Archive for the ‘PCD Staff’ Category

For the months of December and January, we are joined at Plain City Druggist by Ike Nnyamah, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

Ike will graduate in May 2023 with his PharmD degree and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Ike will be with Tayler and the gang here in Plain City throughout December and January, so please stop by and meet him while he is here.

Here is what Ike tells us about himself:

My name is Ike Nnyamah and I am a fourth-year pharmacy student at The Ohio State University college of Pharmacy. I am delighted to be learning more about independent community pharmacy operations for the months of December and January at Plain City Druggist.

I am originally from New Jersey where I attended Rutgers University. While there I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in biotechnology, and plant science.

Initially I was not interested in entering the medical field; however during my undergraduate career I came to admire many aspects of medicine. I was excited to learn how antibiotics target bacteria, but not us. I was equally enthusiastic about creating aspirin from its natural product during class. During a lesson, my instructor made a joke that I might want to give pharmacy a try because I had done particularly well during that class. I surprised him by admitting that learning about medications had become my new passion, and that I would give it serious thought.

I proceeded to work as a pharmacy technician for a few years as a way to test the waters and determine if the profession was the correct path for me. The pharmacists I worked with were passionate about service and very knowledgeable. This left a lasting impression on me, and I decided this path was the best way to indulge my excitement regarding new medications, and as a way to help people.

I relocated to Columbus, OH in 2016 to start my education at The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy. However during my education, I sustained a serious injury that temporarily put my education on hold. I am proud I was able to overcome this challenge and complete my education, and I hope anyone hearing my story will be inspired to continue pursuing their passion through any adversity they may be facing.

A few of my passions in pharmacy include compounding, infectious diseases, and oncology. I think the most satisfying part of pharmacy is educating patients about the medications they have been prescribed, and empowering them to understand more about selecting the right medications for themselves.

I have not decided where I would prefer to practice after I have graduated, but I have been leaning towards a career in community pharmacy.

Please welcome our first year pharmacy intern, Collin Schmaldinst. We hope to be able to keep him with us for his entire four years of pharmacy school.

Collin is a current student at the College of Pharmacy at The Ohio State University. Before attending OSU, he received his Undergraduate degree at The University of Washington in Seattle, WA in Biology Molecular Cell Development.

After graduating high school from Independence High School in Charlotte, NC, Collin joined the US Army as a Korean Cryptologic Linguist. He graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and spent the next six years in various duty stations in the United States and in South Korea.

Working as an intern at Plain City Druggist, Collin looks toward his future in pharmacy. In an attempt to gather more experience in a community and independent pharmacy, Collin sought this form of pharmacy to learn how to better take care of his current and future community.

With the desire to be a family man, he would like to be known as a reliable source for medications and medication information to his community.

This month, we are joined at Happy Druggist on Karl Road by Fahad Alazzawi, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

Fahad will graduate in May 2023 with his PharmD degree and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Fahad will be with Kristie and the staff on Karl Road throughout August, so please stop by and meet him while he is in the pharmacy.

Here is what Fahad tells us about himself:

My name is Fahad Alazzawi. I am a fourth-year pharmacy student at The Ohio State University. I have worked with Walmart for nine years, as a Pharmacy intern for four years, and as a pharmacy technician for five years.

I was born in Iraq and moved to the US back in 2010. I started high school by learning the basics of English; however, with the help of my teachers, friends, and family, I was able to learn and thrive.

I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2019 and started pharmacy school immediately after. My experience has been mainly with chain pharmacies. Therefore, I am excited to be at Happy Druggist independent pharmacy this month. My goal is to learn more about the excellent services our local pharmacies provide and the challenges they face.

A couple of reasons led me to pursue pharmacy; one of them was that my uncle is a pharmacist back in Iraq. I saw him providing care to people who could not see their doctor, encouraging me to think about what we give.

After I graduate, I am planning to practice as a community pharmacist. I chose community pharmacy to maintain patient interactions and provide care when needed.

Outside of pharmacy, I love playing and watching soccer.

This month, we are joined at Plain City Druggist by Austin Cotsmire, a fourth-year pharmacy student from The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy.

Austin will graduate in May 2023 with his PharmD degree and will then take the test to become a registered pharmacist. Austin will be with Tayler and the gang here in Plain City throughout August, so please stop by and meet him while he is here.

Here is what Ausin tells us about himself:

My name is Austin Cotsmire and I am currently a fourth-year pharmacy student at The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy. I plan to graduate in May 2023 with a PharmD degree. This will be my third advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE), and my first at an independent pharmacy! I am very excited to gain exposure to community pharmacy in a different setting and look forward to my time spent here at Plain City Druggist this month!

I am originally from North Canton, Ohio where I grew up playing soccer and various other sports to stay active. Prior to college, I worked at the Professional Football Hall of Fame and have met many inductees as a result!

I moved to Columbus in 2015 when I started my undergraduate career at OSU. I discovered I wanted to be a pharmacist in high school because of my love for the inner-workings of the human body and how medications work to alter them. Therefore, I pursued a Bachelor of science degree in pharmaceutical sciences as an undergraduate. I applied to many pharmacy schools throughout Ohio to continue my education post-graduate, but always knew I wanted to stay at Ohio State after having such a positive experience as an undergraduate.

I am currently a student pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy in Hilliard. I started there in 2017 as a pharmacy technician and worked my way up to inventory specialist. Once I started pharmacy school it was an easy decision to remain at this store as a student pharmacist since I loved all my co-workers and built strong relationships with many patients and the community as a whole. I have been a student pharmacist there since 2019 and continue to work weekends while I complete my APPE rotations at other sites. I am excited to build new relationships and explore a new area of pharmacy while I am in this unique setting.

When I am not working, I enjoy playing soccer and volleyball with friends when I can. I also enjoy attending Blue Jackets, Clippers, and Columbus Crew games, although I am a Cleveland sports fan at heart.

Aside from sports, I  love taking my dog, Harvey, who I rescued from the Franklin County Humane Society in December, for walks. I also have a passion for music and attend as many concerts and festivals as I can even if I am unfamiliar with the performers.

I recently moved to downtown Columbus, so I am working on exploring new restaurants and breweries in the area, as well, and would love recommendations!

In my future, I hope to continue my career as a community pharmacist. My time working in this setting has given me a great appreciation for the impact that community pharmacists can have on a patient’s healthcare. I have seen my mentors make huge impacts on patients’ lives which has inspired me to hopefully do the same in my future. I plan to stay in central Ohio after graduation but I would ultimately like to move out of Ohio, either out west or to one of the Carolinas.

Hello! My name is Sarah Jicomelli and I am currently a fourth year student at The Ohio State University’s College of Pharmacy, planning to graduate in May of 2023. I am very excited to be helping at Plain City Druggist for the month of July and learning more about independent pharmacy and the incredible impact it can make on communities.

I am originally from Canonsburg, a small town right outside of Pittsburgh, PA, but I have been in Columbus since 2015 when I started my undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University.

I started college knowing I wanted to be a pharmacist because of my cousin who introduced me to the profession when I was a sophomore in high school. At that time, she had just graduated from University of Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy and accepted a position as a community pharmacist. She urged me to look into the career due to the blend of two of my favorite things: science and working with people! I took her advice, and fell in love with pharmacy and the many paths you can take with a PharmD degree – I even did my senior project on the topic!

My major in undergrad was Pharmaceutical Sciences, and in my sophomore year I started working as a pharmacy technician at Giant Eagle Pharmacy. I had such an incredible time learning from the pharmacists, my coworkers, and the patients, so when it was time to choose a pharmacy to work as an intern at the beginning of pharmacy school, I knew I had to stay at Giant Eagle Pharmacy and continue learning! I still work there and am very grateful for all of the positive experiences I have had and continue to have.

While in pharmacy school, I have been an active member of APhA-ASP as both a member of the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) committee and as the International Vice President. With both of these positions I was able to bring in international and domestic pharmacists to speak about their practice, help advocate for certain health campaigns like Tobacco Awareness, and host blood drives. In addition, I also worked closely with the Class of 2023 officers as the Social Coordinator and sat as the Social Chair on the Interprofessional Council’s Sustainability Committee.

After graduation, I would love to move to Chicago and work as a community pharmacist. I have been so inspired over the years at the amount of reach a community pharmacist can have in a patient’s life, and I really want to be that positive influence for people.

Outside of pharmacy, my passion is music! I love to play guitar and go see my favorite artists in concert. Every summer, my dad and I make it a point to go see our favorite band at least once – no matter where they are playing around the country. He is my favorite concert buddy and we have seen them over 15 times together!