SPOKANE, Wash. – On October 19 Lisa Chamberlain spoke with Washington State University (WSU) student pharmacists about the benefits of a pharmacy residency.
“When you decide to do a residency a lot of doors are opened in your career,” said Chamberlain.
She discussed the many benefits of completing a residency such as developing a network of professionals, building your knowledge base, having an opportunity to explore different specialties, and becoming more competitive in the job market.
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you,” said Chamberlain.
Chamberlain explained that residencies are a lot of hours and hard work but help student pharmacists with clinical decision making and being comfortable in high intensity situations.
When applying for residencies she told students to focus on programs that fit their career goals and personality. “Find what is important to you and seek out those opportunities,” said Chamberlain.
Her presentation was part of the WSU College of Pharmacy’s Preparing for Your Career in Pharmacy Seminar Series. The purpose of the seminar series is to expose student pharmacists to career options and leaders within those fields.
Chamberlain graduated from the WSU College of Pharmacy in 2004 with her Doctor of Pharmacy degree. She is currently the Residency Program Director at Virginia Mason in Seattle, Washington.
The WSU pharmacy seminars are funded through the Dean’s Fund for Excellence and the college’s community partner, the Spokane Teachers Credit Union. For information on participating in the career seminar series, or to contribute to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence to help expose WSU student pharmacists to thought-leaders and industry innovators, contact the College of Pharmacy advancement office at gocougs@pharmacy.wsu.edu or 509-358-7651.