After graduating from an out-of-state university’s college of pharmacy, Jenny Lee wanted to complete her education with real-world experience.
And that’s why she chose the University of Toledo Medical Center for her one-year post-graduate pharmacy residency program.
“What attracted me to the residency program at UTMC were the different learning opportunities for pharmacists and how integrated into the healthcare team pharmacists were,” Lee said. “I learn best from jumping into situations and being very hands-on. At UTMC I have the freedom to come up with my own patient care plans while also having the assistance and guidance from preceptors.”
Lee
Working at UTMC, Lee said, has afforded her the opportunity to interact with students from many disciplines.
“This has helped me gain confidence in making my recommendations and in having more difficult conversations and also with expanding my clinical knowledge,” she said.
“I have also attended Code Skills, a multidisciplinary training event. Pharmacy residents, medical residents, nursing and respiratory all attend this training to simulate a real scenario. This fosters positive communication and allows each discipline to learn more about each other’s skill sets.”
Lee said she unconsciously decided to be a pharmacist while in high school when she “realized how life-saving a single pill was in someone’s health.”
Her mother also helped to influence her career path.
“My mother, like many others who grew up in China, would oftentimes value traditional medicines and herbals over modern medicine,” Lee said, “and I wanted to help her and others better understand medicine.”
When Lee joined the pharmacy team in June as a new pharmacy graduate, she was excited to take on the challenge of residency, said Dr. Kellie Buschor, a critical care clinical pharmacist and residency program director at UTMC.
“She consistently approaches each day, no matter how challenging, with a positive attitude and determination to grow clinically and professionally,” Buschor said. “Her bubbly personality and generally friendly nature make her a welcome addition into any team, whether that be multidisciplinary rounding, our pharmacy team or within her close-knit residency class.
“Completing a pharmacy residency is not easy, and it takes a certain amount of dedication and mental fortitude,” Buschor added. “It’s clear when watching residents like Jenny, that when your primary focus is improving patient care today and in the future, the hard work is well worth it.”
After UTMC, Lee said she will pursue additional training by doing a second one-year post-graduate residency program in a specialized field such as critical care, emergency medicine or HIV.
“I believe that I am well on my way in being prepared,” she said. “I had rotations in the MICU, clinic time in the HIV Clinic, and I am currently in the emergency department for the month of November. I believe this program has set me up for success.”
To those wanting to do a pharmacy residency at UTMC, Lee emphasized that they will be challenged and that the hard work will pay off.
“The expectations of pharmacy residents here are high but there will always be ample support from preceptors, other pharmacists and your peers,” she said. “They will have access to a lot of different learning experiences, and the knowledge gained will be rewarding at the end of each learning experience.”
