GSHP Membership Spotlight

Anthony Pepin

 

What initially motivated you to join GSHP?

I wanted to be able to connect with other Pharmacy professionals working in the hospital setting. Having like-minded Pharmacists who are focused on positive patient outcomes to learn from and being able to train future professionals is of utmost importance to me.

 

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

 

Where have you trained or worked? 

Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center

CVS Pharmacy

 

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

I am the Pharmacy Operations Manager at Piedmont Athens Regional. My responsibilities include the day-to-day operation of the Inpatient Pharmacy and OR/Infusion Satellites and managing Pharmacy Automation throughout the facility.

 

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

Having work experience makes a huge difference in being ready for rotations and your future career. Get out there and work in a Pharmacy or volunteer in a Clinic in your area. And don’t forget that every rotation/experience is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. I’ve hired multiple Pharmacists who were students in my facility because they showed superior work ethic and drive as well as their knowledge of Pharmacy.

 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

I love anything outdoors (mostly hiking/hunting/camping/gardening). When I’m indoors, I’m probably reading a book about the outdoors!

 

What is your favorite place to vacation?

I have two favorites: St. Simons Island with my family every summer and Excellence Playa Mujeres if my wife and I can get away for a long weekend.

 

Meet Alicia Sanchez

What initially motivated you to join GSHP?

 I initially joined GSHP as a PGY2, because I’d been involved in state organizations as a student and PGY1. National organizations are great, but I really enjoyed the local networking as a student and PGY1. I’ve stayed involved in GSHP for that same reason – networking opportunities - in addition to the educational programming – that has been beneficial clinically and as a preceptor.

 

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy

 

Where have you trained or worked? 

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency: Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital | University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy; Memphis, TN

PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Residency: Augusta University Medical Center | University of Georgia College of Pharmacy; Augusta, GA

Previous Jobs: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Pharmacist at Children’s National Medical Center, Washington D.C., Pediatric Emergency Medicine Pharmacist at Children’s Hospital of Georgia at Augusta University Health

 

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

I have recently transitioned from Pediatric Emergency Medicine pharmacist to Medication Safety Pharmacist at Augusta University Health. This is a new, dedicated role within our institution that covers all aspects of the medication use process within the health system. I look forward to the opportunity to come alongside other pharmacists and disciplines to make our health system safer for our patients and continue to precept pharmacy students and residents!

 

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

Learn how to say no! There are so many great opportunities in pharmacy school and it’s so engrained to build your CV for residency applications It feels like you have to say yes to everything to stay competitive for residency, but it’s really okay to say no to things, even good things. I read an article (How to Say No to Things You Want to Do (hbr.org)) as a fourth year pharmacy student, and I wish I’d read it sooner (and still need to go back to it regularly!). Really consider – What are your top professional priorities? What is the total commitment? What is the opportunity cost? What is the physical/emotional cost? – before you say “yes!”

 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

I love to read! I average ~1 book/week. I picked back up cross-stitching during the pandemic and have been teaching myself how to hand embroider.

 

What is your favorite place to vacation?

The beach! There isn’t much better than the sun, ocean, and a good book!

GSHP Membership Spotlight

Eti Ebong

 

What initially motivated you to join GSHP?

I wanted to stay involved with a large network of pharmacists and have opportunities to connect to other pharmacists in the state.

 

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

 

Where have you trained or worked? 

CVS/Pharmacy-pharmacy tech and pharmacy intern

Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center-staff clinical pharmacist

 

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

I currently work as a staff clinical pharmacist and work in a variety of patient care areas including ER, OR, ICU, and Med Surg floors.

 

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

I would advise them to go after their passions and interests and explore various different sectors of pharmacy.

 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

I like to sing, play tennis, hike, travel, and explore new places and try new foods.

 

What is your favorite place to vacation?

One of my favorite places that I have visited is Venice, Italy. It is a beautiful place and the gelato is top tier.

 

 GSHP Membership Spotlight

Whitney Smith

What initially motivated you to join GSHP?

I initially joined GSHP for the networking, but I have stayed for the relationships. The monthly clinical calls have been a great resource for me as a young pharmacist stepping into a manager role in the middle of a pandemic. I love having the ability to bounce ideas off each other and learn how other people are handling different processes and navigating shortages.

 

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

Mercer University College of Pharmacy c/o 2014     

 

Where have you trained or worked? 

PGY1 Completed at Columbus Regional Medical [Now Piedmont Columbus Regional] c/o 2015

July 2015 – Current Eastside Medical Center [Now Piedmont Eastside Medical]

 

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

Currently – Pharmacy Clinical Manager since Oct 2020.

310 Bed Community Acute Care hospital in Snellville, GA.

 

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

“You get what you give.” – Rotations can be the scariest, yet most rewarding part of pharmacy school because this is where everything you have learned thus far comes together into real world experience. The more effort you put into your rotations, the more knowledge you will gain and you (+ your preceptor) will have a more enjoyable experience.

 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

My 2 young boys keep my nights and weekends filled with baseball. Good thing it’s my favorite sport. In my spare time I like to listen to a broad genre of books with Audible.

 

What is your favorite place to vacation?

Panama City Beach, always and forever

 

 

 

GSHP Membership Spotlight

Mary Anne Hawkins

 

 

What initially motivated you to join GSHP?

I joined to expand my network of pharmacy peers dedicated to improving the profession.

 

Where did you go to pharmacy school?

Mercer University

 

Where have you trained or worked? 

Kroger, Publix, Target, CVS, Wellstar

 

Describe your current area of practice and practice setting:

Closed Door Retail Pharmacist. I manage the Meds to Beds service at an inner-city hospital and love it. There is so much opportunity for collaboration. The hospital matrix is one that is vast and complex, but there is plenty of avenues to serve in patient care. I enjoy going to rounds and address discharge issues and following up with the ambulatory care side of patient care. I am amazed at how much dispensing one month of medications can impact a patient’s health trajectory.

 

What advice would you give to student pharmacists?

Always stay curious and look beyond the first right answer.

 

Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?

I am an avid ashtanga yogi. Much of what I learn when practicing yoga parallels what I bring to my pharmacy practice. Also, I practice the piano and read books on philosophy.

 

What is your favorite place to vacation?

New York City for the people watching.