Why I came to UAB?
When the community pharmacy recruiters showed up at the University of Rhode Island, I knew it wasn't for me, regardless of how much they paid me. I was also made aware by my dean at the time that if you want to play with the big dogs in a hospital setting, you should do a residency first. New England medicine is fairly combative, with most daily rounds ending with foul language and someone being called incompetent, and that is not the work environment I wanted to be associated with. So I signed up for Midyear and started looking for out of state residencies: North Carolina, Chicago, California, and Kentucky. And one of my professors told me she had done a residency at this place in Alabama called UAB, and that I should check out. I stopped by the booth and everyone seemed really friendly, and they offered me an application. I filled it out to appease my professor, and several days later I received a request for an interview. I figured I'd never have another reason to go to Alabama, so I booked a flight and came down. The hospital was great, the people were fantastic, and the medicine was state of the art (BUT it was in ALABAMA). I said my good byes and took home a little bag of red clay to show my friends, never planning to return. Unfortunately, as I began looking at other programs and hospitals against the standard of UAB, I was underwhelmed. This was especially troublesome in Chicago, where I had several friends living and where I had been planning on having the time of my life. But the question was should I do a residency to have a good time as a twenty-something, or learn to practice my profession. So I ranked UAB number one in the match, and in March I was lucky enough to be accepted. That still didn't mean I was ready to face my friends. In finally disclosed the location of my residency in May, to the disdain of many of my Yankee friends. I was ridiculed mercilessly for several months, until they started coming down to visit. I take them out for BBQ their first night in town, and I'm guaranteed a return visit.
One thing I would tell a pharmacist interested in UAB
This is not a place where mediocrity is accepted. UAB hospital treats us like respected professionals, so they expected us to act like respected professionals. You are provided with all the tools necessary to perform at the highest caliber of our trade in a world class environment to maintain the safety of our patients, but if you want to get a check at the end of the month while putting in the least amount of effort possible, work somewhere else.
Tell about one event while working at UAB that has changed you?
Watching a granddaughter cry because she knew she would be able to see her grandmother more often now that she'd had a kidney transplant. The granddaughter lived out in the country in northern Alabama, and her grandmother had to live with an uncle in Birmingham because she couldn't drive that far to the dialysis clinic. Now that she had the kidney and didn't need dialysis 3 times a week, they planned a 2 week get away at a family cottage on a lake.
What are some characteristics of a UAB Pharmacist?
UAB pharmacists are expected to take personal responsibility for the care of their patients, the facility, and themselves. It is expected that if you see a problem that care you capable of repairing, you fix a problem without requiring for directions to do so or waiting for someone else to take care of it for you. Little things can make a huge impact, such as giving lost family members wandering around the hospital directions. UAB is a very large place and its corridors can become a confusing labyrinth for people who don't work here. Combine that with being distraught about a sick loved one, and it can be a very frustrating combination. If you see someone staring blankly up at a sign, ask them where they are trying to go. Such a simple gesture is always appreciated.
What has surprised you the most about the support you've received as a Pharmacist?
Great Ideas can come from the most unexpected places, and the pharmacy supervisors at UAB embrace the fact that if you work in an area, you are the most well versed in regards to how it needs to be run. I believe it is also very fortunate that all of our senior managers are themselves pharmacists with many years experience, who can relate to what you may be experience and can give helpful advice when needed.
How would you describe a typical day as a UAB Pharmacist?
Arrive early (8 am) and begin reviewing patient information. What happened overnight? What results did we receive from the previous day's tests? What can we do to optimize therapy? Then I round with the nephrology team. We go patient to patient discussing what needs to be done for each case, and all orders and requirements are done in real time at the patient's door using our workstations on wheels. After morning rounds, a quick lunch and then I do patient education. All patients receiving kidney transplants require a 45 min education about the transplant and medication that will be used to keep the kidney viable and the patient healthy. They are also given 4 days of immunosuppressant medication to take in the hospital to become acclimated to their new medication regimen in a safe environment. They are also given at discharge a list with picture of all the medication they will be taking as an outpatient and the schedule for when it should be taken. This list can be accommodated for people who can not read and even the blind. In the early afternoon I round with the surgical team and perform the same duties I did that morning for the transplant nephrologists. After rounds, I wrap up all lose ends, pass off to my evening shift pharmacist, and call it a day.
What kinds of opportunities does UAB provide for growth?
Your growth is only limited to your own ambitions and how much time you are will to commit to your profession.
Why stay here in Birmingham?
One of the things I love about Birmingham is that it's a Little-Big City (or vice-versa). It has the nightlife, the diversity, the intellectuals, and experiences of a big city without many of the problems. It's also convenient to most of the Southeast and has every living environment for any stage in life, such as an out- of- the- way little farmstead, a small suburban house to raise a family, or a city condominium close to the excitement. You can find almost anything in Birmingham.
If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be:
My twin brother. I figure it can't be too much different, and I've got some of the best parents in the world.
My favorite quote is:
At an English dinner party, circa 1942.
"Why Mister Churchill, I do believe you're drunk!"
"Yes Madame, and I do believe you're ugly. But in the morning, I'll be sober..."
If I had to wear a t-shirt with one word on it for the rest of my life, I would choose the word:
"Tuesday." That would be funny six out of seven days a week. Depending on whether it's the same shirt, or a bunch of different shirts that all have to say the same thing.
The best cure for boredom:
Owning a home. I recently bought my own in a local Hoover suburb, and between worrying about the economy and doing my own housing repairs, it's never a dull moment.
The best costume I ever had:
Alladin for halloween 2004. Sandles, White poofy sweatpants complete with patches, a red sash and an undersized purple vest. My friend painted himself blue and dressed as a very realistic genie, and my first wish was that he put a shirt on (he was a very large boy).
Favorite thing to do in Birmingham:
Eat BBQ. Growing up in Boston, barbeque for me was hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill. Now I'll never be the same.