From Application to Graduation: Navigating Purdue Pharmacy with Purpose

Alex McQuade:

Welcome to Living the Pharm Life, the official podcast of Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy. I’m Alex McQuade, your host and PharmD candidate here to highlight the inspiring stories of our outstanding students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who continually work towards excellence in all their pursuits.

On this episode of Living the Pharm Life, Steve Myszak, assistant dean of student affairs in the College of Pharmacy joins Maggie Rose, third-year professional student and president of the Purdue Pharmacy Ambassadors. Together, they share how the Office of Student Services is truly a central hub for Purdue Pharmacy students, offering support, resources and guidance at every stage of their journey. Whether you’re a prospective student thinking about applying or somebody already deep into the program, you’re going to learn a lot about how students are impacted from day one all the way through graduation and beyond.

From application to alumni, Steve and Maggie are going to take you on a journey sharing how they help students navigate the highs and lows of pharmacy school and create a sense of community for everyone along the way. Thank you both for being here today.

Steven Myszak:

Thanks, Alex. Glad to be here.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, I’m excited.

Alex McQuade:

Thank you. Maggie, I’ll start with you. Tell us your story of how you found your passion for pharmacy. How did you know that this was the area that you wanted to pursue?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, so I think I always knew that I wanted to do something in the healthcare field, but I didn’t really know what that looked like. And in high school, it was my junior year, kind of around the time that you’re deciding where you want to go to college and what you want to study, and I was talking to my organic chemistry teacher and he noticed that I really liked his class, which I think is a little unusual. And he’s also a Purdue grad, so he was familiar with the pharmacy program here and how strong it is. So he was kind of the first person to open the door for me and say, “Hey, have you ever thought about pharmacy?” And I hadn’t.

So after that I kind of just did my own research. I shadowed a hospital pharmacist and I really enjoyed seeing how she worked at patients and rounded with the team in the hospital and her contribution to that patient care team. So after that, I ultimately decided that pharmacy was what I wanted to do.

Alex McQuade:

That’s an amazing and inspiring story for many students. It’s great that you had a mentor that pushed you towards it too.

Maggie Rose:

Definitely.

Alex McQuade:

What about you, Mr. Myszak? What brought you to pharmacy and working in student services for pharmacy?

Steven Myszak:

Sure. So for about 30 years, I’ve worked in higher education. Some traditional student affairs roles like housing, orientation, career services, and I always knew as I aged out of housing, because there’s only so much you can do within that realm before you’re tired, I knew academic advising was an area I wanted to get into. So I had done a practicum in it while in grad school. And so for the past 15, 20 years, I’d worked within academic advising, a variety of director of undergraduate programs. So that was in North Carolina. Most of my career’s been in North Carolina, but my parents are from Indiana, I’m from Indiana originally, and I knew that it was time for me to come back to help with my parents as they’re aging.

And so I looked, I was like, “Well, I don’t really want to move, so I’ll look between Indianapolis, Hammond, Indiana, and Fort Wayne.” Not a lot of schools. Of course Purdue’s reputation as is internationally known. And I saw this position opening and I’m like, “Okay, my undergrad’s in science, so I do have a little connection.” I had good friends come earn their PhDs in medicinal chemistry here. So I said I’ll apply. And I was very fortunate to be offered the position and I’ve been very lucky to work with you all wonderful students.

Alex McQuade:

That’s awesome. And we’re happy to have you as our advocate for students. Maggie, I know when I found Purdue, there was no question that this was going to be the place for me for pharmacy, but I was wondering, was that the same feeling that you had? How did you know that your future was going to be as a boilermaker pharmacist?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, I think what really sealed the deal for me was whenever I came here on my campus tour, after I got accepted into the College of Pharmacy, I went with my mom and we both were talking on the way home, and I just felt so comfortable here even after just one day. And something that really impacted that experience was the student-led panel and getting a building tour and kind of just hearing their personal experiences within the College of Pharmacy and Purdue. And I felt like they were kind of giving it to me straight, and I knew what the program would be like here. So I think coming on campus is what really sealed the deal for me.

Alex McQuade:

That’s awesome.

Steven Myszak:

Yeah, that’s a really interesting compelling story because all of our students have their own reasons for coming. Alex, I would love to, if you could share your story, especially from being out of state. Why Purdue?

Alex McQuade:

Oh, that’s a great question. Well, actually, my story mirrors yours a lot because it was in the middle of COVID when I had applied to school, I’m sure similar experience for you, kind of going to college during COVID. I was really thinking I wanted to get out of where I was at and I wanted to go somewhere new. So I really had options all over the country. I had applied up in New England, in the south, out in the Midwest, and I was just kind of like, wherever it’ll take me, I’ll go. And then I ended up with a lot of options and it was really hard to narrow things down. But I remember when I got my Purdue acceptance letter, something just felt right.

I even asked my parents to film me opening up my acceptance because I had just been doing so much research on the school, so many things about Purdue’s ethics and also the frozen tuition. Purdue’s pharmacy program has so many amazing alumni that have a big name in the field of pharmacy. And so I just thought I wanted to be part of a legacy like that. And so when I did open my letter, I thought I need to go visit and see what it’s like. But there were no tours at the time. Everyone was masked up and it was in the middle of winter, so there wasn’t even really anyone on campus. So my dad and I did a road trip out to the Midwest, and we came on campus. It was a snowy day, it was very picturesque. I stood under the bell tower, oops, let me get my picture. And then, yeah, after that I realized that this was where I wanted to be, just seeing what the campus looked like.

And then after a while, I narrowed down my options and I signed my acceptance on the way back and I was like, “This is where I’m going to go.” So yeah, I feel like when I was preparing thinking about why Purdue over other schools, informational sessions were really helpful. They had a lot of those offered virtually through Zoom, and so it felt like a safe environment to ask questions because you weren’t there in person. So I’d be typing in the comments, some real questions. I want to know what it’s really like being a student. So things like that.

Steven Myszak:

And you probably had your camera off too.

Alex McQuade:

Yes. Oh, you know me too well. Yeah, I had my camera off. Because I was like, I really wanted to get that experience. And it was nice that there were so many resources where students were talking about their experience. So I’m kind of curious, Mr. Myszak, your role is seen as kind of a hub for the students and services. Can you explain what resources and support your office offers?

Steven Myszak:

Oh, sure. I mean, speaking of student services, my philosophy is very much, it’s a lifeline. It’s your lifeline. Yes, you’re here for your academics. Our faculty are amazing, but there’s a lot of other things that happen in your life, whether it be personal, maybe it’s some academic issues or concerns you’re having, social issues or concerns you’re having. You want to come see your academic advisor.

And the College of Pharmacy, what’s great is from your freshman year, you’re in the College of Pharmacy as a pre-pharm student. So you’d build relationships, you know where our services are, you would come and utilize us. But also within our student services, we coordinate the learning community for our first-year students. We offer tutoring services for our College of Pharmacy students. Everything from recruitment, working with ambassadors, working with the pre-pharmacy club. We do a lot of the social, academic and personal growth. We are a resource for our students. Professional students, we want you to come see us more.

Alex McQuade:

And I will shout out, the Office of Student Services is amazing, and I love my academic advisor. Having an academic advisor even through pre-pharmacy was so helpful because they give great advice to students about, how do I prepare myself to get into the program? Telling about certain services that are offered when you get in, it really helped me in making my decision to stay here at Purdue after pre-pharmacy was over, just knowing for certain that there was that support network and I already had a contact on the inside.

So if you are a current Purdue student or a prospective student, definitely consider using those services and your academic advisor is definitely a lifesaver. Maggie, how have you been able to partake in these resources and where have you found the support when you needed it most?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, kind of like Mr. Myszak said, it is a lifeline and I feel like I did definitely use that a lot in my pre-pharmacy years, meeting with my advisor, making sure that I was on track and getting everything prepared for the College of Pharmacy application process. And then in my professional years, I think I enjoy just stopping in the Office of Student Services.

It’s really nice because they’re just on the first floor of the pharmacy building. So since I do work pretty closely with them as the PPA president, it’s nice to just be able to pop in there and ask a question if I need to. There’s always someone that’s around to help. And that’s one aspect that I really like too with my advisor is even if you don’t make an appointment, you can always stop in and at least chat for a second, which is really great.

Alex McQuade:

That’s amazing what you said about the academic advisors. I totally agree that they’re a great resource, as I had mentioned before. And as a president of the Pharmacy Ambassadors, you probably have a really unique perspective about the services that we offer here at Purdue. So what are some of the lesser known features that we have in our program that you think makes it special?

Maggie Rose:

So for Purdue’s College of Pharmacy, some things that I like to share with prospective students and their families in the informational sessions and stuff like that are number one, our nuclear pharmacy program, which I know that you’re familiar with, but something that really sets apart our College of Pharmacy is the fact that you can get a nuclear pharmacy certificate right alongside getting your PharmD, and that’s at no extra charge. You don’t have to go back to school, which is really convenient, and it’s led by Dr. Weatherman who is at the forefront of an exploding field of pharmacy, which is nuclear pharmacy. So I think that that’s a really great selling point for our college.

And then another thing that I like to touch on is how many opportunities there are within research here. Once again, Purdue is at the forefront of research and drug discovery, and I think it’s a really unique opportunity to get involved within research, even as an undergraduate student. So that’s some really special points, but I feel like I’m probably missing a few too. So I didn’t know if you had anything to share.

Steven Myszak:

Well, I definitely think that undergraduate research, I’ve had several students start the freshman year, and it could be in the harder sciences or it can even be in pharmacy practice. Some of our faculty are beginning to consider creating electives for undergrads to explore pharmacy. So I think that what is amazing about our program, we are the smallest college on Purdue’s campus of 58,000 students. So if you want to get lost, yeah, you can leave, but because of the faculty, because of the staff, because of you guys also, you guys hold each other accountable and stay within the family.

Maggie Rose:

Definitely.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. And it does feel like a family for sure, especially even for the pre-pharmacy students. There’s so many opportunities to make what seems like a big world, even smaller, like you guys said through research. Nuclear can be a small program, but it’s definitely expanding so you can find kind of a community within that.

And I love what you said about how nuclear is rapidly expanding, and we have one of the top players in that entire industry here at our own college. So I recommend anyone who’s even slightly interested in nuclear, do it while you’re here because it’s definitely worthwhile. And Dr. Weatherman’s a great resource for sure.

Steven Myszak:

And I would add, even if you’re not sure, just take the first class.

Alex McQuade:

That’s right.

Maggie Rose:

Definitely.

Steven Myszak:

You don’t have to continue on, if it’s not for you.

Alex McQuade:

Low risk, high reward.

Steven Myszak:

Yes.

Maggie Rose:

Absolutely.

Alex McQuade:

But speaking of the College of Pharmacy, being one of the smallest colleges on Purdue’s campus and that whole family feel, one of the most unique things that we offer is a professional degree, which the other colleges don’t. And so a lot of our students are staying in the college for six years and even longer, especially we have a dual PharmD PhD program, so we may have some members of our College of Pharmacy here for almost a decade.

So what do you think about Purdue’s program makes it feel like a family? And I guess since our motto is the pharmily or living the pharm life, being in the pharmily, I’m just kind of curious both of your perspectives on what you think makes our college feel so much like a family. So I’ll start with you, Maggie.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, so like Mr. Myszak said, it is the smallest college here on campus, and this is a Big 10 campus, so it’s nice in the aspect of sporting events and it’s just always alive here on campus. There’s a lot going on and I do like that, but I also enjoy knowing all of my class members by name. I like that I don’t feel like a number within the College of Pharmacy, that my professors are personally invested in my career and my success, which is really great.

And like I said, those bonds, I didn’t expect it to, but they’ve definitely extended way past the classroom. Right now I live with three girls that are in my class, so we’re roommates and I’ve made a lot of other lifelong friends too, people that I’m probably going to invite to my wedding and get invited to their wedding. So it’s just really exciting and it does feel like a little family here, so that’s really nice.

Steven Myszak:

I was going to say also, 30 years of experience earlier, I was worried to death coming to Purdue, thinking all students were going to be a number. Purdue does an amazing job, the university does an amazing job at making things feel smaller, whether it be the physical layout of campus, the different organizations, activities. But also our college, this is the only college I would say is the best college I’ve ever worked for at really developing the relationships from the faculty, interaction with students, from the faculty concern for students as well as our staff. So it’s really a great place to work. It’s really a great place to be a student, I think.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. The support is definitely there. And I feel like as students, the longer you’re in the program, the more support you feel. And you kind of look back and you’re like, I didn’t even realize how many resources I had. And that’s one thing when I look back on my time, I’m like, I had so many opportunities to get that support that even today I’m like still, okay, I need to take advantage of these while I still can. Time goes so quick.

Steven Myszak:

It makes sense because really from the get-go, we’re looking at your strengths and building on your strengths. And you have the areas that you might need some little adjustments, we’ll offer suggestions, but within our college, it’s the value add-end that we like to celebrate.

Alex McQuade:

Absolutely.

Maggie Rose:

Alex, you asked us about the pharmily. So how do you see pharmacy as a family?

Alex McQuade:

Honestly, I think that one really unique part about pharmacy school is that you see the same people every day, day in and day out, and all the same classes. You pass by friendly faces in the hallway. Every time I come into RHPH, I recognize pretty much everyone that I see, and if there’s kind of a visitor there, I’m like, “Who is this infiltrator?” It does feel like we are a big family. I think we’re all connected in so many more ways than we really realize. It’s not just a curriculum, but we have a shared experience and a shared love for our patients. And no matter where we’re all going to end up at the end of the day, I feel like the college teaches us a lot just about how to handle stress too.

And so I think we learn a lot about ourselves while we’re in the College of Pharmacy. And so I find when I’m having conversations with my pharmacy friends, it’s like ditto to everything they’re saying. Because I’m like, we’ve all just been kind of like, we’re in this group and I don’t know, it just feels like everything about the curriculum ties us together, and that makes us, I think, stronger as people too. And so I think when you have something in common with people, it makes building those connections easier. And so I feel like I get to skip 10 steps when I talk to a new person in the College of Pharmacy because we already have so much to draw from, like shared experiences.

So it’s not just that, but being involved in student organizations too, you get the opportunity to specialize your interests and learn more about other areas of pharmacy. And when you find other people who have that similar interest in another field, you can really find your mutual bonds. Things that maybe aren’t related to pharmacy, but your personality styles are similar or you want a similar type of work-life balance. You want to live in a similar city. And so I can already imagine that so many of the people I’ve met here are going to be friends for life just based on a lot of the shared experiences we’ve already had.

So Mr. Myszak, we’ve already talked about all these amazing things about the College of Pharmacy and all of the great positive experiences, but part of being support to students is dealing with the stressful times and hardships. So I’m kind of curious, how do you think the College of Pharmacy’s culture of support and camaraderie helps students who are struggling with burnout, self-doubt, stress, things like that?

Steven Myszak:

Sure. I think it’s also understanding where those come from. So you have to… I’m not a pharmacist, I’m probably not using the right terminology, but you have to diagnose, right? You have to diagnose before you can treat. So I think a lot of times, because we’re a two-four program, things can move very quickly and sometimes when you’re of an age… Our students are overachievers, right? You’ve not necessarily had many failures in your life until you get to college. Everybody will have a failure in college in some respect. That’s why our advising is so important to be the first reach point or a point of contact to be able to have those conversations to offer a variety of the resources so that our students can learn and grow. Once they know more about themselves, then they can then address whatever that underlying issue is.

Alex McQuade:

You’ve been talking a lot about working with students to find their success and help them through those hard times. What’s your favorite part about working with the students, specifically in our College of Pharmacy? What stands out to you most when you see a student succeed or reach a milestone?

Steven Myszak:

It’s the confidence gained, for when a student gains that confidence and the lights click on. Yes, I can sit there and say, when student’s getting the PharmD program, but that is so common, I feel, that it’s really those other little aspects of their life that we can celebrate. Because it’s almost an expectation, you’re going to be in our program, so what are some of the other things you’re dealing with that we can, or goals that you have that we can achieve?

Alex McQuade:

Absolutely. And I love all the great things that we’ve been able to uncover about our College of Pharmacy in our short talk so far. But the reality is that this college admissions process, many of our listeners may be really nervous about how selective the program can be. And so I’m kind of curious, Mr. Myszak, what are some tips that you can offer our audience of prospective students about what they can do to find the right college for them and figure out what they can do to prepare for getting into the college?

Steven Myszak:

Most definitely. I think with colleges, at the undergraduate level, if you’re currently in high school and you’re wanting to get into Purdue University, obviously you want to take as many courses, AP, dual credit as possible. You want to be involved. Purdue is really good at selecting individuals who are well-rounded people. So when you’re completing that application, you have to make sure you list all that information. For us, undergraduate level, you definitely want to have chemistry, biology, prefer physics, but any other lab science would do as well. So that is the key, is check those boxes off, do really well on those courses, and then apply to Purdue.

For the PharmD admissions. Once again, it is going to be so much of the same, continuation of what you did in high school. Now we also, and the faculty admissions committee understand that you’re here for a year and a half before you’re applying to a professional program. So it is something that you’re not going to be able to do everything you did in high school, but we want to see continuations of that.

And then use your resources. We have with our university or college, we have PHSC 200, which is pharmacy admissions and professional development class that helps with application process. We offer that virtually to any individual within the United States who wish to take it for their PharmD application. So just looking and knowing the resources as you’re looking at your application and understanding what that is, is going to be paramount to your success.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. And I love what you said about PHSC 200 because that course also kind of gives you a built-in mentor because you get a TA in that class who can help you through the admissions process and kind of give you a second eye to your application. So I absolutely agree. We have a lot of opportunities, and I’ll talk to Maggie here in a second too, about opportunities we have to figure out where you’re at in your application process and get support from current students or faculty to learn more about how can I make myself better prepared for this program.

Steven Myszak:

But the best part is I get to come in twice to that class.

Alex McQuade:

Yes, the best lecture, that’s for sure.

Steven Myszak:

No shade to Dr. [inaudible 00:22:43].

Alex McQuade:

Or me. I was a great instructor too. Maggie, what is your take on this? As a Purdue Pharmacy Ambassador, I’m sure that you’ve had to think a lot about resources that you can provide to students, but what advice would you give if they’re in high school or in the pre-pharmacy program when they’re starting to look at Purdue for pharmacy?

Maggie Rose:

So in terms of high school, I think that Mr. Myszak touched on a lot of practical advice, getting those AP and dual credit classes out of the way. That was really great. Something that I did as I was in high school trying to decide where I wanted to go to college was I just did a simple pros and cons list of each school. Kind of just seeing what really stood out about them because you’re looking at all kinds of different colleges of pharmacy, but there is stuff that makes them unique. So just kind of going through the nitty-gritty of that and doing research.

And then something else that could be helpful is organizing things based on location. So if you know that you want to stay in the Midwest or you want to go somewhere new, like you said, then that is another great way to scale down your options. And then another thing is just going on campus to get a tour I think was a really great way for me to figure out where I wanted to go to college.

And then for the professional program application specifically, I think relying on the College of Pharmacy resources that they have here, like we were talking about the PHSC class, will help you get ready for that application process. And already doing two years of undergraduate pre-pharmacy school here, I was pretty confident in my decision of wanting to continue my education here and going to pharmacy school here. So that was really helpful as well.

Steven Myszak:

You mentioned something about visiting campus. You both did actually when you described, I think that is very important for any high school student. Come to campuses, you will know what feels like home by the people you meet. When you understand the resources, by the physical layout, just as you guys did, I think that’s very important to share.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. I think when you come on campus, you sort of get this feeling like, “Oh, I belong here.” Even if maybe you’re just a high school student on a tour. And I even found that motivated me to work harder in my high school classes because I was like, “Oh, I really want to get into Purdue now because that campus is so awesome, so I can’t give up. I can’t get senioritis now. I need to get those AP credits.”

Steven Myszak:

Score those fours and fives.

Alex McQuade:

Yes. So absolutely, I definitely recommend the tour. And I know your organization also offers tours to students, so that can be a really great thing. If students are interested in learning more about the College of Pharmacy specifically, not just Purdue as a university, we also offer those services.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah.

Steven Myszak:

And it’s really easy. You can go to our website and you can fill out when you’re going to be on campus, and we coordinate, our office coordinates that.

Alex McQuade:

Yes, absolutely. And so one other aspect that we haven’t yet discussed is the cost for families for attending college. So this is obviously something you have to factor in in your decision when you’re thinking about coming to Purdue. Mr. Myszak, why do you think that Purdue is a standout option as far as cost goes?

Steven Myszak:

Well, I think you kind of alluded earlier, we have frozen tuition. This is 14th year, so very affordable. I think that also when we look at, our division of financial aid has a liaison that works with our students. And I’m going to speak more at the professional level now because that is a little bit different pay structure. They are very much helping individuals find those different loans, find those different scholarships.

Our college, we offer over a million dollars a year in scholarships. It’s getting our PharmD students to apply for that, that’s the issue. So once again, there’s a lot of monies here. Our alumni network, they are amazing. And not only by giving money back, but they give their time and talents. When you look across the university, some of the major buildings, some of the major areas on campus are because of our alumni. So when you look at an alumni network in your college career, that’s going to be very important.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. I think part of the cost consideration is what are my outcomes going to be? So absolutely. When you think about how much Purdue alums give back, it also shows you, wow, there’s definitely promise that I can achieve a lot. And I think that shows, that people are really happy that they went to Purdue. It’s so impactful on them that they want to give back. And so it’s definitely one of those decisions that it helped me too when I realized how many people who are involved in the College of Pharmacy also had a name on a building. I was like, “Okay, they love that they went to Purdue.”

Maggie Rose:

I’m in the right place.

Alex McQuade:

Yes, I’m in the right place.

Steven Myszak:

And it also helps, I mean, we can say this, but our students report the lowest debt coming out of the PharmD program, the Big 10. So I mean, that’s something to consider.

Alex McQuade:

Absolutely. And that security of that frozen tuition can be helpful too, because you feel like when I enter, my price is going to stay about the same. So that’s something that other schools, and especially as out-of-state student when I was looking at other options, I’m seeing that in one admission cycle, tuition goes up 2,000. And it’s like if you’re trying to plan for the future, it’s important to know, is my price going to stay consistent?

Another thing that I wanted to ask Maggie, tell me more about the Pharmacy Ambassadors program that you’re a part of. What does this group do and how has leading it been impactful to your time here at Purdue?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, I feel like I’ve subtly mentioned the ambassadors and what we do for the College of Pharmacy throughout my time here. But really, we help to recruit prospective students to the College of Pharmacy and work closely with the Office of Student Services in doing that. And we lead student informational sessions. We do building tours for students and their families, and we also eat lunch with them and just get to spend some time with them and then pretty much just help out with whatever else they scheme over there at the Office of Student Services.

Steven Myszak:

But you guys also offer a variety of volunteer experiences.

Maggie Rose:

Yes.

Steven Myszak:

That it’s really great for a pre-pharmacy student to get involved with, but it’s also great for you in the pharmacy program to continue your volunteer experiences.

Maggie Rose:

Absolutely. Yeah. I think being a part of PPA has been really impactful for me during my time at Purdue because, well, like I said, I interacted with students on my campus visit whenever I was in high school. And then I remember learning about the club, PPA, and those were the people that I met and I wanted to be exactly like them, so I joined that club as a freshman. So it’s kind of full circle moment now that I’m serving as president of PPA and have been involved in the club for five years. But it’s a great way as an undergraduate student to work on your communication skills, your public speaking skills in those informational sessions. It’s pretty low stakes. You’re just talking about your experience at Purdue, but it’s still a great way to get those skills.

And then also, like Mr. Myszak said, our club also offers a bunch of volunteer opportunities. We also host like mock interviews for undergraduate students, and we really value our undergrad students because in those sessions, that’s mostly who the prospective high school students want to hear from. They don’t care… I’m a little too far down the line as a third year professional student, they can’t think that far ahead. So they really like to hear from the first year pre-pharmacy students because that’s who they will be in a year’s time. So we really value having pre-pharmacy students in our club, and it’s a great way to get involved early in the College of Pharmacy.

Steven Myszak:

And that’s what I feel like. That’s why we have you [inaudible 00:30:52] people don’t want to listen to a 50-plus old man.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah. Yeah. It’s a really great way to share your experience and help out within the College of Pharmacy.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. And I love what you said about how it’s also helped you grow as a person, especially communication skills. It can be really hard sometimes to convince people about some things that are so true to you. But when you’re trying to sell them on the College of Pharmacy, show them what we offer, you also get to think a lot about the experiences that you’ve had that have been impactful to you.

That reflection experience is so important because a lot of times we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of college, but when you really look back at all the amazing things that have happened in such short time, I’m sure it’s been really impactful. Are there any other experiences as being part of the organization for your entire time at Purdue that have been impactful that you would like to share?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, I think one thing that really stuck out to me was, you kind of talked about earlier how you were applying to schools during COVID. So I was already here and it was my freshman year and kind of our engagement within PPA was down, and that was just because of COVID. And we took a whole year off from these events and then come time that they are starting up again, it just seemed like people weren’t signing up to do the building tours and the informational sessions. So I just found myself raising my hand a lot saying, “I’ll do it. I’ll do it,” whenever I could.

So during that, I think the president at the time noticed that and took an interest in me and kind of helped push me and say, “You should run for a position on our executive board. You should run for president-elect,” which is a transitional year, so you’re president-elect for a full year before you become president. But I think that that was really helpful for me because it just shows that even if you don’t fully know, I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time. I was just like, “Oh, I’ll volunteer. I’ll help.” But that can open so many doors and new opportunities that you didn’t even know would come your way. So that’s been really cool.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, I’m sure you learned a lot to say yes to more things.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah.

Alex McQuade:

Like, “Oh, this is a new opportunity. Let me try it.”

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, absolutely.

Steven Myszak:

Not you, Maggie, but other people say yes too much and they come see us for other reasons.

Maggie Rose:

That’s true too. You got to balance.

Steven Myszak:

There’s the balance.

Alex McQuade:

Well, it’s good we have both of you to encourage people either way.

Maggie Rose:

Yes, yes.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah. I did want to actually mention that I went on a Purdue Pharmacy Ambassador tour back when I was touring campus. All of the other schools on my road trip, when I had emailed them, they did not offer tours during COVID. They weren’t going to be able to host me and my family when we were thinking about where to go. But as an out-of-state student, I was like, well, how am I going to learn about if this is right for me? And I’m the first pharmacist in my family. Nobody knows anything about pharmacy. My parents were like, “What is this? You just work at CVS and fill pill bottles,” you know what I mean?

But being able to go on that tour with the student, walking through the lab, looking at the history of the College of Pharmacy, it really taught them a lot about the opportunities in pharmacy. And so I think that was the only actual tour I got during my whole year, like an official tour. And it was very impactful to me as a student. And I’m sure, I can’t recommend it enough to students, especially if you aren’t exactly sure that pharmacy’s right for you, Purdue is right for you, there’s no harm in at least checking it out.

Maggie Rose:

Definitely.

Steven Myszak:

Dr. Barker, who’s at that time was just dean of our college, but now he has a vice president role as well, he was overseeing Purdue’s COVID response. And so I think Purdue has always been on the forefront of health and being able to do things safely. So I think that benefited us as well. People say you can do things and still be safe.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, absolutely. Pioneers. I feel like we were one of the first campuses to open up even and allowing students to go to classes in a safe way. And that’s something it shows Purdue is always thinking ahead about how we can be on the front lines of response. So I think, yeah, it’s inspiring for students, especially, sometimes life can feel so uncertain, but Purdue has such great minds behind it and every decision that’s made. So it’s definitely a safe choice coming here. You know you’ll be in good hands.

Maggie Rose:

Absolutely.

Alex McQuade:

So Mr. Myszak, in your opinion, what’s one thing that a student can do to make the most of their time at Purdue? It could be academic, extracurricular, personal. What advice would you give to students who are just starting their journey?

Steven Myszak:

Starting their journey, the first advice I’m going to say is meet with an advisor because they can help you… At one time in your college career, you’re going to need help in all those areas you mentioned, so your advisor will be able to help navigate that. But also I would say as you’re going through your journey, you will want to find your people.

That helps, whether it be through a club, an organization like the Ambassadors, the pre-pharmacy club. Maybe it’s you like rock climbing and there’s a rock climbing club, or Price is Right watching club, whatever. Find your people and then take advantage, as Maggie mentioned, regarding all of the possibilities. You say, yes, she didn’t know what she was saying yes to, but look at her now. So don’t be afraid to say yes.

Alex McQuade:

Absolutely. And Maggie, as you look ahead to your final year in the program, what are you most excited about? Are there any particular opportunities or projects that you’re excited to do?

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, so in your fourth year of professional pharmacy school, you’re kind of done with the didactic part of that, done with the classroom. So I’m really looking forward to that and just being able to go out and experience pharmacy in a bunch of different areas that I’m interested in and really just learn a lot during my fourth year and kind of just be a sponge and get ready before I get sent out to the real world. And one rotation that I’m really looking forward to in particular is my international rotation. So I’m going to be in Kenya for a couple of months, so that’s really exciting.

Steven Myszak:

Oh, that is awesome. Congratulations.

Maggie Rose:

Thank you.

Steven Myszak:

Now I hear that term all the time. Didactic portion. What does that mean?

Maggie Rose:

It means in the classroom.

Steven Myszak:

In the classroom.

Maggie Rose:

Yes. That’s what I think.

Alex McQuade:

See, you learn something new.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah, there you go. That’s my big word for the day.

Alex McQuade:

Well, we’ve gone through our big word of the day. Now we can close with our final question, and thankfully, this one’s a fun one. If you could have a sandwich named after you, what would it be and what would it consist of? So I’ll start with you, Maggie.

Maggie Rose:

Okay. So I think my go-to sandwich, the tried and true, would just be a grilled cheese. But my grilled cheese is special, so I like to do sourdough. And then I like to do mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, so that would probably be my sandwich, and I don’t know what a good name would be. Maybe the Melted Maggie or something. I don’t know.

Alex McQuade:

That’s good. That’s good.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah. Tomato soup optional, but strongly recommended. Yeah, that’s mine. What about you, Mr. Myszak?

Steven Myszak:

Oh, my gosh. I can’t take credit for the name that Maggie, actually, I was describing my sandwich to Maggie and she said, “Oh, it should be the original.” I’m like, “That sounds awesome. I will take it.” But it’s rye bread, some Krakus ham, which is a Polish ham, with butter. Very delicious. Very delicious.

Alex McQuade:

Simple.

Steven Myszak:

Simple.

Maggie Rose:

I like that.

Steven Myszak:

True, filling.

Maggie Rose:

Okay, I’ll have to give it a try.

Alex McQuade:

Yeah, I was going to say, let’s go for lunch.

Maggie Rose:

Yeah.

Alex McQuade:

Well, thank you both so much for being here with us today.

Steven Myszak:

Wait, wait. No, no. You didn’t answer. What is your sandwich?

Alex McQuade:

Oh, gosh. Oh, I can’t escape. Well, for me, I’m a breakfast sandwich person, so I always have to do an everything bagel as the bread. I’m going to do egg, cheese, bacon and avocado, and I’ll call it the Rise and Shine.

Maggie Rose:

I love that.

Alex McQuade:

Thank you both so much for being here with us today. I know our students, current students and prospective students are going to absolutely love this episode. It’s a great resource to learn more about what we offer here at the College of Pharmacy, and it’s clear that you both offer so much support that our students can take advantage of.

Maggie Rose:

Thank you for having us.

Steven Myszak:

Thank you. Yes.