Pharmacy’s Future Leaders: Skaggs School of Pharmacy Celebrates Its Newest Graduates at Commencement

“With intentionally small class sizes, world-renowned faculty who are passionate about teaching and a focus on service to the community, Skaggs School of Pharmacy is designed to train future pharmacy leaders,” says Brookie Best, Pharm.D., M.A.S., dean of Skaggs School of Pharmacy. “This year more than three quarters of our graduating class were honored for their student leadership, our largest cohort to date, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this incredibly talented, compassionate and driven class.”

During the ceremony the students heard inspiring remarks from keynote speaker Tina Bayuse, Pharm.D., the lead pharmacist for the first and only NASA pharmacy. Bayuse urged the students to innovate and push the boundaries of the profession.

“Your mission as a pharmacist is just taking off,” said Bayuse in her address. “The future of pharmacy is wide open, including roles that have yet to be identified, if my experience is any example.”

The graduates were also inspired by alum speaker Jennifer Han, Pharm.D., ’17, a clinical pharmacist at the Veterans Affairs Health System and co-founder of Seen Nutrition, a foodtech startup focused on bone health. Han shared her personal reason for founding  the company in a recent alum spotlight.

Read on to meet three of our graduates, who shared more about their next steps and why they recommend Skaggs School of Pharmacy to prospective students.

Ayuri Kirihennedige, 7-Year B.S./Pharm.D.

Pursuing a fellowship in clinical pharmacology at Boehringer Ingelheim in Connecticut

What excites you most about this new role?

Working directly in clinical trials and being able to contribute to creating new medicines for patients. I am also really excited to move to the east coast and explore a new city!

What is your proudest achievement during your time at our school?

Getting my internship at Neurocrine Biosciences, which I did in between my P2 and P3 year. This internship solidified my interest in clinical pharmacology. 

What is one funny memory from our school you’ll always carry with you?

All the mnemonics we made from trying to learn drug names, classes, and side effects. Dr. Brandl came up with so many, and I still remember her smacking the podium and saying “trix tax taz!” for third-generation cephalosporins, which I’ve remembered ever since!

Why do you recommend UC San Diego for pharmacy school? 

UC San Diego has an amazing summer research opportunity that makes this school an attractive choice for industry or academia-focused students. Plus, the surrounding San Diego area has plenty of opportunities for network building!

San Diego is also such a beautiful place to live and study. I have been here for almost 7 years and there’s still so many places I want to visit and restaurants that I want to try.

Why would you recommend the 7-year B.S./Pharm.D., program to UC San Diego students?

It is the perfect balance between doing a fast-tracked degree and being able to enjoy summers during pharmacy school. If you are interested, I recommend meeting with both undergraduate and Skaggs School of Pharmacy advisors to plan out your courses and make sure you are able to finish the pre-requisites on time.

If you could go back in time to your first year, what would you tell yourself?

Balancing school, work, and extracurriculars will be challenging at times. Try to build a strong support system and find ways to destress even if it’s just by taking a quick walk or grabbing coffee with friends. Don’t get too discouraged if that leadership position, job, or internship doesn’t work out the first time around. There will be so many opportunities along the way, and you can always create opportunities as well. Make sure to prioritize yourself, whether that means pushing yourself to get that experience, or if that means to take a step back and recharge so that you can come back stronger.

William Xu, Pharm.D.

Entering a combined PGY1 and PGY2 residency in Health System Pharmacy Administration, including a master’s in business administration, at UC Davis

What excites you most about this new role?

I’ve always been interested in the financial and regulatory side of pharmacy, so I’m excited to explore those areas more during residency!

During the first year I’m really looking forward to building on my clinical skills in acute care, while also getting involved in hospital and system-wide projects/initiatives.

In the second year, I’m excited to receive training and hands-on experiences for managing various pharmacy service lines across the hospital.

I’m also eager to learn Lean Six Sigma principles and data analysis skills through residency projects and MBA coursework.

What is your proudest achievement during your time at our school?

Serving as the student course co-chair for our school’s pharmacy legislation elective. I’ve always had a passion for teaching, and this role was a rewarding opportunity to develop those skills—from coordinating course logistics, refining the syllabus, organizing key events such as Legislative Day and the Legislative Lunchtime Talk, and grading assignments in collaboration with my co-chair and faculty advisor.

Why do you recommend UC San Diego for pharmacy school?

10/10 would highly recommend UC San Diego. The faculty has been incredibly supportive and friendly.

It’s also a great learning environment that emphasizes hands-on training across various courses, including intravenous lab sterile compounding, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) simulations, human anatomy, and more.

Beyond academics, San Diego’s amazing weather and diverse food scene are also great reasons to come to UC San Diego for four years.

If you could travel back to your first year, what would you tell yourself?

Have fun and explore the area if you’re new to UC San Diego.

I definitely recommend getting involved with the school, organizations and internship because it’s where you’ll meet new people, get new opportunities and explore what the pharmacy field has to offer.

And take advantage of all opportunities that come along, whether it’s for work, school, or personal. You never know what type of doors will open up! 

What is one unforgettable memory you’ll always carry with you?

Visiting the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The flight simulators were particularly fun, and I loved seeing how aircraft technology evolved over the decades. I highly recommend visiting!

Paulina Guevara, Pharm.D

Starting a PGY-1 residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What excites you most about this new role?

Diving into the topics I really enjoyed learning about during my Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) year, as well as the topics that I didn’t get a chance to explore during my APPEs. I am also very excited to get the opportunity to mentor and teach pharmacy students.

What is your proudest achievement during your time at our school?

Being accepted into the Epsilon Alpha chapter of Phi Lambda Sigma, which is the national pharmacy leadership society. This was a great culmination of all the efforts poured into extracurriculars that I was passionate about during my time in pharmacy school, including serving as president of our Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) chapter, working as a patient assistance program manager and volunteering as a student ambassador.

What is one unforgettable memory from our school that you’ll always carry with you?

The last day of my community rotation. I was paired with my best friend, Chidera, during this rotation and we hadn’t seen each other since the end of the last spring quarter due to our conflicting schedules. We both had such a great time on that rotation and on the last day we got some chocolate covered strawberries and cried happy tears as we said goodbye! It was a very sweet moment that I will always remember.

Why do you recommend UC San Diego for pharmacy school? 

I really enjoyed my time here. I met great people, including faculty, mentors, staff and students, I had many opportunities to grow as a leader, and the school prepared me well for my next role, particularly with the numerous APPE opportunities.

It also helps that the location is perfect, especially for those who love the beach!

What advice would you give to someone starting pharmacy school today?

Be proactive and avoid procrastination. Your future self will thank you, because things will start to pile up between being a student, possibly having an internship, taking care of yourself, and participating in extracurriculars. Also enjoy every moment because it flies by and before you know it, you’re applying to be licensed, and you miss the feeling of being a first-year student.

Also, it is okay to not know exactly what you want to do with your Pharm.D. but make sure to do your best to try and explore all the possibilities during your time as a student. There is so much you can do with your degree and so many people that you can reach out to and connect with to learn more! Pharmacy school is an investment in your future and there are so many resources at your disposal as a UC San Diego student.

Learn more about our Pharm.D. programs, including our joint Pharm.D./Ph.D. degree and our unique 7-year B.S./Pharm.D. degree for UC San Diego undergraduates

Watch the full Commencement ceremony