Morgan McGraw, BS

Narrator: Welcome to We’re Your Pharmacist, a new monthly podcast featuring ASHP members and colleagues sharing their stories and discussing the essential contributions pharmacists make as part of the patient care team.

Deanna Tran: Hello, everyone, and welcome to We’re Your Pharmacist, where we sit down with pharmacists and other healthcare team members to share stories of the incredible impact pharmacists have on patient care. I am Deanna Tran, Director of Member Relations at ASHP, and today I’m joined by Morgan McGraw, student pharmacist at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Vice Chair of ASHP’s Pharmacy Student Forum. Morgan, thank you so much for joining us.

Morgan McGraw: Thank you so much for having me.

Deanna Tran: All right, so let’s get started with our first question. Morgan, what initially sparked your interest in pursuing pharmacy as a career?

Morgan McGraw: So my introduction to pharmacy actually came through my high school dance coach. She was in pharmacy school while coaching our team five days a week, and I remember just being amazed by how much she balanced such a demanding program while also showing up for us every single day at practice. Watching her now eventually become on to be an infectious disease pharmacist was also really inspiring to me, and she was the first person who showed me what a pharmacist could do just outside of dispensing medications. Then, as I started exploring the profession for myself, I realized pharmacy combined everything I was looking for. I love science and problem solving, but I also wanted a career where I could work directly with patients and be a part of a healthcare team. The more I learned about the clinical role pharmacists play, such as optimizing medications, educating patients, collaborating with physicians and nurses, the more I knew it was the right path for me.

Deanna Tran: I love that, Morgan. I really love the concept of being able to do more than just pharmacy, but the characteristics that you come with that other additional extracurricular can really feed into what drives your passion for pharmacy. What would you say, what has been the most rewarding part of your pharmacy school experience so far?

Morgan McGraw: I feel like this is such a tough question because I’ve really had a lot of wonderful opportunities and experiences, but I think with that being said, it would be the people and just all the opportunities and chances I’ve had to grow. I’ve been fortunate enough to get involved in research, leadership through ASHP and student organizations, as well as clinical experiences at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Each of these have challenged me in a different way and have helped me become more confident, not just as a future pharmacist, but also as a leader and a teammate. One of my favorite parts have also been working directly with patients during rotations. I feel like there’s something really rewarding about taking what you’ve learned in the classroom and then using it to actually help someone understand their medications or even just improve their care. These are the moments that really remind me why I chose this profession and help keep me on the path that I’m going down.

Deanna Tran: I love that. And you kind of mentioned a little bit with this last question, but what excites you the most about your future as a pharmacist?

Morgan McGraw: First of all, I feel like with pharmacy as a whole, I’m just really excited that pharmacy is just constantly evolving. Pharmacists are taking on expanded clinical roles, participating in interdisciplinary care teams, leading quality improvement initiatives, and really just helping shape the future of healthcare. All of these just mean that there are such new opportunities to keep learning and help make a bigger impact. Personally, I’m interested about pursuing a hospital career in clinical pharmacy. I’m excited about the chance to care for complex patients while continuing to teach, mentor students, and stay involved in the profession through professional organizations just like ASHP. I love that pharmacy offers so many different paths while keeping patient care at the center of everything we do.

Deanna Tran: And then what would you say in terms of talking, giving advice to, let’s say, a high school student or undergrad student thinking about pharmacy? Why is pharmacy an exciting career choice for students to consider for the healthcare field?

Morgan McGraw: I personally think pharmacy is such an exciting career because it’s incredibly versatile. Whether you’re interested in direct patient care, research, ambulatory care, specialties like pediatrics, oncology, also industry, academia, or even leadership, there’s truly a place for you anywhere within this profession. I also am somebody that likes to change my mind a lot and being hammered down into one specific area was something that really scared me. And I like that pharmacy just allows you to move around through whatever you can see yourself in. I like being able to choose: one day I want to work in pediatrics, and then maybe a few months down the line, now I have a different interest and it really just allows you to move around through whatever sparks your interest and keep on learning. I also think that pharmacists are lifelong learners as healthcare is constantly evolving and changing. With new medications, new evidence, technology, every single day brings something different. So I feel like if you’re someone who enjoys science, problem solving, collaboration, and making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives, pharmacy offers an amazing opportunity to do all of that within one field.

Deanna Tran: That is awesome, Morgan. Thanks so much. Well, that is all the time that we have today. I want to first thank Morgan for her time and sharing her story that really ties in dance and how that turned into a passion for pharmacy. I want to thank our listeners as well for joining us on We’re Your Pharmacist podcast series. We hope today’s conversation gives you a new perspective on the invaluable role of pharmacists. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in for our next episode, where we’ll continue to explore the many ways pharmacists make a difference. Until then, visit yourpharmacist.org to share your own story and read more about the critical role of pharmacists on the patient care team.

Narrator: Thank you for listening. Be sure to visit yourpharmacist.org to learn more about how pharmacists provide essential patient care. For more podcasts from ASHP, visit ashp.org/podcast. If you love the episode and want to hear more, be sure to subscribe, rate, or leave a review.