Julia Rumley: Class of 2021

Julia Rumley headshot

Describe your experience at the College of Pharmacy.
My experience at the College of Pharmacy was challenging, frustrating, and rewarding. There were times when I accomplished personal milestones, but plenty of times when I disappointed myself, too. Still, when I look back on the past four years, I feel good about the progress I have made since my first year. I also feel grateful for my peers and faculty who supported me. The College of Pharmacy community supplied me with many role models.

You were one of the students who led the efforts for the anti-racism petition that circulated within the College of Pharmacy. Tell us about that experience and why it was important to you.
The experience of helping lead the anti-racism petition improved my understanding of how to have discussions in academia about race-based medicine and racism. I believe that addressing these topics in academic settings is an important step in preparing us to advocate for our communities and provide the highest quality of care to our patients.

What did you learn and take away from enhancing tutoring as an SRC coordinator?
I learned through expanding SRC tutoring services that most students relish the opportunity to support their peers. That's not always felt in a classroom setting, when everyone is just trying to keep up with the lecture. I also learned that if given a penalty-free space to try out different ways of problem-solving or understanding complicated concepts, students seem less afraid to speak up and ask for help. One of my goals is to become an approachable preceptor, so I am excited to continue learning about how best to meet student needs.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to future pharmacy students?
My advice to future students would be find mentors early on in your pharmacy school career. Find faculty, pharmacists, and even peer-mentors who can guide you towards developing career goals and support you. Also, try your best to sleep well, eat well, and pursue your hobbies throughout pharmacy school. When you are struggling, make a therapy appointment, reach out to your community for help, and take pride in taking care of yourself. Nothing about pharmacy school is easy!

What do you plan / hope to do following your graduation from the College of Pharmacy?
After graduating, I will be a PGY1 resident at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where I will be pursuing ambulatory care and specialty pharmacy. Although there are several fields I want to explore within this setting, I am currently very interested in ambulatory oncology. I will probably keep busy with residency projects and studying, but I am also hoping to take up (simple) cheese-making and revisit some of my neglected hobbies!