PHARMACY

Graduated in 1997
Professor, Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy
University of Illinois Chicago     

Q: Why did you choose Wayne State University?

A: Wayne State was well-recognized as having a great clinical pharmacy program. After talking with others who had graduated with their post-baccalaureate PharmD, Wayne State was my top choice.

Q: What inspired you to pursue Pharmacy?

A: When coming out of high school, I was interested in the coursework (chemistry, biology) that I would be taking. I also saw pharmacy as a stable and interesting profession that benefited patients. After graduating from pharmacy school with a bachelor’s in pharmacy, I worked for a couple of years in hospital pharmacy. I wanted to interact more with patients and learn more about how to read a research study. While completing my PharmD at Wayne State, I became interested in the economics of health care, which subsequently led me to complete a MA(Economics) and Fellowship in Pharmacoeconomics at the Detroit Medical Center.

Q: Who was your most memorable Professor?

A: Maureen Smythe was probably the one who challenged me the most. It was during this ICU rotation at William Beaumont Hospital that something changed inside me, where I stopped being the student who made sure that I did everything right to becoming a clinician who had empathy for the patients for whom I was caring.

Q: What was your most challenging class?

A: All of the classes were challenging and well-taught. For the post-baccalaureate PharmD program, most of the courses were case based. We were required to come to class prepared, having read chapters in the appropriate textbook, sometimes with additional journal articles. Also in preparation, we had to work up a case-study, applying the recently acquired knowledge. I think that this approach prepared us well for developing the critical thinking skills required to become excellent clinicians.

Q: Did you have a favorite hangout on campus?

A: Shapero Hall was a little removed from the main campus, so we did not really have a favorite hangout. However, we did occasionally go to PizzaPapalis or somewhere else in Greektown for lunch.

Q: Share some reflections about your time at Wayne State:

A: The Wayne State PharmD program was an exceptional experience, with an excellent mix of faculty who were in clinical practice, some of whom did clinical and bench research. The well-rounded education that I received at Wayne State prepared me well for my career as a health outcomes researcher. Even though I did not practice as a clinician after graduating from the program, my research colleagues, many of whom were MD's, considered me as a clinician and spoke to me as such for many years.

Q: In your opinion, what is one of the biggest changes that has occurred in your profession since graduating?

A: Pharmacists have become more recognized by other healthcare professionals and patients as clinicians. Clinical practice has expanded from being primarily hospital-based to having a greater community presence. However, there have been many negatives as well. The expansion of community pharmacist clinical practices has often come with little or no reimbursement and without additional time for filling prescriptions.

Q: Share a career highlight or summary:

A: Being honored for having the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science: APhA-APRS Clinical Research Paper Award for 2014. Other notable highlights were being named Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, being offered the Professorship in Medication Adherence by the University of Illinois Chicago and Takeda Pharmaceuticals and becoming a Fellow of the American Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy Academic Research Fellows Program.

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The Doctor of Pharmacy program at Wayne State University is a four-year curriculum in the heart of Detroit. Approximately 100 students are enrolled in each year of the program. WSU Applebaum information meetings for prospective students take place at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. The application process or the Doctor of Pharmacy program begins each July.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.