UC trains two generations of pharmacists

After time spent in the Air Force and Air National Guard out of high school, John said UC was his first choice of colleges, and he chose to pursue pharmacy after the encouragement of a neighbor.

A high school counselor recommended pharmacy to Lorrie, and it appealed to her since she wanted to be involved in the health care field and was interested in how different ingredients combined to make products, whether they be drugs or chemicals. She narrowed her college search to schools within Ohio and chose UC after deciding Ohio State was too big of a school for her.

John and Lorrie met while working at a pharmacy at Cincinnati’s Christ Hospital, where John was working as an intern a year ahead of Lorrie and checking her work as a pharmacy tech.

“We didn’t know each other and we didn’t know that we were both in pharmacy school,” John recalled. “But going through the rigors of that curriculum all together at that same time, you’re bound together as a group studying together, solving the problems, celebrating the highs and commiserating the lows at the end of the quarter.”

Growing up on Cincinnati’s west side, there was never much of a doubt for son Adam that he would be a Bearcat one day, and daughter Ally said UC was always her top choice. But their journeys to choosing pharmacy differed.

“I kind of had a one-track mindset where pharmacy was my top consideration since both of our parents are pharmacists,” Ally said. ”When I was little, sometimes when I was sick I had to go to work with my mom. I got to see a lot of what she did day in and day out, and I think that early exposure was very powerful in influencing my choice personally.”

Adam initially applied to UC’s Carl H. Lindner School of Business, but he said his parents and older sister being in the pharmacy industry helped guide his decision. 

Parents John and Lorrie said they aimed not to influence their kids’ decisions of colleges and majors, though they offered their guidance on the current pros and cons of the pharmacy industry. Their third child, Drew, is studying sports management and plays baseball for a different UC, the University of Charleston in West Virginia.

“I wanted it to become their decision,” Lorrie said. “I think it is really important to enjoy what you do in your career. Then it doesn’t feel like a job.” 

“UC for us has been a great school and a great city and a great experience,” John added. “So I’m very happy they chose UC, but I wanted to leave their options open.” 

Ally said having her younger brother in the program has pushed her to assume more of a mentorship role for students, while being able to carpool when the siblings schedules align has also been a nice perk.

“I’m pretty naturally introverted, but knowing people in his class and in the class under him and knowing I can be a resource for them has pushed me to grow a lot personally,” she said. 

Adam said Ally has been an “invaluable resource” for him being one year ahead of him in the program.

“I think it’s nice to know that you have somebody you can rely on,” Adam said. “If I ever have any questions or if I’m ever struggling in a class, she’s always there. She can always help me. I think I rely on her a lot more than I used to in the past.” 

Entering her fourth year of the program this fall, Ally has interned at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Walgreens, had a seasonal position with Meijer administering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations and has also been a member of UC’s rowing team. This July, Ally and a fellow fourth-year classmate are participating in a rotation program at Blackfeet Community Hospital located in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana.

“The initial decision was I’m going to UC, it’s close to home, but once I got into the program and got involved, I really realized how much we have to offer as a program just being where we’re located,” Ally said. “When I finish classes, I just walk across the street and clock in. That is so convenient for me, and it makes things so easy with balancing and managing schoolwork and work activities.”