Clinical Pharmacist
Indian Health Service
Rapid City, SD

Background 

I grew up in Oakes which is a small town in the southeast region of North Dakota. I first started at NDSU as a pre-pharmacy student. When I was accepted into Pharmacy School I was informed of the PharmD/MPH dual degree offered within the College of Health Professions. The dual degree intrigued me because of the potential to work at a different level within the profession of pharmacy. As the supply and demands of a pharmacist change, I decided to give myself an edge to help with the job market. I have also served over 12 years in the North Dakota Army National Guard before recently transferring to South Dakota.

Specialization at NDSU

My passion for ambulatory care drove me to specialize in Public Health in Clinical Systems. I believe the other specialties would have worked well with my profession.

How did the NDSU MPH prepare you for the workforce?

There are so many advantages to having the knowledge I gained from completing an MPH at NDSU. Many of my tasks as a pharmacist require me to counsel a patient that has a multifaceted background. Every patient is different, but there are many public health approaches to solving medical problems. The core subjects of the MPH program gave me the ability to change barriers, social/behavioral problems, and disease patterns at my job. There is a never ending opportunity to grow within my profession that may not have been possible without my public health training.

Current position 

Currently, I am staffed as a Clinical Pharmacist with the Indian Health Service (IHS) Unit located in Rapid City, SD. My primary responsibilities involve verification of medication orders using the data provided in the patient's medical record to ensure safe medication use, appropriate choice of drug therapy, and calculation of appropriate doses corresponding to the patient's age, weight, and current disease states. Being a public health pharmacist in the clinical setting allows me a lot of opportunities for growth and professional pursuits while practicing at the top of my license. In the near future, I hope to join either the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps or become an active duty pharmacy officer with the United States Army. Becoming an officer in one of the uniformed services has always been a dream. Many also dream of achieving a high rank, and having a Masters in addition to the professional degree is required for promotion in some branches.

Impact on the community you work with

I work with the Native American population who live on the west side of South Dakota along with eligible Native American/Alaskan Natives who are on vacation in the Black Hills. My greatest impact I make every day is managing the chronic diseases of our patients. Some of these interventions are on the individual level, but I also work with other professions to develop projects that impact groups of patients. These projects typically are facility-wide changes to health care practice which can help make our Native American population a healthier nation. I am also involved in staffing, creating, or reestablishing specialty clinics such as our Pharmacy-Led Tobacco Cessation Clinic.