Hi all,
Welcome to my blog. My name is Adam Utley, I am from way up north in Michigan (Boyne Falls), I attended Ferris State University's College of Pharmacy (graduated 2010) and I work as a clinical pharmacist at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital (202 beds).
As I read that back it kinda sounds like I am on Wheel of Fortune.
I guess the point of this year-long ambassador program is to spread the word on board certification. I think we as pharmacists have done a pretty poor job of advertising our impact on patient care. Does anyone know what a pharmacist does? My friends are in the dark. One of the valuable lessons I learned in pharmacy school was...if you don't document it, it didn't happen. The same goes for letting people know about our impact on patient care...if we don't tell people how we help patients, then no one else will. So this blog focus on my role as an ambassador.
Over the course of the next year, I am going to tell everyone how I take care of my patients, why I became board certified for my patients and how my board certification helps me take care of my patients. Along the way I will provide some insight into the ASHP recertification product I am testing.
With that foundation laid out...let's get to it!
The Final Four
Leadership is something I have always been interested in and something I am always striving for.
I look at the four teams left in the men's college basketball tournament and they all have great leaders.
Bo Ryan - 2nd straight final four.
John Calipari - 4 out of last 5 final fours.
Tom Izzo - 7 final fours
Mike Krzyzewski - 12 final fours
In order to get their teams to the final four that many times in a one-and-done tournament that starts with 64 teams is really incredible. It takes amazing leadership. I want to lead like those guys. I was listening to the radio broadcast of Michigan State's win over Louisville and in the post-game interview Izzo said he is getting too much credit for this year's team. He was making the point that basketball is a player's game and his players took it upon themselves to get to the final four. I have played a great deal of basketball and I understand the game (I even get to help with my high school varsity team periodically!). I get what Izzo is saying, he is trying to downplay his impact on the current team, but to get to 7 final fours takes a program - a system so the players can succeed.
To enjoy success in pharmacy is no differnent. Our patients need us to be great leaders to help them succeed. Coach K said a program needs to make a commitment to excellence in order to have success. Getting board certified was a really helpful way to commit to excellence. It provides me with a background knowledge to aid my decision making, a framework for keeping up to date and authenticity when developing new relationships with the medical staff.
I became board certified so I can build a program that will consistently help my patients win.
Thanks for reading and Go Spartans!
Adam Utley
ASHP Ambassador
You can follow me on twitter @UtleyAC
Blog #2 coming in April
Pharmacists care for patients by advising Neurosurgeons on how to reverse TSOACs (I had to do that last night).