Occupation Station

During his years at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Dr. Greg Dewey accomplished many great things. In this episode of Occupation Station Dr. Dewey reflects on The Collaboratory, the Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET), and the creation of two student-run pharmacies. The Collaboratory, a “laboratory for collaboration,” offers services which are delivered to residents in Albany by ACPHS’s Public Health Pharmacy Team and Trinity Alliance’s Wellness Advocates Linking Communities (WALC) team. Programs at The Collaboratory address social justice and social determinants of health with the shared goal of improving population health.CBET is an evolutionary leap in health sciences education and biomanufacturing workforce training.Dr. Dewey is perhaps most proud of the creation of two student-run pharmacies both situated in what would be deemed “pharmacy deserts.” The pharmacies, which are located in Albany and Schenectady, N.Y., are prime examples of social entrepreneurship and are designed to have a lasting impact on the communities they serve, while also helping to develop skills that students will benefit from. Dr. Dewey explains that social entrepreneurship involves being self-sustaining while doing public good. Because of his relationships with faculty, staff, and students, coupled with the development of these crucial initiatives, Dr. Dewey has found his work at ACPHS to be greatly gratifying. And because of his enormous contributions at ACPHS he will be greatly missed.

In this episode of Occupation Station, meet Dan Bosley, class of '93 and now owner of two independent pharmacies, Keeseville Pharmacy and Cornerstone Drug and Gift in Rouses Point, NY. Dan always knew he wanted to be a pharmacist but didn’t originally picture himself going solo. Yet Dan was attracted to the freedom associated with working independently. He loves being able to bypass the red tape often associated with retail chains so that he and his staff can provide immediate assistance to his patients. Dan also says independent pharmacists are much more agile when it comes to trying out new solutions to healthcare needs in the community, putting them on the cutting edge of the pharmacy profession. Case in point, Dan has become hyper-connected to his local community through his pharmacy. He credits ADK Action with sparking and then supporting a plan to bring a local farmers market to his pharmacy. This eventually led to a permanent section of his pharmacies devoted to locally sourced fresh foods available for his customers. He says the ultimate goal is matching nutrition with health goals to improve the lives of patients who may be diabetic or have other conditions that would benefit from dietary changes.

Kelsey Hennig '18 is the perfect example of the power of mentorship. In this episode of Occupation Station, Henning talks about the incredible guidance she received while at ACPHS and how she now tries to give that back as a clinical assistant professor at Binghamton University. Henning says it was some of that mentorship during a research opportunity at ACPHS that helped her realize her passion for the study of the patient/provider relationship.Hennig was so impressed with the education that she received at ACPHS that she later returned as a PGY2 resident to learn more about the transitions of care field.From her experiences both as a student and now as a teacher, Hennig has a clear view of what is required for a successful learning environment. One of her greatest goals is to try to remove any sense of shame that some students have as they try to master new material. Hennig knows that to get a full understanding of any field of study a student has to be confident that making mistakes is a part of the learning process. She also shares advice with students about staying open-minded about their ultimate career goals. Hennig says earning a degree at ACPHS can take a student in unlimited and incredible directions.

In this episode of Occupation Station, 2008 ACPHS grad Shawn Leland talks about the personal, educational and professional ways he has been inspired to help people live longer, healthier lives. Some of that inspiration came to him through a clerkship rotation that didn’t go as planned and instead landed him at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. While engaged in his studies, he was also seeing real health challenges in people he loved. He witnessed how important drug therapies were in helping them to live their best lives. After graduation, Leland says he experienced a big realization during a European Society of Medical Oncology conference and got an idea that led him to pull together the right researchers and financers to create a tumor agnostic drug development strategy. Even the name of Leland’s company, Elevation Oncology, comes from a very inspired place. Leland has frequently been inspired along his career path; now he shares that inspiration with current and prospective ACPHS students.

While his work is always changing to adapt to industry needs, a typical day for ACPHS grad Salah El-Saheb involves working with biostatisticians, data scientists and clinical operations. Salah is Executive Director, Evidence Generation Leader at Genentech and his goal is to find more efficient and effective ways to conduct drug trials to bring therapies out to patients as quickly as possible. While the work is complicated, his underlying desire is ultimately to get help to those who are sick with as little discomfort on their part as possible. His skill at partnering with medical colleagues to benefit patients comes from his experience in understanding drugs and his own patient interactions. In this episode of Occupation Station, Salah talks about the work and the education that prepared him for his current role. He also has advice for students about fellowships and preparing for industry careers.

Joe Medicis worked his way up from the ground floor pharmacy stock room of Upstate Medical University as he embarked on a path that would continue to take him ever upward. That’s just one part of the story of this Class of ‘91 ACPHS grad on his journey to becoming vice president of medical affairs at Baudax Bio. In this episode of Occupation Station, Joe talks about his early plans of becoming a pharmacist and how his education at ACPHS helped prepare him for the many new directions his career would take. Now Joe works with some of the top scientists around the world. It’s exciting work that comes with the responsibility of helping to provide factual information on medicines that go on to improve thousands of lives. Joe has great advice for current students on how to shape their best careers. He explains how being open minded is good for students and good for the profession of pharmacy.

Growing up, Steve St. Onge saw his grandfather working in his pharmacy and thought he would follow in his footsteps. Like his grandfather, he set out to graduate from ACPHS. But shortly later St. Onge started following a different path. In this episode of Occupation Station, he talks about why he decided to pursue interests both in drug development and in business, ultimately adding an MBA to his credentials. St. Onge is now director of business development for Paratek Pharmaceuticals. He wears a lot of hats at Paratek and says he gets great satisfaction in knowing that he is part of a team helping to deliver life-saving remedies to people in need. The 2009 grad has great advice for ACPHS students about seeking out mentors, taking risks, and using rotations as a way to grow. He sees a bright future for ACPHS alumni, saying the sky is the limit for those with a PharmD.

Graduating from either pharmacy or law school is an admirable achievement. Graduating from both is a rare accomplishment indeed! That’s just what 1985 ACPHS grad Scott Terrillion did, despite having more than a few people advising him against it. In this episode of Occupation Station, Scott talks about why he made such an unusual move. He says his education at ACPHS prepared him to take on the new challenge of law school by teaching him about the scientific method, understanding logic and problem solving. Drawing on his experience at places like Boehringer Ingelheim and Cara Therapeutics, where he is now General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, Scott shares advice about finding the right fit with an employer to maximize both your talents and your desire to grow. He also notes the many ways pharmacists are in prime positions to make big career moves.

Ina Shah entered Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences through the non-traditional Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. After successfully balancing the demands of work and school, she graduated in 2001 ready for a career in the industry. Now she’s the executive director medical information for Abbvie. Ina credits the ACPHS Pharm D program with preparing her for this essential work by giving her a clinical background, exposing her to a wide variety of therapeutics, and helping her hone her expertise in medical writing. In this edition of Occupation Station, Ina talks about the challenges in the field, communicating essential information to both consumers and members of the medical community through multiple communications channels. She also talks about the excitement of being an essential part of Phase 3 and Phase 4 drug trials, where her critical thinking and communication skills are called upon during the regulatory process of applying for an NDA or SNDAs for new products.

In this episode of Occupation Station we discover how Dr. Kelly Cycon went from lab tech to Director of the Virology Department at Zeptometrix. During her years there the company has also grown and evolved and currently ZeptoMetrix is providing support for the COVID 19 response. Kelly’s career journey involved a leap into a graduate program, many miles traveled on I-90, and a willingness to be flexible! She also credits getting tons of support from family, teachers and colleagues. Now Dr. Cycon mentors students and says scientists have a responsibility to pass the torch and impart knowledge and encouragement to students who are considering entering the field.