Meet the College of Pharmacy coaters
Congratulations to this year’s College of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony Student Coaters!
The student coaters place white coats on the first-year students during the ceremony, which denotes new students’ role as future pharmacists and the many responsibilities that come with it.
These four second-year pharmacy students were nominated by their peers and exhibit the qualities of ethical leadership, academic success, community/campus involvement and truly stand out as role models.
The Class of 2029 College of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony will take place at 3 p.m., Friday, Aug. 22, in the NEW Center Ballroom.
Below, the student coaters share stories of their journey to NEOMED, their professional goals and some advice for P1 students:
SEBASTIAN BOVA
What led you to NEOMED?
NEOMED was appealing as a pharmacy school to me because it is the only one out of the seven pharmacy schools in Ohio that require you to complete your pre-pharmacy coursework elsewhere. The alternate universities have pre-pharmacy coursework years integrated into the program, making them 6-to-8-year programs all together. NEOMED offered flexibility, allowing me to complete the pre-pharmacy coursework closer to home at a very cost-effective price. It also provided a sort of broken up program, which was appealing to me because it split up the length of the program between two universities. NEOMED's beautiful, welcoming campus, closer proximity to home, smaller university size, mission, credibility and on-site housing were other important decision factors for me.
What are your professional goals?
My current professional goals are to become an ambulatory care pharmacist. While still unsure of which specialty to pursue, I find cardiovascular, dermatology, endocrinology, neurology, pulmonary and substance abuse disorder as the most interesting specialties/clinics. I have been preparing since day 1 of pharmacy school to pursue a residency program after graduation, with the aspirations of being somewhere in ambulatory care. Another secondary goal of mine is pharmaceutical innovation, which has allowed me to enhance ideas and creativity with the hopes of being a part of an impactful pharmaceutical technology or development one day.
What advice do you have for the incoming pharmacy class?
Welcome to stage 2 of your pharmacy school journey! You're more than capable of achieving your goals and dreams.
Some advice I would share includes being open minded when meeting people and exploring involvement around campus early on. The earlier you surround yourself with a strong support system of friends and get involved on campus, the better you will be set up for success. Also, remember to find a school-life balance during the school semesters. It sounds more straightforward than it actually is, because you will be very busy and time will fly by. Your health matters just as much so always try to put yourself into favorable situations, stay on track with academics and your study schedule, and avoid procrastination so that a school-life balance is more achievable for you. It's crucial to have enjoyable moments and lasting memories that you can take away from your time at NEOMED as they'll serve as good times, happiness and fantastic study breaks. Lastly, remember your "why" throughout your first year. Anytime you make be struggling, motivate yourself to persevere using the "why I started" mentality. Staying positive and using resources are game-changers and there are plenty of options to find what works best for you. I took advice and mentorship from upperclassman all the time. Best of luck!
ELISABETH BROSCH
What led you to NEOMED?
I was led to NEOMED mostly because my brother goes here as well and all the free food he would tell me about. I had the opportunity to shadow him during his P1 year and tour the campus and meet some faculty. Everyone was so encouraging and seemed like they really cared about the success of every single student, and I thought that was something unique and hard to find in other schools.
What are your professional goals?
My goals after graduation are to work in a pediatric hospital either inpatient or clinical depending on if I choose a specialty.
What advice do you have for the incoming pharmacy class?
My advice for the incoming P1s would be to get involved. NEOMED has opportunities all across campus to get active in professional settings and research but also personal activities to meet friends and do things to destress and enjoy your time in school. As mentioned before there are also SO MANY opportunities for free food, which is something I definitely recommend taking advantage of. But most of all I want to encourage all of you to make the most of your time here and have fun! Good luck Class of 2029!
CAMERON MACKOWSKI
What led you to NEOMED?
Current and past students did a lot in leading me to NEOMED. Having the opportunity to understand the program, and the expectations that come with it, gave me the confidence that I could succeed. This support, along with NEOMEDs strong community connections and convenient location, made it the perfect option for continuing my education.
What are your professional goals?
After completing my Pharm.D., I would like to work in a clinical setting that is more patient centered. I would also like to expand on my previous experience as an educator and work with aspiring pharmacy students to complete their goals. A shared position between a clinical site and a school like NEOMED would allow me to meet both goals.
What advice do you have for the incoming pharmacy class?
Find your people! Everyone is going through this, might as well do it together. Ask questions! Talk to your classmates, your professors, your tutors and anyone else with answers. You can never have too many answers.
NITA MARA
What led you to NEOMED?
I came to NEOMED because I really wanted to be a part of a tight knit community where students of different health professions have the opportunity to collaborate. There are also so many opportunities within Northeast Ohio available to students and so many great hospital systems around us which made NEOMED the perfect place to be in my opinion. Plus, I’ve gotten to meet so many great people here in my class and throughout all the different student organizations we have here!
What are your professional goals?
After pharmacy school, I hope to pursue a PGY-1 residency somewhere in the Cleveland area. I’ve gotten to see so many interesting areas of pharmacy in my internship this summer, but I find myself leaning towards ICU or critical care if I wish to pursue a PGY-2!
What advice do you have for the incoming pharmacy class?
A big piece of advice I have for the incoming class is to not be afraid to ask for help and to ask for it early on, if possible. If you are struggling, there are so many resources available such as attending office hours, group tutoring or even asking your friends for help!