I loved learning about all of the chemical reactions that happened when I made compounds and how that eventually led to creating a pure product to use, like aspirin. With that knowledge, I brought these skills to pharmacy school and continued to learn and create. Although I am not in the medicinal chemistry field and compounding side of pharmacy, understanding medical chemistry has helped me be a better health care professional and pharmacist.

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

During my time at the University of Connecticut, I also actively participated in extracurricular activities. I was in the UConn Ballroom Dance Club for four years and on the UConn Women's Rowing team for a year and a half.

What advice do you have for students interested in going into your field?

Don't be afraid to look at and explore all of your options! Pharmacy is a versatile field; you can work in a hospital, a community pharmacy, academia, or in a pharmaceutical company. It's never too late to change your path.