Scots Science Scholars kicked off spring semester listening to Lisa Hayes, Maryville College class of 2010 who came to talk about opportunities in pharmacy.  Lisa was a  chemistry major at MC and is currently  in her last year of pharmacy school at the University of Tennessee. She had lots of great advice and experiences to share.

Lisa Hayes advises Caitlin Jennings, Class of 2016, after the presentation.

MC now has a Biopharmaceutical Sciences major that is a fast track to pharmacy school and a PharmD degree.  However, Lisa came to MC bplanning to be a chemistry teacher, a career she tried for a brief time and realized was not for her.  That prompted an application to pharmacy school, where she has found her calling.

Lisa emphasized to students that there are a wide variety of opportunities in pharmacy, but all of them involve being part of a healthcare team that helps patients. While some pharmacists never have to deal directly with patients, others make that their day-t0-day, and still others are needed to make quick decisions in emergency roon situations. In the end, all pharmacists are depended upon to make sure a patient takes the right medicines in the right dosages while avoiding negative drug interactions, a very important part of the healthcare puzzle.

When asked for advice, Lisa counseled students to get experience in a pharmacy even before starting pharmacy school.  She also advised them to use their time at MC to recognize any possible weaknesses and work on those. For example,  in her time at MC Lisa was a peer mentor. She credited that experience with helping her learn important people skills that she didn’t feel were her strong suit at the time.  She suggested the students should all do some self assessment and then take on opportunities at MC that help them become stronger.

Events like these are part of Scots Science Scholars and contribute to the campus culture created by MC Works, giving students a window into life post MC.   Follow Scots Science Scholars on Facebook to be notified of upcoming events.