February 15, 2023 • 22 mins
Host: Monsignor David Rubino, Ph.D.
Guest: Dr. Rachel Ogden, Dean of the LECOM School of Pharmacy
Dr. Rachel Ogden discusses the evolving role of the pharmacist, the greater accessability of pharmacists, the LECOM distance education program, and specifics about the pathways to becoming a pharmacist.
________
Please visit LECOM.edu for to learn more about the educational opportunities available at our institution.
Guest: Dr. Rachel Ogden, Dean of the LECOM School of Pharmacy
Dr. Rachel Ogden discusses the evolving role of the pharmacist, the greater accessability of pharmacists, the LECOM distance education program, and specifics about the pathways to becoming a pharmacist.
________
Please visit LECOM.edu for to learn more about the educational opportunities available at our institution.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You're listening to lee KOM presents Heroes in Training. The
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as LEEKOM,
has been providing training to heroes all across the globe
since nineteen ninety three. This podcast gives you an insider
look at the stories of triumph and hope from both
(00:22):
former students and faculty, helping you decide if LEECOM is
the right choice for your higher education. Let's start the show.
Welcome to LEECOM Health Matters today. Our guest today is
now our favorite Dean of Pharmacy, doctor Rachel Ogden. Rachel,
(00:43):
Welcome to LEECOM Health Matters. It's a joy to see
you and thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
For being with us.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Oh, it's our pleasure. Rachel. You know years ago is
I am on the fourth floor with you in our
pharmacy building. And when I walk around here and I
see some of the old ways pharmacists dispensed things, some
of the tools are there when they compound of drugs.
And basically, thirty forty years ago, as I understand, you
(01:09):
went to the pharmacist to filled a couple things and
that's it. But clearly over the last ten or twenty years,
therapeutic medicines have taken over the business of healthcare. There
is so much medicine available, and hasn't that driven a
rule change for the pharmacists. It's not just the person
that you go with that script from the doctor and
(01:31):
get your fill, your prescription filled, and he or she
takes a couple of pills off the shelf. There's such
a vast variety of medications available and so difficult for
people to really understand what those are that I think
the role of the pharmacist now was far different now
than it was twenty thirty years ago.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
For sure, and well twenty thirty years ago, I mean
so that that actually my career has been thirty five years,
so you know that's that it's been big changes since then.
But even you know, if you think historically, when you
when you think of the pharmacist, and that RX symbol
actually stands for recipe, so or you know, it meant
(02:12):
a recipe. So the physician knew what ingredients active ingredients
he wanted the patient to have and what the dose was.
The pharmacist kind of mixed it up, as you said,
I've compounded it and dispensed it to the patient, and we,
you know, pharmacists, even from the historical perspective, we're always
focusing on safety, you know, making sure that the medication
(02:36):
was safe and making sure it was efficacious, that it
did what you know it was supposed to do. That's
always been the focus still is the focus. But you're right,
there's so many layers to the comment that you made.
As far as advances in medicine. Now it's not just
a matter of you know, is it the right medicine,
that the right dose taken the right way, but all
(02:59):
of the behavior yeal aspects that go into health and
making sure we're taking our medicines at the right time
and that there's no interactions and that we incorporate the
lifestyle changes needed. And patients are living so much longer,
they have more chronic diseases, so they're taking more medications
(03:21):
for longer. So it's those behavioral changes that I talk
about are very, very important. And the person that you're
seeing every month when you get your medication filled is
the pharmacist. So the pharmacist is becoming more and more
involved in other aspects of treating patients, not just the
dispensing of the medications, but the monitoring of the medications
(03:42):
and making sure the patient's progressing towards goals. Not to
mention the other types of activities, the services and clinical
services you can get within a pharmacy. But oh yes,
there's you know, many many changes that have occurred over time.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It seems to be and is it further complicated Rachel?
And sometimes it's so hard to get into see a physician,
and so when that patient goes to get their prescription filled,
I suspect there's far more interaction between me getting my
prescription filled in the pharmacist, and there was even five
years ago about potential side effects. Are how I'm feeling.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
You know, It's funny because I think nowadays we gauge
everything a pre pandemic, you know, post pandemic, if you
can even say post pandemic. But you know, with all
of the testing and immunizing that's going on inside the
community pharmacy. Yes, we have always you know, branded ourselves
(04:43):
as the most accessible healthcare provider. You can go in
and talk to a pharmacist. You don't need an appointment.
But I think we all know if you've seen you know,
the media with the signs that say, you know, pharmacy,
pharmacy closed for you know, so this hour because of
the pharmacists not available. So there's been changes that have
(05:04):
occurred during the pandemic with staffing, with availability, you know,
of medications, which have changed things a bit. But yeah, still,
you know, you do you see your pharmacists more often
when you see your physician. They're accessible for questions, for counseling,
for consultation, so you know, yeah, there.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is now than there were years ago. Are they permitted
to give vaccinations or is that a state by state?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Can you repeat that question?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I'm sorry, Rachel. Are they permitted to give vaccinations pharmacists?
Could they give flu in covid vaccinations? Or is that
a state by state?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
You're right, there are certain regulations that are state to
state as far as scope of practice for a pharmacist,
but pharmacists can vaccinate in all states. We're able to vaccinate.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And so since they're role obviously is vastly different, and
I think that's a fair word to say it's vastly
different than it was ten or twenty years ago. Relative
to the counseling that they do with patients. The medicine
explanation the interaction possibilities with such a variety of medications.
I suspect the education of them, what you're responsible for,
(06:21):
is also changed.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Well, yes, yes, it has changed in a sense that
you know, then when I graduated, you know, in a
number of years ago, years ago, the emphasis on clinical
skills was not as great for someone who was coming
(06:44):
out with, you know, the Bachelor of Science and pharmacy
and you were going to you know, go on to
be a pharmacist. Now, pharmacists still obtained Doctor of Pharmacy degrees,
they went onto residency, so they spend more time developing
clinical skills. But now, you know, with the Doctor of
Pharmacy being the terminal degree, we you know, not only
(07:05):
has things change regarding you know, technology and the types
of delivery systems of medications, but also the clinical skills
that we use now as far as assessing certain things
in patients, as you mentioned giving immunizations, we do medication, therapy, management,
(07:26):
point of care testing. So there's a lot there's a
lot of different things that are being done that are
are common that weren't common you know, twenty years ago
and thirty years.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
And how long does it take these days I know
we have two different pathways, and I think or three
different pathways. I think the audience would be interested. What
is the actual training for the pharmacists that you oversee.
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So typically a pharmacist it takes a total of six years.
Typically to become a pharmacist. You can complete the prerequisites
for a pharmacy degree in two years and then you
can go on to a four year of pharmacy programs.
So our distance education program in our Florida program are
a traditional four year programs. But in the Erie campus
(08:15):
we have an accelerated program so you can complete the
same number of credits as the four year degree. You
can complete it in three years, so it's more of
an all year round curriculum and it can be completed
in three years. Now that being said, some students decide
that they would like to obtain their bachelor's degree first
and then go on to pharmacy school, so that would
(08:36):
be a total work of seven or eight years. But
it really depends on the person. Most pharmacy schools, you
can complete the prerequisites in two.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Years, and are our students mostly two years and then
they come here or are they mostly four or is it.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
It does vary. We have students that have two, you know,
two years of requisites. We have a large number of
students who have bachelor's degrees, and we have some students
who have advanced degrees and have decided that, you know,
maybe they want a career change and decide to go
into pharmacy.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Well, I think that's an important point to make the
career change people. We welcome the career change people. And
obviously you have to make sure they have their science
background or enough science to get through it. But those
kinds of interesting people who want to make that change
are welcome here, are they not.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Absolutely? Yeah. We have a number of nurses, dietitians', social workers,
you know, people who have been in healthcare and others
who have not been in healthcare, engineers, you know, others
who really just have a yearning or desire that they
want to be a pharmacist. So some are transitioning into healthcare,
(09:53):
some are transitioning from another you know, healthcare profession into pharmacy.
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Speaker 2 (10:55):
And depending on the pathway, they're going to spend some
time in a classroom and obviously a significant amount of
time I'm working either in hospitals or in chain pharmacies.
But I want to talk a little bit about distance
education than pharmacies because that's relatively new. How does that work?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Well? Our distance education program has been up and running
since twenty fourteen, so you know it's it's been a
while and we've had good success. You know, there's there's
different types of distance education. You can you can have
independent study. Of course, there's a component of pharmacy education
(11:34):
that's experiential or clinical. So you know, you can't really
do that by distance. You have to have you know,
you have to be in a facility where you're with patients.
We have a different kind of model where a part
of it is what you would call asynchronous, meaning you
can do it on your own time. It's flexible, but
then we do have a number of hours during the
(11:55):
week and especially during exam times and other sessions which
are more active learning that the student has to be
present at a particular time. So the combination of synchronous
and asynchronous makes the student very engaged in the program.
It creates a very close knit distance education community with
(12:18):
the students that are that are in that pathway, and
we have seen a lot of success with those students
and and it's it's wonderful because we have students participating
from all over the country. They are in you know,
rotation sites all over the country and we it's it's
wonderful because it's part of Le camm community, you know,
(12:41):
in that particular but you know other community where maybe
we don't have a live campus that there are you know,
our students are right there and practicing and and so
you know, it's it's quot ly calm, you know, out
there in a lot of different places.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And being being together even over the internet, as you said,
must be senses of community. These students from all over
the country.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Absolutely, they participate in our student government. You know, they're
in our organizations. They do community service in their communities
just as our cloves. You know, campus students do it
in our communities. It's they're very engaged. And there are
certain times when they do come to campus. They comfort
to campus a few weeks in their first year and
(13:26):
I believe one week their second year, and at that
time it's you know, to see them embrace and be
so happy to see each other in person and interact
with the faculty members. It's really wonderful.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So you're right, My office is right down the hall
from our pharmacy lab, and it's delightful to see them.
They come back in the summer, because all of a sudden,
our lab has filled with the students that you don't know,
where do all these people come from? And then you
find that they're from Seattle, they're from all over the world,
but just to put a point on it so we
don't miss it. Even though we it is distance education,
(14:01):
and even though they come to campus for a few
weeks during their tenure, they still do the clinical in
service in the various hospitals or pharmacies.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Correct, for sure, yes, and we work with them to
We've established sites in locations all over the country so
they you know, the goal is to keep them in
their geographical area for their location, for their rotations. But yeah,
they have to. The distance education program meets all of
(14:31):
the same requirements for accreditation as our live pathways. It's
just that you have the flexibility to do it from
your home as opposed to moving to camples.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Is there a profile to a distance education student. Do
they tend to be older, or tend to be career
change people or just a variety In.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
The beginning, to be honest, so twenty fourteen, eight years ago,
we saw, you know, individuals with families who didn't want
to move away from their family, or didn't want to
operate their family, or maybe had different situations. Now, just
eight years later, online learning is more prevalent than it's
(15:15):
been in the past. We were the second pharmacy program
to have a distance education pathway. That number has increased
over the last eight years. But because it's become more prevalent,
students who find that that learning environment works well for
them maybe more likely to apply, whereas in the past
(15:37):
it wasn't necessarily an option.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And if a student or someone listening to this is
interested just in talking about pharmacy as a potential career,
or talking about a career change, or just wanting to
sit down and talk to a professional about coming to
Leakom in one of the pathways or in the distance pathway,
how would they go about me that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I can encourage everyone to visit our website at Leecoon
dot e dou and there's a variety of information if
you go to the academics section and look for Promises School,
so we get a lot of information there. But then
there are also email addresses and phone numbers where you
could call the school and get information. So you know,
(16:22):
I welcome you to call the schooling and where you'll
get a person. You know, a person answers to the phone,
so they will definitely direct you to the right person.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
And we have to talk about this as well, because
it's part of the process. But we also indirectly a
system a little bit of relative to finances, put them
in touch with financial aid people who walk through that
very complicated process of loans and costs and how to
make this affordable and realistic for them. They're not on
their own. We'll support them all the way through.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Well absolutely well, I mean as you know that. You know,
one of the technic techilycome is that finances should not
be a barrier to anyone getting a professional education. So
we're very conscious of our tuition and keeping our tuition
affordable for our students. We also raise a lot of
money in scholarships. But as far as financial aid, we
(17:17):
do have a financial aid department. You go through the
financial aid process in graduate school very similar to undergraduate skills.
So if there are any questions during the process, our
financial aid department will help you, as you said, every
step of the way.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And just like you're undergraduate school, they're here to take
them by the hand literally and walk them through what
does I think a very daunting process when it comes
to finances and financial aid. It's difficult. So they people
should not feel uncomfortable about calling and simply inquiring and
we'll take it from there to follow up on their interest.
Is there a deadline per se, Let's say for the
(17:56):
coming year that people should commit.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Well, we have rolling admission, so we start our admission
cycle and it opens in July when you could start
your application. We usually start interviewing late August, early September.
But we you know, we accept, we start interviewing and
we accept applicants as we go, and so to make
(18:20):
sure you have a seat, it would be wise to
interview and apply early and then you know, make that
commitment with your deposit. But you know, we usually are
the deadline for the year is je firs.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And one other question a job How what's the job
market like these days for the pharmacists? I know, like
every other job market, I suspect it's changing. But what's
it like?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well? Pretty good? So you know, even I was just
actually looking online today for a pharmacist that was in
the area. And there are a lot number of jobs
in the erie communities, hospital, community, managed care, you know,
variety of different types of positions. It depends on location.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
And are in an.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Area that has a pharmacy school, then the jobs aren't
as prevalent, maybe as in a rural area where you know,
there's not much of a population. But I have to
tell you the community pharmacies are continuing to give sign
on bonuses to pharmacists. Pharmacists are needed and wanted and
the jobs are there. So we had high placement of
(19:39):
our graduates. And I believe, you know, in the future,
with all of the you know, the services that are
going to the community pharmacies, the need is going to
be even well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I think we should also make a point to the
audience as well, Rachel. The community pharmacies are one portion
of it. There are pharmacists in hospitals, homes, long term
care facilities. It's not just I think when people think pharmacists,
they think right Aid, Walgreen, you know, the chains or
the clinical sites. But there are lots of other opportunities correct.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
In fact, I was just talking with a pharmacy candidate
today and she did some shadowing in a hospital, and
so she was under the impression that was she was
in the hospital, she was just going to go to
the hospital pharmacy and see what they do within the pharmacy.
But they actually put her with every different practice area
in the hospital. So she was in the pharmacy, but
(20:36):
she was also you know, where they were compounding IV medications.
She got to round with physicians on the floor, with
the clinical pharmacists. She was in the NICU with the
pharmacist that's you know that works in that particular area.
She was in an outpatient pharmacy. She got to see
a pharmacist council patients before they were discharged to make
(20:58):
sure they were knowledgeable about the medications on discharge. So
you know, she was flabergastic. She said, I didn't know
just in a hospital how many different things I could do. So,
I mean, that's one example. But you know, as I
mentioned before, in their arena of managed care pharmacy, which
is more of the insurance arena where they're evaluating medications
(21:20):
and deciding, you know, what medications patients should have on
their formulatory for insurances, or with even drug companies that
are trying to educate physicians and others on new products.
There are pharmacists all throughout those industries. Also that people
don't really realize them now.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I think they just think pharmacists. They think it the
giant eagle and whatever, and they don't think of the
other myriads of possibilities. We are out of time, but
number one, thank you for your time, Rachel. Secondly, pharmacists
really are the medicine experts I think in this day
and age, with so many out there, so many different
possibilities to help pat so it's an exciting field. I
(22:02):
know the graduates that you produce are really very good.
In our employable, we thank you for your work and
today I thank you for your time on Licom Health
Matters
You're listening to lee KOM presents Heroes in Training. The
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as LEEKOM,
has been providing training to heroes all across the globe
since nineteen ninety three. This podcast gives you an insider
look at the stories of triumph and hope from both
(00:22):
former students and faculty, helping you decide if LEECOM is
the right choice for your higher education. Let's start the show.
Welcome to LEECOM Health Matters today. Our guest today is
now our favorite Dean of Pharmacy, doctor Rachel Ogden. Rachel,
(00:43):
Welcome to LEECOM Health Matters. It's a joy to see
you and thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
For being with us.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Oh, it's our pleasure. Rachel. You know years ago is
I am on the fourth floor with you in our
pharmacy building. And when I walk around here and I
see some of the old ways pharmacists dispensed things, some
of the tools are there when they compound of drugs.
And basically, thirty forty years ago, as I understand, you
(01:09):
went to the pharmacist to filled a couple things and
that's it. But clearly over the last ten or twenty years,
therapeutic medicines have taken over the business of healthcare. There
is so much medicine available, and hasn't that driven a
rule change for the pharmacists. It's not just the person
that you go with that script from the doctor and
(01:31):
get your fill, your prescription filled, and he or she
takes a couple of pills off the shelf. There's such
a vast variety of medications available and so difficult for
people to really understand what those are that I think
the role of the pharmacist now was far different now
than it was twenty thirty years ago.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
For sure, and well twenty thirty years ago, I mean
so that that actually my career has been thirty five years,
so you know that's that it's been big changes since then.
But even you know, if you think historically, when you
when you think of the pharmacist, and that RX symbol
actually stands for recipe, so or you know, it meant
(02:12):
a recipe. So the physician knew what ingredients active ingredients
he wanted the patient to have and what the dose was.
The pharmacist kind of mixed it up, as you said,
I've compounded it and dispensed it to the patient, and we,
you know, pharmacists, even from the historical perspective, we're always
focusing on safety, you know, making sure that the medication
(02:36):
was safe and making sure it was efficacious, that it
did what you know it was supposed to do. That's
always been the focus still is the focus. But you're right,
there's so many layers to the comment that you made.
As far as advances in medicine. Now it's not just
a matter of you know, is it the right medicine,
that the right dose taken the right way, but all
(02:59):
of the behavior yeal aspects that go into health and
making sure we're taking our medicines at the right time
and that there's no interactions and that we incorporate the
lifestyle changes needed. And patients are living so much longer,
they have more chronic diseases, so they're taking more medications
(03:21):
for longer. So it's those behavioral changes that I talk
about are very, very important. And the person that you're
seeing every month when you get your medication filled is
the pharmacist. So the pharmacist is becoming more and more
involved in other aspects of treating patients, not just the
dispensing of the medications, but the monitoring of the medications
(03:42):
and making sure the patient's progressing towards goals. Not to
mention the other types of activities, the services and clinical
services you can get within a pharmacy. But oh yes,
there's you know, many many changes that have occurred over time.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
It seems to be and is it further complicated Rachel?
And sometimes it's so hard to get into see a physician,
and so when that patient goes to get their prescription filled,
I suspect there's far more interaction between me getting my
prescription filled in the pharmacist, and there was even five
years ago about potential side effects. Are how I'm feeling.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
You know, It's funny because I think nowadays we gauge
everything a pre pandemic, you know, post pandemic, if you
can even say post pandemic. But you know, with all
of the testing and immunizing that's going on inside the
community pharmacy. Yes, we have always you know, branded ourselves
(04:43):
as the most accessible healthcare provider. You can go in
and talk to a pharmacist. You don't need an appointment.
But I think we all know if you've seen you know,
the media with the signs that say, you know, pharmacy,
pharmacy closed for you know, so this hour because of
the pharmacists not available. So there's been changes that have
(05:04):
occurred during the pandemic with staffing, with availability, you know,
of medications, which have changed things a bit. But yeah, still,
you know, you do you see your pharmacists more often
when you see your physician. They're accessible for questions, for counseling,
for consultation, so you know, yeah, there.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Is now than there were years ago. Are they permitted
to give vaccinations or is that a state by state?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Can you repeat that question?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
I'm sorry, Rachel. Are they permitted to give vaccinations pharmacists?
Could they give flu in covid vaccinations? Or is that
a state by state?
Speaker 3 (05:46):
You're right, there are certain regulations that are state to
state as far as scope of practice for a pharmacist,
but pharmacists can vaccinate in all states. We're able to vaccinate.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
And so since they're role obviously is vastly different, and
I think that's a fair word to say it's vastly
different than it was ten or twenty years ago. Relative
to the counseling that they do with patients. The medicine
explanation the interaction possibilities with such a variety of medications.
I suspect the education of them, what you're responsible for,
(06:21):
is also changed.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Well, yes, yes, it has changed in a sense that
you know, then when I graduated, you know, in a
number of years ago, years ago, the emphasis on clinical
skills was not as great for someone who was coming
(06:44):
out with, you know, the Bachelor of Science and pharmacy
and you were going to you know, go on to
be a pharmacist. Now, pharmacists still obtained Doctor of Pharmacy degrees,
they went onto residency, so they spend more time developing
clinical skills. But now, you know, with the Doctor of
Pharmacy being the terminal degree, we you know, not only
(07:05):
has things change regarding you know, technology and the types
of delivery systems of medications, but also the clinical skills
that we use now as far as assessing certain things
in patients, as you mentioned giving immunizations, we do medication, therapy, management,
(07:26):
point of care testing. So there's a lot there's a
lot of different things that are being done that are
are common that weren't common you know, twenty years ago
and thirty years.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
And how long does it take these days I know
we have two different pathways, and I think or three
different pathways. I think the audience would be interested. What
is the actual training for the pharmacists that you oversee.
How does it work?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So typically a pharmacist it takes a total of six years.
Typically to become a pharmacist. You can complete the prerequisites
for a pharmacy degree in two years and then you
can go on to a four year of pharmacy programs.
So our distance education program in our Florida program are
a traditional four year programs. But in the Erie campus
(08:15):
we have an accelerated program so you can complete the
same number of credits as the four year degree. You
can complete it in three years, so it's more of
an all year round curriculum and it can be completed
in three years. Now that being said, some students decide
that they would like to obtain their bachelor's degree first
and then go on to pharmacy school, so that would
(08:36):
be a total work of seven or eight years. But
it really depends on the person. Most pharmacy schools, you
can complete the prerequisites in two.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Years, and are our students mostly two years and then
they come here or are they mostly four or is it.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
It does vary. We have students that have two, you know,
two years of requisites. We have a large number of
students who have bachelor's degrees, and we have some students
who have advanced degrees and have decided that, you know,
maybe they want a career change and decide to go
into pharmacy.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Well, I think that's an important point to make the
career change people. We welcome the career change people. And
obviously you have to make sure they have their science
background or enough science to get through it. But those
kinds of interesting people who want to make that change
are welcome here, are they not.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Absolutely? Yeah. We have a number of nurses, dietitians', social workers,
you know, people who have been in healthcare and others
who have not been in healthcare, engineers, you know, others
who really just have a yearning or desire that they
want to be a pharmacist. So some are transitioning into healthcare,
(09:53):
some are transitioning from another you know, healthcare profession into pharmacy.
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Speaker 2 (10:55):
And depending on the pathway, they're going to spend some
time in a classroom and obviously a significant amount of
time I'm working either in hospitals or in chain pharmacies.
But I want to talk a little bit about distance
education than pharmacies because that's relatively new. How does that work?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Well? Our distance education program has been up and running
since twenty fourteen, so you know it's it's been a
while and we've had good success. You know, there's there's
different types of distance education. You can you can have
independent study. Of course, there's a component of pharmacy education
(11:34):
that's experiential or clinical. So you know, you can't really
do that by distance. You have to have you know,
you have to be in a facility where you're with patients.
We have a different kind of model where a part
of it is what you would call asynchronous, meaning you
can do it on your own time. It's flexible, but
then we do have a number of hours during the
(11:55):
week and especially during exam times and other sessions which
are more active learning that the student has to be
present at a particular time. So the combination of synchronous
and asynchronous makes the student very engaged in the program.
It creates a very close knit distance education community with
(12:18):
the students that are that are in that pathway, and
we have seen a lot of success with those students
and and it's it's wonderful because we have students participating
from all over the country. They are in you know,
rotation sites all over the country and we it's it's
wonderful because it's part of Le camm community, you know,
(12:41):
in that particular but you know other community where maybe
we don't have a live campus that there are you know,
our students are right there and practicing and and so
you know, it's it's quot ly calm, you know, out
there in a lot of different places.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And being being together even over the internet, as you said,
must be senses of community. These students from all over
the country.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Absolutely, they participate in our student government. You know, they're
in our organizations. They do community service in their communities
just as our cloves. You know, campus students do it
in our communities. It's they're very engaged. And there are
certain times when they do come to campus. They comfort
to campus a few weeks in their first year and
(13:26):
I believe one week their second year, and at that
time it's you know, to see them embrace and be
so happy to see each other in person and interact
with the faculty members. It's really wonderful.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So you're right, My office is right down the hall
from our pharmacy lab, and it's delightful to see them.
They come back in the summer, because all of a sudden,
our lab has filled with the students that you don't know,
where do all these people come from? And then you
find that they're from Seattle, they're from all over the world,
but just to put a point on it so we
don't miss it. Even though we it is distance education,
(14:01):
and even though they come to campus for a few
weeks during their tenure, they still do the clinical in
service in the various hospitals or pharmacies.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Correct, for sure, yes, and we work with them to
We've established sites in locations all over the country so
they you know, the goal is to keep them in
their geographical area for their location, for their rotations. But yeah,
they have to. The distance education program meets all of
(14:31):
the same requirements for accreditation as our live pathways. It's
just that you have the flexibility to do it from
your home as opposed to moving to camples.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Is there a profile to a distance education student. Do
they tend to be older, or tend to be career
change people or just a variety In.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
The beginning, to be honest, so twenty fourteen, eight years ago,
we saw, you know, individuals with families who didn't want
to move away from their family, or didn't want to
operate their family, or maybe had different situations. Now, just
eight years later, online learning is more prevalent than it's
(15:15):
been in the past. We were the second pharmacy program
to have a distance education pathway. That number has increased
over the last eight years. But because it's become more prevalent,
students who find that that learning environment works well for
them maybe more likely to apply, whereas in the past
(15:37):
it wasn't necessarily an option.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
And if a student or someone listening to this is
interested just in talking about pharmacy as a potential career,
or talking about a career change, or just wanting to
sit down and talk to a professional about coming to
Leakom in one of the pathways or in the distance pathway,
how would they go about me that.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
I can encourage everyone to visit our website at Leecoon
dot e dou and there's a variety of information if
you go to the academics section and look for Promises School,
so we get a lot of information there. But then
there are also email addresses and phone numbers where you
could call the school and get information. So you know,
(16:22):
I welcome you to call the schooling and where you'll
get a person. You know, a person answers to the phone,
so they will definitely direct you to the right person.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
And we have to talk about this as well, because
it's part of the process. But we also indirectly a
system a little bit of relative to finances, put them
in touch with financial aid people who walk through that
very complicated process of loans and costs and how to
make this affordable and realistic for them. They're not on
their own. We'll support them all the way through.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Well absolutely well, I mean as you know that. You know,
one of the technic techilycome is that finances should not
be a barrier to anyone getting a professional education. So
we're very conscious of our tuition and keeping our tuition
affordable for our students. We also raise a lot of
money in scholarships. But as far as financial aid, we
(17:17):
do have a financial aid department. You go through the
financial aid process in graduate school very similar to undergraduate skills.
So if there are any questions during the process, our
financial aid department will help you, as you said, every
step of the way.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
And just like you're undergraduate school, they're here to take
them by the hand literally and walk them through what
does I think a very daunting process when it comes
to finances and financial aid. It's difficult. So they people
should not feel uncomfortable about calling and simply inquiring and
we'll take it from there to follow up on their interest.
Is there a deadline per se, Let's say for the
(17:56):
coming year that people should commit.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Well, we have rolling admission, so we start our admission
cycle and it opens in July when you could start
your application. We usually start interviewing late August, early September.
But we you know, we accept, we start interviewing and
we accept applicants as we go, and so to make
(18:20):
sure you have a seat, it would be wise to
interview and apply early and then you know, make that
commitment with your deposit. But you know, we usually are
the deadline for the year is je firs.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
And one other question a job How what's the job
market like these days for the pharmacists? I know, like
every other job market, I suspect it's changing. But what's
it like?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well? Pretty good? So you know, even I was just
actually looking online today for a pharmacist that was in
the area. And there are a lot number of jobs
in the erie communities, hospital, community, managed care, you know,
variety of different types of positions. It depends on location.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
And are in an.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Area that has a pharmacy school, then the jobs aren't
as prevalent, maybe as in a rural area where you know,
there's not much of a population. But I have to
tell you the community pharmacies are continuing to give sign
on bonuses to pharmacists. Pharmacists are needed and wanted and
the jobs are there. So we had high placement of
(19:39):
our graduates. And I believe, you know, in the future,
with all of the you know, the services that are
going to the community pharmacies, the need is going to
be even well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I think we should also make a point to the
audience as well, Rachel. The community pharmacies are one portion
of it. There are pharmacists in hospitals, homes, long term
care facilities. It's not just I think when people think pharmacists,
they think right Aid, Walgreen, you know, the chains or
the clinical sites. But there are lots of other opportunities correct.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
In fact, I was just talking with a pharmacy candidate
today and she did some shadowing in a hospital, and
so she was under the impression that was she was
in the hospital, she was just going to go to
the hospital pharmacy and see what they do within the pharmacy.
But they actually put her with every different practice area
in the hospital. So she was in the pharmacy, but
(20:36):
she was also you know, where they were compounding IV medications.
She got to round with physicians on the floor, with
the clinical pharmacists. She was in the NICU with the
pharmacist that's you know that works in that particular area.
She was in an outpatient pharmacy. She got to see
a pharmacist council patients before they were discharged to make
(20:58):
sure they were knowledgeable about the medications on discharge. So
you know, she was flabergastic. She said, I didn't know
just in a hospital how many different things I could do. So,
I mean, that's one example. But you know, as I
mentioned before, in their arena of managed care pharmacy, which
is more of the insurance arena where they're evaluating medications
(21:20):
and deciding, you know, what medications patients should have on
their formulatory for insurances, or with even drug companies that
are trying to educate physicians and others on new products.
There are pharmacists all throughout those industries. Also that people
don't really realize them now.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
I think they just think pharmacists. They think it the
giant eagle and whatever, and they don't think of the
other myriads of possibilities. We are out of time, but
number one, thank you for your time, Rachel. Secondly, pharmacists
really are the medicine experts I think in this day
and age, with so many out there, so many different
possibilities to help pat so it's an exciting field. I
(22:02):
know the graduates that you produce are really very good.
In our employable, we thank you for your work and
today I thank you for your time on Licom Health
Matters
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