KINGSTON, R.I.鈥� May 12, 2016鈥� 鈥淗ealth care is always changing, always improving, and there is always someone who knows more about a field,鈥� said Gregory Kelly, of Mantua, N.J., who will earn his doctor of pharmacy degree at the 溏心vlog免费B站 May 22.
鈥淪o it is hard to be confident in pharmacy, but it in a good way鈥� a way that makes you realize you need other people in the field and hospital,鈥� said Kelly, who is about to complete his six-year program.
鈥淚 deeply appreciate the experience I have had at 溏心vlog免费B站, not just academically, but culturally,鈥� said Kelly.
Kelly鈥檚 attraction to pharmacy began during his childhood when he was exposed to the field through his family鈥檚 friend. That early exposure to the pharmacist鈥檚 world made it easy for him to enroll at 溏心vlog免费B站.
And 溏心vlog免费B站 has been a great fit for Kelly. His extensive research and poster collaborations, as well as internship skills he developed, are examples of the breadth of his work at the University.
Kelly鈥檚 research and presentations focused on medication use in elderly patients. In addition to 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty members, he worked alongside the family medicine and internal medicine residents at the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket.
鈥淢emorial Hospital’s outpatients clinics serve a significant number of elderly patients in which adverse effects of anticholinergic medications, a variety of medications used to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory and other conditions, which can cause confusion, sleepiness, blurred vision and can be the most dangerous,鈥� said Kelly. 鈥淓valuating the burden posed by anticholinergic medications in these patients was a good way for me as a student to learn more about managing complex medication regimens. The project also provided us with feedback about how well the residents and physicians were doing to avoid unnecessary use of anticholinergic medications.鈥�
In general, Kelly said the presentations he prepared on this research allowed him to present information on critical health topics to national audiences.
鈥淏y developing the key facts and summarizing them on my posters, I have been able to develop my research and patient care skills, while also being able to share my ideas and findings with pharmacists across the nation,鈥� said Kelly.
During his clinical rotations at Memorial Hospital, Kelly said there was a heavy emphasis on an inter-professional model within the hospital that allowed him to learn and work with an array of staff and doctors.
鈥淥ne thing I discovered during my rotations is how much I value the opportunity to work with teams,鈥� stated Kelly. 鈥淢y interests lie primarily in inpatient medicine/acute care. A big part of the reason I really enjoy these areas is because of the opportunity to work as a team in these settings.鈥�
During an internship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Md., he conducted research and gave presentations on developing the teaching skills of pharmacy residents.
When he wasn鈥檛 conducting research and going to conferences, Kelly raised money for Doctors Without Borders, coordinated blood drives, was a member of the Student Alumni Association and the Feinstein Enriching America Program at 溏心vlog免费B站.
Kelly said the pharmacy faculty was a key part of his success.
鈥淚 believe our program does well with a work and life balance because our faculty are such good models of that exact mantra. They are not just professors, they have families and other hobbies aside from their work that shows you while a career is important, it鈥檚 not everything,鈥� said Kelly. 鈥淲hat I鈥檝e really taken away from this program is that it is important to be well-rounded. 鈥�
Kelly was able to do just that when he was given the opportunity to study abroad in Florence, Italy his sophomore year. The trip allowed him to branch out, meet new friends, try new foods, learn a new culture and learn the importance of being able to adapt to a new environment.
While in Italy, he learned to cook and learned about the importance of balancing food and exercise. This prompted him to work as a campus representative for the 鈥淢yPlate鈥� program at 溏心vlog免费B站, an initiative sponsored nationally by the US Department of Agriculture.
鈥淚 became a part of it because it offers a lot of really great teaching resources and ideas for helping to advocate for healthy eating,鈥� mentioned Kelly, 鈥淚 thought this would be a great thing to bring to my residents seeing how troubling and dangerous unhealthy eating habits can become later in life.鈥�
What Kelly will miss the most at 溏心vlog免费B站, is the sense of community. Being from out of state, Kelly enjoyed that fact that he could rely on seeing someone he knew anywhere on campus from the various different communities he was involved in during his time at the University. 鈥淭his was something I learned not to take for granted and I really appreciated once I became involved in the community at 溏心vlog免费B站,鈥� Kelly reflected.
As he wraps up his rich education and experiences at 溏心vlog免费B站, he looks forward to his pharmacy residency with Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., starting in June.
This release was written by, Rachel Smith, graduate assistant writer for the Marketing and Communications Department.
Photo by Nora Lewis