Ed Portillo - Why Pharmacy is Awesome
Ed Potillo – Why Pharmacy is Awesome 9/15/16
Ed’s background:
PharmD, completed his education at UW-Madison (undergraduate and PharmD)
Undergrad degree in Spanish, studied abroad, graduated SOP in 2014
Completed a residency
Currently practices at the VA Medical Center
What does Ed do?
Undergraduate pharmacy FIG course
Pharmacy 305 co-coordinator
Pharmacotherapy lab coordinator
Lecturer
Specialty pharmacy track programs
Works at the VA
Why Pharmacy?
Knowledgeable
Well-respected
Accessible
HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT
Interests – improve one’s health, interact with patients, help people, good pay, variety in the day, leadership
Job market is huge! Lots of various opportunities – academia, management, inpatient, clinical, community, etc.
Manage patients’ chronic diseases states, prescribe medications, order labs, while collaborating with primary care provider
Provide clinical services in adult medicine, pediatrics, oncology, psychiatry, among other specialties
Over 3,000 full-time faculty members work in SOPs around the nation
Interest in sales and administration can be combined with clinical skills
Marketing research, product development, quality control
Average salary is $119,270
Pharmacy is right for you if you enjoy what pharmacists do, if you can do what pharmacists do, and if you’ve got the skills.
Residency program: helps to prepare you for a specialized area of pharmacy practice
Ed’s residency: two-year program at the VA focused on preparing you as a highly competitive clinical leader
First year was clinical practice (inpatient with focus on teaching and ambulatory care), second year was leadership development
You do make money while being a resident!
Do not have to do a residency in order to get a job!
Exposes you to many areas of pharmacy and career paths
How can I be a competitive runner for a residency?
Extracurricular involvement
Leadership
Pharmacy work experience
Coursework
Supply for pharmacists – more pharmacy schools today rather than now, one of the best healthcare jobs
Demand for pharmacists – more and more jobs are needed for pharmacists to fill
Where is pharmacy heading in the next 4-5 years?
Pharmacy Forecast – document free for anybody to read, experts come together and discuss trends in pharmacy practice and makes predictions for the year 2020
As health care dollars shift away from hospitals and into clinics, this creates more opportunities for pharmacists
The role of pharmacists will further diversify because of these trends