Alumnae share international pharmacy experience, advice
From left, Derrick Nwobodo, Mike Katz, PharmD, professor, Rachel Ogumbo ’12, PharmD, Juliane Mayette ’12, PharmD, and Jiayu Zhu.
Alumni Rachel Ogumbo ‘12, PharmD, and Juliane Mayette ‘12, PharmD, recently met with members of the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) to offer advice and insights about international pharmacy practice.
Professor Michael Katz, PharmD, who taught Drs. Ogumbo and Mayette during their time in the PharmD program, organized the gathering as the adviser for IPSF.
“The most gratifying thing for me as a professor is watching students grow and develop, and then do great things after they graduate,” Dr. Katz said. “And I feel so lucky to have former students come back and share their valuable experiences with current students.”
Dr. Ogumbo, who graduated in 2012, worked in community pharmacy for 10 years in Tucson. Her passion for providing healthcare to underserved and refugee communities led her to dream of returning to her home country, Kenya, to practice pharmacy.
Her dream came true through her connection with Dr. Katz.
“There’s something beautiful about having a mentor, and I encourage everyone to build those relationships now so that you can fall back on them when you need guidance or help,” Dr. Ogumbo said.
Dr. Katz introduced her to the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), an academic medical partnership between a consortium of North American Universities led by the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Moi University School of Medicine based in Eldoret, Kenya.
In 2023, she joined the AMPATH Consortium in Kenya as a pharmacy team leader where she works directly with Purdue University. In her current role she precepts pharmacy trainees from Kenya and the US while identifying healthcare gaps and collaboratively creating solutions through an active clinical pharmacy practice.
“Health equity, patient-centered care, and addressing disparities are important to me and are the themes that brought me to where I am today,” she said. “As the Pharmacy team leader, I get to support and guide practices in a manner that reflects humility, sensibility, and innovation.”
Together, Drs. Ogumbo and Mayette shared advice about international pharmacy practice. Dr. Mayette is involved with pharmacy in Indonesia, where she is originally from. She is also actively involved with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), serving as one of the Global Leads. Today, she is an ambulatory clinical pharmacist for Banner Health Clinic in Tucson and an acute care pharmacist at Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital (per diem).
Dr. Mayette encouraged students to seek out a residency post-graduation to gain a head start in a specialty and to be open to new opportunities.
“Be present. Make connections. Continue to learn. And be open to what’s next,” Dr. Mayette advised. “But, more importantly, make sure you find meaning in what you do as it can make a difference in your community and the people that you serve.”