Graduate School Guidance for PharmD Students
As a pharmacy student at the University of Pittsburgh, I completed a fourth year Advanced Pharmacy Practice Rotation with Dr. Susan Meyer. I knew during pharmacy school that I wanted to take a nontraditional route and pursue graduate school after completing my PharmD, and discussed my struggles with finding resources on how to go about this avenue with Dr. Meyer. At her suggestion, I created a “Graduate School Guide” for PharmD students interested, or even slightly considering post-graduate education.
The Original "Grad School Guide"
Click on the image above to view my Graduate School Guide for PharmD students that I created in Spring 2017.
The creation of this document highlighted the importance of mentorship in any discipline, especially when considering graduate school. My interaction with mentors and professors at numerous institutions were extremely influential in not only my decision to pursue graduate school but in the process as well–- how to find schools within my area of interest, what keywords to use when searching websites, how to request more information or to visit institutions, how to find a professor or researcher to work with, and more. These experiences with my pharmacy school mentor, Dr. Susan Meyer, shaped my mentoring philosophy and the emphasis that I place on helping students.
The experience of creating this document was beneficial when entering the uncommon field of study of Social and Administrative Sciences in Pharmacy. By considering my audience and needing to explain the research area to lay individuals, I deepened my understanding of the depth and breadth of the field.
I have shared with document with numerous PharmD students who have mentioned that they are interested in graduate school. I have also taken this interest to a national level by participating on the American Pharmacists Association Postgraduate Advisory Committee which aims to support graduate students and pharmacy students considering the profession. In the future, I will update and revise this document to adapt to new institutions and continue to apply what I have learned about mentoring to research and clinical students.
"On the Path to PhD?" Research Project
My interest in providing resources to PharmD students interested in graduate school continued at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of my first self-directed research projects with Michelle Chui was a survey of PharmD students. I asked them about their perceptions and likelihood of pursuing graduate school. I asked them what resources would be helpful to matriculate into these programs.
My survey demonstrated students were interested in graduate school education but they didn't know where to seek accurate information.
I presented my research at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in 2018 and recommended that graduate programs engage PharmD students early and provide plenty of opportunities for experience, community, and mentorships.
A copy of the abstract and poster can be viewed here.
Sharing my Experiences with PharmD Students
Click on the image above to view the slide deck for my PharmD student presentation titled, "Burnout, Resiliency, & Stating Your 'Vision' in Pharmacy"
I'm always excited and willing to share my "unique" career choice with PharmD students--how and why I decided to pursue research and my experience in community pharmacy.
I have been approached by several pharmacy student organizations to provide guest lectures regarding my career path, research, and educate on pharmacist burnout and resiliency.
I use these presentations as an opportunity to discuss my journey in pharmacy school and the importance of "Stating Your Vision" in pharmacy, no matter where that vision takes you!
For three years, I served as a member of the national American Pharmacists Association Postgraduate Advisory Committee. In this capacity, I attended regional student pharmacy conferences where I met students and discussed opportunities for graduate school. I sat on panels with other postgraduate individuals to discuss similarities and differences to various routes after pharmacy school graduation (residency, fellowship, and graduate school).
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I participate in their annual career fair for PharmD students to share options for graduate school as well as panels for high school students interested in careers in pharmacy. Additionally, I meet regularly one-on-one with PharmD students and am proud to call many of them my colleagues today!
Teaching is engaging and fostering the next generation of professionals. Reflecting on my own experiences, I will always have a passion for supporting PharmD students interested in research (and graduate programs). As a faculty member, I look forward to mentoring PharmD students in a research capacity, providing one-on-one guidance, and establishing systems that expose students about their numerous career options.