Allina Health | Cashwise Pharmacy/CentraCare | CentraCare – Paynesville | CentraCare - St. Cloud | Community University Health Care Center | Geritom Medical Inc | Goodrich Pharmacy | M Health Fairview | Mille Lacs Health System | Minnesota Community Care | New Ulm Medical Center | Park Nicollet Health | St. Cloud VA Medical Center | Welia Health Services | Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership | Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership
Site: Allina Health
Madiha Ali, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Illinois at Chicago
Clinical Interests: Improving patient adherence to medications, finding barriers to access and proper use of medication therapy.
Personal Interests: Cats, travel and adventure sports.
Career Goals: I want to pick a specialty under amb care to dive deep into and gain experience in my first year of residency. I hope to utilize guidance from my preceptors in succeeding through this journey; and grow my skills as a pharmacy resident.
Why the University of Minnesota: Allina Health and U of MN have a centered focus on the amb care side of pharmacy. I value this greatly since medication management through pharmacists in this realm can enhance healthcare outcomes immensely. I have always been passionate about making a positive impact whilst utilizing my skills in the pharmacy world and I look forward to do so at Allina Health.
Site: Cashwise Clinic Pharmacy/CentraCare Willmar
Libby Wirth, PharmD
Pharmacy School: North Dakota State University
Clinical Interests: Stigmatized disease states like mental health, substance use, and HIV/hepatitis in addition to diabetes and providing care for underserved populations.
Personal Interests: I love creating many kinds of art, tending to my houseplants, and my two cats. I'm also an advocate for other trans and non-binary people and the larger queer community as a whole.
Career Goals: Working under a broad collaborative practice agreement, expanding and advocating for the role of ambulatory care pharmacy, precepting students.
Why the University of Minnesota: I considered the UMN residency programs because I want to work in ambulatory care, and the Willmar site specifically for the opportunity to work with my specific interests here.
Site: CentraCare - Paynesville
Woojong Park, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota
Medical Interests: Geriatric medicine, psychiatry, pharmacogenomics
Personal Interests: Baking, digital art
Career Goals: I want to spend the next 2 years building clinical and ambulatory care knowledge through residency. By 10 years I want to start and implement a pharmacogenomics ambulatory care service at a healthcare system (i.e. hospital)
Why the University of Minnesota: Interested in rural and geriatric health
Site: CentraCare - St. Cloud
Shannon Katz, PharmD
Pharmacy School: South Dakota State University
Medical Interests: ambulatory care, sports medicine, orthopedics, surgery medicine
Personal Interests: weightlifting, camping, visiting national parks, wake surfing, disc golf, watching MLB, watching NFL, playing competitive sports, fishing, hunting
Career Goals: Be an advocate for pharmacist provider status and innovate a path for pharmacists in sports medicine clinics.
Why the University of Minnesota: I was confident this program had the training and resources necessary to set me up for success as new pharmacist and help me achieve my goal of gaining competency as an ambulatory care pharmacist.
Site: Community-University Health Care Center
Maryam James, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota
Clinical Interests: Diabetes and mental health
Personal Interests: Public health and education
Career Goals: Becoming an ambulatory care pharmacist in the metro area
Why the University of Minnesota: I admired the program's commitment to the advancement of ambulatory care and how it actively maintains a supportive environment to continue to uplift residents. I appreciate CUHCC's recognition of its diverse patient population; its commitment to advancing health equity through culturally competent care for vulnerable populations within the South Minneapolis area. As a PGY1 at CUHCC, I hope to gain experience with engaging in the development and implementation of initiatives to improve public health and patient experiences.
Site: Community-University Health Care Center
Jasmine Johnson, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota
Clinical Interests: Mental health, diabetes, women's health
Personal Interests: Traveling, spending time with family and friends (and my cat), collecting and caring for houseplants, tastings of any kind (food, coffee, wine, etc.)
Career Goals: After residency I want to find a position in an ambulatory care clinical setting and continue working with students through precepting and teaching at the College of Pharmacy.
Why the University of Minnesota: This program allows me to pursue my interests in both ambulatory care and teaching. In this program I will be working with pharmacists who I greatly admire and inspire me to be the best pharmacist I can be.
Site: Geritom Med, Inc.
Hien Vo, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Mental health and underserved populations
Personal Interests: Traveling, hanging out with family, my fiance (Irvin), my dog (Watson), and friends, baking, trying new food!
Career Goals: Ambulatory care clinical pharmacist
Why the University of Minnesota: I believe that the UMN COP PGY1 program will provide me with unique learning opportunities that align well with my clinical interests and career goals.
Site: Goodrich Pharmacy
Hibo Abud, PharmD
Pharmacy School: St. Louis College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Medication adherence monitoring, Diabetes management, blood pressure monitoring
Personal Interests: I love spending time with my family and friends, I enjoy traveling and I am a big foodie so I love trying new places!
Career Goals: Practice as an ambulatory care pharmacist in an underserved community.
Why the University of Minnesota: The emphasis on patient care services really intrigued me. I want to be able to provide patients with the tools to help them manage their health.
Site: M Health Fairview
Rachel Balk, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Clinical Interests: infectious disease, solid organ transplant
Personal Interests: cats, traveling the world, health and fitness
Career Goals: My career goals involve a mixture of providing patient care, while being involved in education of professional students. I want to be deeply involved in mentorship and building relationships with colleagues and students and help build the pharmacy profession
Why the University of Minnesota: I picked this program because I thought it would make me a well-rounded pharmacist with abilities to pursue various career paths and develop personal and professional relationships that I hope will last a lifetime.
Site: M Health Fairview
Annika Skogg, PharmD
Pharmacy School: South Dakota State University
Clinical Interests: helping underserved & diverse populations, family medicine, community health, asthma/COPD, HIV
Personal Interests: Baking, swimming, watching hockey, enjoying Minnesota summers
Career Goals: Practice in community health or ambulatory care and build long-lasting relationships with my patients and help them reach their health goals
Why the University of Minnesota: I wanted the chance to grow and learn as a new pharmacist from experienced mentors in a supportive environment. This program places emphasis on developing well-rounded, ambulatory care pharmacy practitioners that are ready to provide patient care as part of the medical team.
Site: M Health Fairview
Makenzie Smith, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Montana
Clinical Interests: psychiatric, cardiology, ambulatory care, diabetes
Personal Interests: traveling, personal growth and development, hockey, movies, theater, staying active
Career Goals: Become a board certified clinical pharmacist. Advocate for the profession of pharmacy and underserved communities.
Why the University of Minnesota: The program appeared to provide opportunities to work with new patient populations in a more urban environment. It also allowed me to pursue ambulatory care pharmacy immediately as a PGY1. I also like that there is a large cohort of residents to get to know as I move to a new state and city.
Site: Mille Lacs Health System - Ambulatory Care/Community Focus
Ashley Meyer, PharmD
Pharmacy School: North Dakota State University
Clinical Interests: Rural population health, diabetes, mental health, preventative health, geriatrics, polypharmacy
Personal Interests: Being outdoors, fishing, hunting, baking, crafting, spending time with family/friends, attending country concerts
Career Goals: To serve a rural community and develop trusting relationships with my patients while providing the best patient care possible.
Why the University of Minnesota: I wanted to seek opportunity to learn and grow as a pharmacist and further develop my skills and future career goals.
Site: Mille Lacs Health System - Ambulatory Care/Hospital Focus
Cherryl Ouma, PharmD
cherryl.ouma@jacks.sdstate.edu
Pharmacy School: South Dakota State University
Clinical Interests: Pharmacogenomics and Infectious Disease
Personal Interests: Exploring new cuisine and culture
Career Goals: Practice pharmacy in an ambulatory care setting
Why the University of Minnesota: I wanted to pursue a post graduate position in order to get more training being part of a healthcare team in a clinical setting. I wanted to be part of a program that collaborates with different healthcare institutions and settings and have the opportunity to interact with the residents from all the different fields.
Site: Minnesota Community Care
Kaitlin Bredenkamp, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Diabetes and other chronic disease management
Personal Interests: Spending time with family, friends, and my cat, cooking, going to concerts, and doing cross-stitch
Career Goals: My goal is to work in clinic and help patients, particularly those with diabetes, better understand and manage their medication therapies as well as thrive in life.
Why the University of Minnesota: I wanted to pursue ambulatory care and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy Postgraduate Pharmacy Residency Program has one of the largest and most developed ambulatory care PGY1 programs in the country. I am also from Minnesota and wanted to stay close if possible.
Site: Minnesota Community Care
Jeremy Chen, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Michigan
Clinical Interests: Community & Ambulatory Care
Personal Interests: Food
Career Goals: To become a reliable pharmacist that can be trusted by patients
Why the University of Minnesota: Enhance therapeutic knowledge and clinical skills.
Site: New Ulm Medical Center
Morgan Klein, PharmD
Pharmacy School: North Dakota State University
Clinical Interests: Diabetes Care, Infectious Disease, and Rural Medicine
Personal Interests: Spending time with family and friends, volleyball, hiking, and visiting new breweries.
Career Goals: My goal is to work in a rural community providing care within a diabetes clinic, and to become a certified diabetes educator.
Why the University of Minnesota: My passion for ambulatory care was sparked by an interest in teaching, and I will have a large role in patient education as an ambulatory care pharmacist. I was drawn to this program because it provides a focus in ambulatory care and with its numerous sites I was able to select a setting that met my additional medical interests.
Site: Park Nicollet Health
Hailie Jadoo, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Health equity, integrative therapies, women's health, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease
Personal Interests: Visiting state and national parks, scrapbooking, home organizing, martial arts, and attending hockey games (go Wild!)
Career Goals: Provide high quality, patient-centered care to underserved populations, eliminate barriers to improve health-related outcomes, and emphasize life style modifications and integrative therapies.
Why the University of Minnesota: As a UMN CoP student, I experienced first hand how the college strives to provide an innovative education, fosters the growth of quality graduates, and emphasizes the importance of leadership. It was clear that this extends into the PGY-1 program, which is why I selected a UMN CoP residency. The opportunities are endless, allowing me to build my own panel of patients and manage various disease states via collaborative practice agreements, teach and mentor pharmacy students, and work towards the organizational mission of advancing ambulatory pharmacy practice in diverse communities.
Site: St. Cloud VA Medical Center
Amy Bowman, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Clinical Interests: Primary care, mental health, and cardiology
Personal Interests: Exploring new places, trying new restaurants, running, weight lifting, reading, puzzles, hiking, spending time with friends and family
Career Goals: My overarching career goal is to make a difference in my patients lives through pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. I will accomplish this goal through ambulatory care pharmacy, creating long lasting relationships with my patients where mutual trust has been established. Following residency, I plan to be board certified first as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist, then as an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist. In the next 10 years I want to continue advocating and progressing pharmacy, and giving back to the pharmacy community through teaching and mentorship. While being enrolled as a student I greatly valued the alumni and pharmacists around Wisconsin sharing their knowledge, and I hope to carry this mentality on in order to mentor future pharmacists.
Why the University of Minnesota: I choose the College of Pharmacy Postgraduate Pharmacy Residency Program because of the independent nature of each site with the support and collaboration of UMN COP, diversity of rotations offered, ability to complete a teaching certificate and precept IPPE/APPE students.
Site: Welia Health - Ambulatory Care/Community Focus
McKayla Duesler, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota - Duluth Campus
Clinical Interests: Community & ambulatory care pharmacy, rural healthcare, medication access for underserved populations, geriatric populations, chronic disease state management, cardiometabolic disorders, community engagement & teaching
Personal Interests: Spending time with friends and family, outdoor activities (especially kayaking/paddle boarding with my dog), golfing with my husband, board/card games, cooking, and trying new foods.
Career Goals: My career goals are to create an impactful, long-lasting relationship with my patients and the community I serve. I am interested in creating an ambulatory care clinic practice in the rural Moose Lake/Cloquet, MN area where I can help make an impact with chronic disease state and medication management. I also plan to participate in advocacy for the pharmacy profession and work towards board certifications.
Why the University of Minnesota: I chose this program because of the welcoming and supportive environment with a focus on ambulatory care. I love the opportunity to learn from other colleagues at different sites around Minnesota and for the chance to support patients in a rural area through both the clinic and community pharmacy settings. This program also caught my attention as the faculty continuously encourages growth in many different interests such as practice management and education/teaching.
Site: Welia Health - Ambulatory Care/Hospital Focus
Lucas Kosobuski, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of MN College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Pharmacy
Personal Interests: Music
Career Goals: Psych pharmacy
Why the University of Minnesota: Had sites I was interested in.
Site: Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/Broadway Family Medicine
Steven Zakrajsek, PharmD
Pharmacy School: UMN College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Cardiology, diabetes, geriatrics, pharmacogenomics, and mental health/psychiatric care.
Personal Interests: Traveling, hiking, mountain biking, birding, curling, skiing (downhill and XC), playing ice hockey, watching professional MN sports teams, and exploring new breweries with friends and family.
Career Goals: I aspire to be an exceptional leader, advocate, and preceptor while working as an ambulatory care pharmacist clinician.
Why the University of Minnesota: This residency program has a rich history of producing excellent pharmacist clinicians and leaders in the pharmacy profession. The brilliant and innovative faculty at the University of Minnesota have helped pave the way for crucial ambulatory care services, such as medication therapy management, to exist. I have found that this program aligns well with my passions for direct patient care, teaching, leadership, and pharmacy advocacy. After learning about the effective support network and resources offered by this program, I knew that this was the right environment for me to grow professionally as a pharmacy resident and future ambulatory care pharmacist clinician.
Site: Year 1 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/M Health Fairview - Smiley's
Ameer El-Afandi, PharmD
Pharmacy School: Purdue
Clinical Interests: Ambulatory care
Personal Interests: Serving undeserved populations and addressing the barriers they face.
Career Goals: Practice in ambulatory care as well as work as a pharmacy faculty affiliate.
Why the University of Minnesota: Minnesota is a highly regarded state for the practice of Pharmacy as well as the university. After making connections I felt as if I would be able to succeed in this program.
Site: Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/HealthPartners
Erika Harvey, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Clinical Interests: Comprehensive medication management, specialty pharmacy, quality improvement, teaching, innovation in pharmacy, practicing in an interdisciplinary team environment
Personal Interests: Exploring the outdoors, cooking, virtual reality, and spending time with family and friends.
Career Goals: Combining direct patient care with leadership/quality improvement
Why the University of Minnesota: The University of Minnesota's pharmacy residency program provides residents with many opportunities to grow as clinicians, educators, and collaborators. What drew me to this program is its strong focus on practice advancement, giving residents the opportunity to play an active role in shaping pharmacy practice, especially in areas where it is not well-established. The program's incredible community of clinicians and alumni fosters personal and professional growth!
Site: Year 2 Pharmaceutical Care Leadership/North Memorial Minnetonka Clinic
Connie Khong, PharmD
Pharmacy School: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy
Medical Interests: Underserved communities and immigrant/refugee health, chronic disease management
Clinical Interests: Spending time with family/friends/cats, listening to music, playing the piano/ukulele, journaling, handlettering, painting, puzzles, trying out new cafes, bubble tea shops, and bakeries!
Career Goals: To develop genuine relationships with my patients by empowering them to advocate for their own health through a patient-center approach and utilizing shared-decision making related to their medication therapies.
Why the University of Minnesota: Having graduated pharmacy school from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, I knew the residency admin team were all caring individuals and I like that all the different sites form a "pharmily" where we all can support and uplift one another during the residency year! I also appreciate how the program provides learning experiences that allow the residents to strengthen our practice management skills and in particularly for the Pharmaceutical Care Leadership emphasis, we are able to apply those skills and knowledge in the second-year site, and truly get to experience growing our own practice from the ground up!