All Things Pharmacy

James Quach, Pharm.D.
Market Health & Wellness Director
CCP Class of 2006

My name is James Quach, and I am a graduate of the Chicago College of Pharmacy class of 2006. I have had the privilege of serving the Chicago area in pharmacy management roles at Walgreens and most recently with Walmart as a Market Health & Wellness Director. In this position, I am an operations leader for the northern Illinois area which is comprised of 13 pharmacies and 11 vision centers. My areas of responsibility include sales and profit, merchandising, compliance, patient care, asset protection, and human resources. I oversee 24 direct reports and work cooperatively with hundreds of others. Together as a team, this year we will achieve 100 million dollars in sales.

When I started pharmacy school in 2002, I knew that my heart was in community pharmacy with aspirations to advance in the corporate setting. As a student, I often asked myself "How will I get there?" and "What training or tools will I need to help me be a successful leader?" Much like building a house, every good architect must have all the necessary tools at their disposal. Through my experiences at Midwestern, I was able to take those valued lessons and put them in my tool box, so that one day I could apply what I learned from those past situations to make me a successful leader.

For me, it was the courses like Pharmacy Management that introduced me to the financial world of pharmacy operations. There was also the dynamics of working in groups on presentations and various projects that helped me build interpersonal communication skills that I use today as a leader. In our student group projects, we did not always agree on answers, or on how things should be done, but these interactions with my peers taught me to be more open to other ideas. These social experiences were valuable as they gave me the opportunity to learn by witnessing different personalities all working together to achieve the same common goals.

People often ask what I do as a Market Health & Wellness Director, and I tell them that I am in the business of leveraging talent. Yes, at the end of the day it is about quality patient outcomes, compliance, sales and profit, etc., but more importantly it is about leading people and leveraging what they do best, so that we can be successful in these other areas.

My role today has allowed me to stay connected to Midwestern students and faculty thru alumni events and career fairs as I represent Walmart. I enjoy sharing my life lessons and experiences that helped guide me to find my calling in pharmacy, and I hope those reading this blog will find theirs as well.

My name is Dawn Koselleck, and I have been working as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) for Abbott Laboratories for six years. When I started with Abbott as an MSL, I was part of our cardiovascular/dyslipidemia team. Currently, I am in the immunology franchise. MSLs are a field-based group of M.D.'s, Ph.D.'s, and Pharm.D.'s, who support and discuss research projects, respond to unsolicited medical information, assist and support internal training and education, and attend scientific conferences. The primary role is to network, establish, and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders in the community and academic setting involved in research and education.

Prior to pharmacy school, I worked as a sales representative in the pharmaceutical industry. This gave me the opportunity to learn the industry and interact with the MSL team. I knew this was an area I wanted pursue after pharmacy school, but unfortunately, I did not fully understand the role or the requirements to become an MSL.

At the time I was in pharmacy school, there were not any classes or electives to assist me with gaining this understanding. Fortunately, during my ambulatory care rotation, I had an amazing preceptor who always inquired about the career options her students were considering, and if possible, she would help in any way she could. In my case, she was able set up a meeting for me with one of the MSLs that she worked with. During this meeting, the MSL discussed how she came about her career choice and helped me further understand the role of the MSL. In addition, she provided insight into how I could become a better candidate. This individual was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her role as an MSL. Having that similar passion in what I do is so important to me. She really inspired me to further pursue this career opportunity.

Being able to interpret research data and having a strong knowledge of research methods is so critical to my role. Fortunately, while in pharmacy school, I was also able to work on a diabetes research project with one of the faculty. This was an extremely valuable experience and provided me with knowledge about conducting research, as I was able to see first hand the challenges and intricacies involved.  

I would also like to mention that there have been a number of pharmacy classes that have been very instrumental in helping me have a successful career as an MSL. To this day, I refer back to my notes from these classes:

• Introduction to Drug Literature
• Elective Current Drug Literature
• Drug Literature Evaluation/Research Methods
• Advanced Clinical Diabetes Management Elective

As I look back on my experiences in pharmacy school that helped shape my career path, I must say I am fortunate to have had so many amazing teachers, preceptors, and mentors that were always willing to assist me and provide me with interesting opportunities. These individuals are truly there for the students' development, and students should use them whenever possible. In addition, students should always work to build their network. This is a key success factor for my role as an MSL. I would like to wish everyone the best of luck as they start thinking about their future career opportunities.
  

Kathryn Jost, Pharm.D.
Pharmacy Clinical Manager
CCP Class of 2004

I can't believe it has been eight years since I graduated from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Pharmacy. If you asked me when I started pharmacy school where I would end up, I would have said retail without hesitation. Retail was the environment I was comfortable with; it was the reason why I decided to become a pharmacist. It wasn't until I was on rotation that I discovered I felt more at home in a hospital setting. My preceptors encouraged me to continue to cultivate my clinical skills by pursuing a residency.  The next thing I knew, I was a PGY1 resident at Cardinal Health. My residency was the most challenging and rewarding year, and it helped me decide that clinical pharmacy management was the road I wanted to follow.

I currently work at Vista Health System in Waukegan, Illinois, as a Clinical Manager. It's a job that I truly love because of the variety of responsibilities, which include developing and refining clinical programs based on the needs of the patients and the hospital, formulary management, serving as a clinical resource for physicians and nurses, and precepting our PGY1 resident and fourth-year pharmacy students.

Aside from my management duties, I still enjoy counseling patients. I am the bariatric pharmacist on our multidisciplinary team that helps patients with their weight loss surgery from start to finish. My role on the team is comprehensive. I educate patients prior to surgery on which medications to avoid, how to take their medication after bariatric surgery, and monitor parameters for each medication.  While our patients are in the hospital, I round with the surgeons, nurses and dietician initiating and adjusting medications based on the clinical status of the patient. I appreciate when patients call me with questions or just want to give me an update on their progress. It validates why pharmacy was the right career for me.

My rotation experiences and preceptors have guided me toward a fulfilling career as a clinical practitioner and manager, and I will forever be grateful to Midwestern University for my experiences.  As students, don't be afraid to take advantage of the wide variety of rotations to select from and keep an open mind. You never know what might interest you. Hopefully you will find that area of pharmacy that keeps you going back for more!