A Dose of success
When I was brainstorming ideas for this blog, and how I ultimately wanted it to look, I knew I could not do it justice without adding the most intelligent women I know. A women whom I grew up practically next door to, and have maintained best friends with for almost 18 years now. Sara Panahi is much more than my best friend and non-biological big sister however, she is much, much, more. Sara completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy in just 6 years and is about to complete her first year pharmacy residency, and has been accepted to start a second year residency this summer in Olympia, WA. Read on to see how Sara has accomplished her PharmD dreams.
Dr. Sara Panahi is a 24-year old Northeastern University graduate who grew up in Highlands Ranch, CO. Sara currently resides in Providence, RI for her PGY-1 residency at Coastal Medical, and is preparing for her PGY-2 residency in Olympia, WA. She has a PharmD, or Doctor of Pharmacy degree that she graduated with in May 2020 that she completed through a 6-year accelerated combined Bachelor of Science/PharmD program.
About
“The purpose of a pharmacy residency is similar to a medical residency, in that it is post-doctoral training that prepares me for clinical practice. Not all pharmacists need to undergo residency training, but I am specifically interested in ambulatory care which is outpatient chronic disease state management alongside other members of the healthcare team. My program is specialized in primary care and I have the opportunity to care for my own panel of patients and prescribe medications and order labs under a collaborative practice agreement with our providers. Coastal Medical is a physician-owned and governed accountable care organization and patient-centered medical home. We're a collection of primary care and specialty practices that cares for approximately 10% of Rhode Island's population. Through this one year program, I am also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Rhode Island and am teaching an ambulatory care-focused therapeutics seminar to first-year professional pharmacy students. Starting in July, I will begin my second year (PGY-2) residency in ambulatory care at Providence St. Peter Family Medicine in Olympia, WA where I will further specialize and practice as a practitioner in the state of Washington. This means that I can prescribe and manage patients under my own name rather than under a doctor or advanced practitioner. My clinical interests include rural family medicine, women's health, academia, and psychiatric pharmacy. After residency, I hope to practice in a primary care setting while holding a faculty position at a school of pharmacy. I would eventually like to develop and expand clinical pharmacy services to primary care institutions across the rural United States. In terms of hobbies, when I'm not preparing for presentations or lectures, I enjoy hiking, biking, yoga, reading, and taking care of my plant babies.”
What do you think have been the biggest barriers you have faced so far in achieving your goals?
“Honestly, the outdated nature of the pharmacy residency matching process. Over 80% of medical students will match to residency programs whereas, for pharmacy students, that number hangs around 50%. The world of clinical pharmacy is so unnecessarily competitive due to its current market saturation. Had Coastal not seen something in me, I'm unsure if I would have matched. Without a residency, it can be very difficult to break into ambulatory care as a specialty, and without the months of research, applications, interviews, and dumb luck I would likely not be in the place I am today.”
What would you tell a younger version of you?
“I would have told myself to get a job in hospital pharmacy as a student for increased exposure and connections. If you know the right people, you may not even need a residency to land a clinical position.”
What advice would you give to another woman who is trying to break into the same industry you are in?
“Pharmacy is a small world, clinical pharmacy is even smaller, and ambulatory care pharmacy is even smaller than that. Never burn any bridges and always try to leave a good impression because you never know who may have friends in high places. Also, I would gently encourage them to learn how to be an advocate for themselves and other ambulatory care pharmacists. While physicians and advanced practitioners can bill for their services, ambulatory care pharmacists must constantly justify their position due to lack of provider status on a national level. Despite 8 or more years of specialized training, I find that members of my profession are rarely recognized for the exceptional and lifesaving services they provide. If more pharmacists invested in advocacy and leadership skills and pursued unification of the profession on a national level, I believe better, more integrated care in the US healthcare system is possible.”
Final tips/advice:
“It isn't shameful to not follow your dreams. I never woke up one day and decided I was going to be a pharmacist. I chose to pursue a field that I found to be mentally stimulating, financially lucrative and fulfilling even if it's not always exciting or sexy. It's a privilege to choose your career path, and there's nothing wrong with prioritizing financial stability, prestige, or flexibility. There is no such thing as a dream job because no one dreams of labor. Remember that your career is only a part of who you are as a person and you never have to do one thing forever. :)”
As you can tell, Dr. Sara Panahi has already accomplished much in just 6 shorts years of finishing her doctorate and starting a PGY-1 residency, to now take on her second pharmacy residency. She is well-spoken, resilient and I know will continue to make an even greater impact on the pharmacy community as well as the female STEM community.
You can continue to follow Sara’s journey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-panahi-442009116/
