Name:  Thao Pham

E-mail: phamt@findlay.edu

Pharmacy school:
University of Findlay

Undergraduate degree/institution: The University of Dayton and The University of Toledo

Hobbies: Snowboarding, hiking, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and shopping

How did you get interested in the profession of pharmacy? I was always interested in medicine, but did not want to pursue a career as a doctor because I saw a patient crashing when I was shadowing a doctor one day.  My dad was a pharmacist back in Vietnam and so I decided that was the route to go so that I still have interactions with patients while being able to participate in their medication therapy.

Why did you choose OPA as a rotation? I didn’t even know this was a rotation site until I was talked into it by the APPE directors at school.  I was informed that this is a good site for networking, and so far, I have met a lot of people I would not have otherwise met if I had decided not to complete a rotation here.

What was the most significant or surprising experience at OPA? I have had a lot of opportunities and experiences here, and I am only halfway through this rotation.  I really enjoyed meeting with the Executive Director and President of the Board of Pharmacy, the President of OPA, and the National APhA President, and of course, Ernie Boyd.  Everyone that I have met plays such an important role in pharmacy and has taught me a lot about different aspects of pharmacy.

What other pharmacy associations/organizations do you belong to? I also am a member of Kappa Epsilon, ASP-APhA, and ASHP.