Hello, everyone!
My name is Ella Domingo, and I am a rising second-year student in Purdue University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program in West Lafayette, Indiana. I currently serve as an ASHP summer intern, and as part of my internship I look forward to sharing weekly blogs recounting my experiences as we navigate a new, virtual setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. From my first year of pharmacy school, I have learned that reflection is an excellent way to internalize experiences and grow from them, so I am excited to share my journey over these next few weeks.
As for what the ASHP summer internship entails, it is a ten-week training in national association management with opportunities to work alongside ASHP staff on projects in association activities and operations, professional and public affairs, publications and drug information, student affairs, membership, and governmental affairs. I found out about this internship through my SSHP president, who is a close pharmacy mentor and friend, when she encouraged me and the other officers to apply. I delved into the intern responsibilities and goals of the program and felt it was a perfect fit given my interests in administrative pharmacy and clinical practice in health-system pharmacy.
I was able to send in the required documents for the application process, and after an agonizing few weeks of waiting, I was ecstatic when I received an interview offer! When it came time for my interview, my nerves disappeared with every minute I spoke with the staff members. They were very kind and informative, and made it evident that they wanted the best possible experience for the student. A few weeks later, I was sitting in my favorite local coffee shop on campus and received a phone call from Maryland—it was from Dr. Gina Luchen, the Director of Academic Programs, saying I got the internship!
From the initial introductions during the interview with the staff members, I knew that I would love it at ASHP. Everyone here is so welcoming and knowledgeable, with many members in different fields of pharmacy, and many others from non-pharmacy backgrounds. The diversity is incredible. Being able to network with some staff even just this past week, I have grown exponentially in my knowledge of pharmacy and ASHP’s mission to achieve optimal health outcomes. I have learned that one’s pharmacy career path is not a straight path from Point A to Point B, but rather, a livelier road with many twists and turns. With COVID-19, we at ASHP have adapted to the situation and are not at the headquarters in Bethesda. The staff is working remotely, but that doesn’t stop ASHP from getting work done, staying connected, and pushing boundaries with the work they do and resources they provide as this situation evolves.
What I love about pharmacy is that it is ever-changing, and there are so many fields to explore. We don’t know what the profession could look like when we step out of this pandemic, but if we heed the wisdom I have gleaned from the staff so far—roll with the punches, always advocate for the patient, and never stop learning—we will continue to follow in ASHP’s footsteps and move forward, pushing the boundaries for the profession of pharmacy.
Ella Domingo
Pharm.D. Candidate, Class of 2023
Purdue University College of Pharmacy