Meeting with Dr. Maddie Wiarek on her Ambulatory Care Residency and Undergraduate Experience (11/25)
- prepharmuwmadison
- Oct 25, 2022
- 1 min read
Dr. Maddie Wiarek on her experiences in pharmacy (Madison.Wiarek@va.gov)
Undergrad completed at UW-Madison
Exposed to pharmacy with the FIG and Pre-Pharmacy Club
Graduated from pharmacy school last year
Pursued a pharmacy residency
Gaining more experience in managing chronic disease states and performing long-term patient care
Ambulatory care (outpatient) focus
Chosen for the ability to make longitudinal connections with patients
Rotate through different clinics, 6 different blocks in residency to explore different areas
Why choose a residency?
More experience and support from pharmacists with more knowledge
1st and 2nd year residencies for specialized practices
Why did Maddie choose ambulatory care?
Enjoys patient interaction
Pathways course that discussed different opportunities for pharmacists in pharmacy school at UW-Madison helps picks a field you may be interested in
Clubs within pharmacy school that can connect you to specific areas in pharmacy
Patient/provider interaction
COVID made more interactions through phone calls or Telehealth
New patients seen about every 30 minutes
Less provider interaction, since some disease states can be managed by the pharmacists themselves
Research:
Opioid monitoring
Hours and tasks as a resident
8-4:30 are the main clinic hours
Still a learner as a resident
Can see the patient independently and come up with a plan, and then discuss with the pharmacist about a solidified plan
Pharmacist reviews and signs off on what was discussed
Maddie’s ideas of pharmacy
Pharmacists are respected on the healthcare team
Medication experts
Clinical work, chart reviews
Catching errors in prescriptions
How can pharmacy impact public health issues
Clinical reminders given to patient
Flu shots in report
Try to implement preventative health measures in all visits
Why UW-Madison’s School of Pharmacy
Has a tight-knit community with faculty willing to help you and get to know you
Small class sizes
Connected to health institutions which gives students great opportunities for clinical experiences
Dr. Maddie Wiarek’s journey is truly inspiring, especially her focus on ambulatory care and long-term patient connections. It’s clear how impactful these experiences can be for both patients and providers. Platforms like Doctiplus are enhancing this type of care by enabling healthcare professionals to maintain those important patient relationships virtually. It’s exciting to see how technology can support the continued growth of personalized, longitudinal care, even outside of traditional settings like clinics or hospitals.