We are so lucky to have two student pharmacists, Rebecca and MiKayla, this month from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy. In this posting, we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca.

Rebecca Miller is a fourth year student who will graduate in May 2019 and then go on to practice as a pharmacist.

Here is what Rebecca has to say about herself:

Who am I?

I don’t often think about my own identity because it is just who I am and how I live. I will start with some of the terms to which I self-identify easily: I am a mother, a spouse, a student, a lover of sci-fi and fantasy books, a person in desperate need of an intervention for her jig-saw puzzle addiction, a lover of knowledge, and a firm believer in universal respect and dignity.

I grew up in Stoutsville, Ohio, a tiny town 45 minutes south of Columbus. I was a somewhat non-traditional student and received my BS in Chemistry from Colorado Mesa University in 2015. My husband and beautiful (not-so-little anymore) baby girl were there to cheer me on at graduation. I have been enrolled at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in their PharmD program since that time.

Why Pharmacy?

When I was younger, I loved science. As I considered what my career path would be, I would frequently ask myself “what will I enjoy doing for the rest of my life?” and “will it make the world a better place?”. Eventually, I was introduced to the idea of being a pharmacist and I haven’t looked back since.

What do I do?

While at OSU, I have endeavored to become the best pharmacist that I can be. In pursuit of that goal, I became a member of several student organizations and attended many professional events hosted by the college. I have contributed to, and been bettered by, the community by engaging with others, exhibiting my own unique experiences, and learning from the experience and wisdom of those around me.

As a member of our local CPNP (College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists) student chapter, I served as the chair for the Community Service and Outreach Committee. During this time, I worked to develop opportunities for PharmD students to volunteer to administer anxiety and depression screenings to patients, organized a community service project where we created and donated tissue-paper flowers for the patients who were unable to be with their loved ones on Valentine’s Day, and, during Autism Awareness Month, collaborated to create an Autism presentation for the organization’s website and an informational poster which was presented daily over the course of a week.

As a member of our local National Community Pharmacist Association (NCPA) student chapter, I was part of the OSU team which was selected to present our independent pharmacy service business plan at the 2018 Ohio Pharmacists Association conference, ultimately earning third place in the state-wide competition.

What now?

With the end of my formal education within sight, I am looking forward to returning with my family to Western Colorado to continue my life in pharmacy. I have contributed what I could to my peers and patients, tried to learn something new from every interaction I’ve have, and continued to remind myself to always keep working toward a better future for my patients, my peers, and myself.