Can you share your experience so far as the Student Ambassador Liaison?
As the Student Ambassador Liaison, I work between the ambassadors and administration to identify how ambassadors can contribute to the overall student experience. The most memorable experience as an ambassador was participating in the white coat ceremony for the class of 2024. After getting to know so many students over Zoom for a year, meeting them in-person for the first time was a very special moment! During my own orientation as a P1, I felt so nervous about being able to manage everything in graduate school. By listening to the experiences shared by the ambassadors, it made the start of school much less overwhelming. Inspired by many of the ambassadors I met at orientation, it was very meaningful to be selected to join this program in my P1 year. For students interested in becoming student ambassadors, I would encourage them to seek out leadership opportunities on campus and get involved in student organizations.
What attracted you to the field of pharmacy? What are your career aspirations?
I grew up around my dad’s independent pharmacy and became fascinated by the interactions with patients in the community. Through his work as an entrepreneur and pharmacist, I was able to see that there was more to the profession than filling prescriptions. I continued to meet pharmacists in different areas outside of pharmacy ownership–hospitals, compounding, and industry roles–and was motivated by the commitment to improve patient care experiences.
After receiving my Bachelor of Science in global health from USC in 2017, I worked in healthcare IT at Cedars-Sinai. I am open to many career opportunities in pharmacy, but I’ve enjoyed building my clinical skills working as a pharmacy intern at Keck Hospital and exploring economic perspectives in healthcare through my involvement in Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and elective courses. I also continue to be excited by the intersection of technology and healthcare, where pharmacists can play a role in digital health initiatives.
Why did you choose the USC School of Pharmacy and what has been one of the most memorable experiences for you so far?
Having been a part of the Trojan Family since 2013, I was confident that continuing my education at USC would expand my network for unique opportunities in the field. Dr. Steve Chen–who I met during my time as an undergraduate student–and his innovative approach was also a large part of why I chose USC. It was inspiring to speak with him about how the role of a pharmacist continues to expand to improve patient care outcomes and cut healthcare costs. The pharmacy profession is constantly evolving with new technologies and healthcare policy changes, and USC PharmD faculty and graduates are leading in innovating ways within the profession.
What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know about?
I started learning Indian dance at the age of five. I am currently a dancer in the Sa Dance Company, an Indian dance company focused on bringing awareness of Indian dance and culture to wider audiences. While we have not been able to perform on stage throughout the pandemic, we continued to practice on Zoom every week as studios shut down. Continuing this art form–alongside a group of women passionate about keeping dance in their lives–has been an incredible outlet throughout pharmacy school.