Meet Fisher Pharm.D. Online Students

The Fisher Pharm.D. Online pathway from the Wegmans School of Pharmacy prepares students to be pharmacists of distinction. Our four-year program pathway offers a first-class pharmacy education that combines courses in the pharmaceutical and administrative sciences with on-campus immersions and clinical training rotations in local communities. Through a shared commitment to improving the lives of those they serve, our students graduate ready to make an impact in the pharmacy field. Hear directly from our Fisher Pharm.D. Online students below.

Rhiannon Reynolds

Current Location: Watertown, N.Y.

Rhiannon Reynolds came to Fisher Pharm.D. Online as a business developer for an aviation company and an M.B.A graduate. She is a nontraditional student who has worked many jobs and traveled to many places. For years, she’s had an interest in pharmacy and her past experiences with online learning made it an easy decision for her to pursue her Pharm.D. online at Fisher as the next step in her educational and professional journey.

Why did you decide to earn your Pharm.D.?

Pharmacy was always something that I dreamed of doing. I worked as a tech for some years and enjoyed it, but I was interested in going further than that. However, geography wouldn’t work in my favor as there wasn’t a school in commutable distance from my home. So, even though my life was going in what some would consider the right direction, I decided to pursue this program pathway instead. It felt like the right decision. I look forward to completing my Pharm.D. and working in the field of pharmacy, wherever that might take me.

Why Fisher Pharm.D. Online?

The incredible convenience of the pathway really helped me to choose Fisher Pharm.D. Online, but it was the reputation of the college that sold me on the program pathway. An online pharmacy degree hasn’t been offered before in New York state and I enjoyed the thought of being a part of the first cohort. I knew it would be challenging, but as an independent and highly-motivated person, I knew it would be the right program for me.

Is there a course you’ve particularly enjoyed?

Difficulty aside, I have really enjoyed Systems Pharmacology. The topics we cover encompass all body systems and really build on my background in biology. Dr. Parkhill, especially, has made her lectures easy to understand with the complex topics we cover. She also always listens to the students and provides meaningful and prompt feedback.

Why do you think pharmacists are important, specifically right now?

Pharmacists are the “gatekeepers” of medication. I’ve heard it said many times, and it is true. Medical schools train doctors for diagnoses and hands-on treatments. Pharmacists specialize in medications. I would like to see a world where they work closer together for patient outcomes. Pharmacists spend years studying the actions and effects of many medications and truly specialize in them. This knowledge is unique to them and is important as our population lives longer and more health issues arise.

What is next for you after graduation?

Passing my NAPLEX and finding a job! Beyond that, I hope to take my Pharm.D. into some nontraditional realms, whether it be consulting or working for a startup company. If not that, then I’d like to settle down in a small-town pharmacy, where I know everyone’s name and they know me, until I retire.

Vince Salerno

Current location: Jersey City, N.J.

Vince Salerno completed his undergraduate degree in biology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. During his sophomore and junior summers, he interned in different pharmaceutical-adjacent positions, which sparked his interest in pharmacy. Today, Salerno is enrolled in Fisher Pharm.D. Online while also working as a customer success manager at Clarivate — a health care data analytics company — where his clients are large biopharma companies.

Why did you decide to earn your Pharm.D.?

I really loved the flexibility of the degree. Personally, I found myself caught between wanting to work with patients in a clinical setting and wanting to work more on the industry business side of the house. With a Pharm.D., I can do either, or both, if I so choose.

Why Fisher Pharm.D. Online?

Having the ability to complete my degree online was paramount in my decision. I still need to work while in school, and being able to balance both has been great. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the idea of being part of the inaugural cohort of this pathway.

Is there a course you particularly enjoyed? If so, why?

I really enjoyed the Biosystems course sequence, specifically Biosystems II with Dr. Sapinoro. This was the first time I learned about the immune system in-depth and found it fascinating, especially in the backdrop of a global pandemic.

What have you enjoyed most about the immersion experiences?

The immersion experience I had — vaccine training and CPR — was exciting. I loved finally meeting some of my classmates in real life and having a photoshoot in our newly minted white coats.

Why do you think pharmacists are important, specifically right now?

I believe that the profession of pharmacy is changing drastically and will be completely different in the near future. This is because pharmacy technicians are taking on more administrative roles that, for a while, have plagued pharmacists. This then allows pharmacists to become more patient-centric and work directly with patients — which is what we spend four years learning how to do in pharmacy school. I believe that in the future, pharmacists will have more of a direct influence on decision making for patients. Data even shows that having a clinical pharmacist in hospital settings increases patient outcomes and reduces costs for hospital systems — a win-win.

What is next for you after graduation?

I plan on continuing on to some kind of post-doctoral program. I’m not 100% sure if that means a clinical residency or an industry fellowship yet, but I really enjoy learning.

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