ETSU Pharmacy White Coat Radio

We're joined in this episode by Dr. David Stewart, Associate Dean of Assessment and Academic Affairs. Dr. Stewart led Gatton's efforts to improve NAPLEX pass rates, resulting in the college ranking among the top five accredited pharmacy schools nationwide for the Class of 2025, as well as No. 1 in Tennessee and No. 2 in the Southeast. He shares his thoughts on the excellence of our student pharmacists, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as the collaborative efforts that led to this success.   Transcript Introductory Teaser: David Stewart I think for a student that's either here at the College of Pharmacy or maybe thinking about coming to the Gatton College of Pharmacy. I hope it gives them confidence that when they finish our curriculum, they go through our training program, they're going to have the tools that they need to be successful as a pharmacist. They're going to be able to pass those exams. Main Episode: David Stewart They're going to be able to get a license. Michele Williams Welcome to White Coat Radio, a podcast from East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. Each episode, we cover a wide range of topics about the pharmacy school experience, from study tips to deep dives with faculty and student pharmacists. I'm one of your hosts, Doctor Michele Williams, assistant professor and director of academic success. Stephen Woodward And I'm Stephen Woodward, marketing and communications manager. Today we welcome Doctor David Stewart, associate dean of assessment and academic affairs, as well as professor of pharmacy practice. He is an inaugural faculty member at Gatton, joining the Department of Pharmacy Practice in 2007. Doctor Stewart led the college's efforts to improve its NAPLEX Pass rates, and today he shares about that process, as well as his thoughts on the excellence of our curriculum, our students and alumni, as well as faculty, staff, and the collaborative efforts that led to the college's success. Stephen Woodward Doctor Stewart, welcome to White Coat Radio. David Stewart Well thank you. Thanks for having me as a guest today. Stephen Woodward So we have some big news that happened at the college a few weeks ago. Demanded just tell us what happened. David Stewart Yeah. So every January we get a report from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy or in NABP and they give us licensing reports on our licensure exams, the NAPLEX, and North American Pharmacy Licensure Exam, as well as the Multi-State Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam, also known as the MPJE. And these are the two exams that students need to take in order to get licensed as a pharmacist. David Stewart And so we're able to compare our results against the results of schools across the nation. And so for the second time in three years, we had a really high pass rate. I'm proud to say that our class of 2025 was the number five, school in the country for first time pass rate on NAPLEX amongst all accredited schools in the United States. David Stewart Also was the number one school in Tennessee and number two in the southeast with a 97.7%, first time pass rate on the network's exam. Michele Williams That's amazing. Stephen Woodward That amazing. David Stewart Yeah. And then, you know, the cherry on top of that is that exam I mentioned the MPJE, our in-state first time attempt, pass rate on that. We were number four in the country, number one in the state and number two in the southeast again. So really strong work from our graduates in the class of 2025 for sure. Michele Williams They really did a great job. David Stewart Yeah. And I think the exciting thing for me is this is a, you know, just one group. It's it's mostly the students. We tend to celebrate a lot around here. But really see, alumni from the class of 2025 that did all the hard work and took the exam. But it does represent a team effort. It's the, you know, the students, the graduates taking the exam are faculty, staff working as a team to set them up for success. David Stewart So really, really proud of everyone's effort. Michele Williams So, you mentioned the people behind the, the, pass rates, including our amazing students and our faculty and staff. But these successes also reflect some recent changes to Gatton's curriculum. Right? And so, what kinds of changes have taken place that sort of led to this success? David Stewart Yeah. So really, a couple of things. First, you know, we set out on a curricular revision. We've really been planning that revision since before the Covid 19 pandemic. Going back to the 2018, 2019. That did kind of put a damper on things. But in about three years ago, we launched a new curriculum. So our current P3 class is the first class that's, completely going gone through that new curriculum. David Stewart However, I will say that along the way, as we identified things that like foundational things that we needed to do better on a lot of that feedback from students after taking the exam or after going through our curriculum. Our faculty were really good, integrating small changes into our legacy curriculum. So I think that what we're seeing, even though these graduates weren't necessarily graduates of our new curriculum, they're graduating with a new curriculum philosophy in mind from the people that are delivering that curriculum to them. David Stewart So I do expect that things will only get better as we see graduates coming through our our revised curriculum, with our first class graduating in the new curriculum from, in 2027. Stephen Woodward And these recent results, as I've done, in my opinion, it's not just a one off like a few a couple of years ago, the class of 2023, they were ranked number two in the country for accredited pharmacy schools and number one in Tennessee and our region in the southeast. Right. So this is kind of part of continuing on from just incredible national recognition. David Stewart Yeah. And I think if you look back on the history of the Gatton College of Pharmacy, we've always been, you know, kind of at or above average, if you will, when about 4 or 5 years ago, we had, what I would say was a low point for us. I mean, we were right around the national average. David Stewart And, if you ask anyone here, our faculty and staff, no one's happy with average. We want to we want to have excellence in all that we do. And so we really embarked on this journey to improve our student success on those exams. And yeah, I think that class of 2023 that you referenced, there is a direct correlation with with some of those changes that we started 4 to 5 years ago about how to better prepare students for the exams. David Stewart Cool. Michele Williams So, what do you think these successes mean for the college and for students pursuing pharmacy? David Stewart Well, I think for a student that's either here at the College of Pharmacy or maybe thinking about coming to the Gatton College of Pharmacy, I hope it gives them confidence that when they finish our curriculum, they go through our training program, they're going to have the tools that they need to be successful as a pharmacist. They're going to be able to pass those exams. David Stewart They're going to be able to get a license. One of the newest things that we are doing that started last year with this class of 2025, is that we bring them back a month early, so they actually start their fourth year rotations or APPEs or advanced pharmacy practice experiences. In the month of April of their three year and then during the month of April of their four year right before graduation, we spend about four and a half to five weeks preparing them for the exam. David Stewart And that allows us to slow that process down and make sure that they have all the fundamental tools they need to be successful on that exam. I think the initial feedback, and that's been very positive, and of course, the results from this first class going through that model are very encouraging as well. So again, that's just another example of things that we're constantly changing and improving. David Stewart So if you're a student in our program or come into our program, you can rest assured that we're going to prepare you. And my goal, I tell them, in that training program, is that they're ready to walk across the stage and go the next week and take their exams and be licensed as a pharmacist without delay. Michele Williams So, Doctor Stewart, I know that this is a team effort. Certainly. But you were really the architect of this preparation program that you just described. Can you tell us a little bit more about your, your objectives in developing this program and, and how you put that program together? David Stewart Yeah, that's a that's a great question. And, and really speaks to I think it's something that's really important that we had to talk about and work through as a faculty and staff. I mentioned earlier about our our faculty and staff are always focused on excellence. And I think one of the initial, you know, knee jerk reactions when you start talking about exam prep is making sure you're not just teaching an exam, but we want our students to get the necessary skills that they need to go out and be successful. David Stewart Pharmacists in making a positive impact on health care and the profession of pharmacy. And so I feel like we really found a sweet spot where we made sure that what we were teaching in the classroom, was, was sound that we were getting those fundamentals in. But as we talked to students, one of the things I did early on is we started revision to this program was just gathered data. David Stewart What were the barriers that students were facing as they struggled with these exams? And there's just so many factors out there. Things like, for example, many students come to us now without taking the traditional standardized exams. A lot of folks don't know that. You know, SATs and Acts are not necessarily required for college admissions anymore. Several years ago, they, took away the, PCAT exam, which is the equivalent of the mCAT exam for medical school. David Stewart So some of our students, we realized, had never actually taken a high stakes external standardized exam before. So some so a lot of this wasn't necessarily that they didn't have the knowledge that they needed. They didn't necessarily know how to tackle a 5 to 6 hour, really large, standardized exam. And so some of the things we did was just prepare them for that exam process. Michele Williams So the environment you try to mimic that testing environment to give them a sense of so they're not surprised by it or they're not thrown off by it. David Stewart Yes. When we collected data from our first class that went through some of the revisions I've talked about, and this was about four years ago, one of the things they rated as the most effective in our program was a simulated nap. And at that point in time, we were able to put that together through practice exams that were offered through NABP David Stewart And now there's a new product from NABP called the NAPLEX Advantage, which we use for our students. It gives them more data. It gives us more data based on their performance. But it's basically a practice exam so they can take a simulated Nap exam beforehand. In addition to just taking that practice exam, we really strive to simulate the entire experience so the student knows what it's going to be like from the time that they pull up in their car, in the parking lot of that testing center, to the time that they walk out, that they're not surprised by anything in there. David Stewart So they're prepared and they can focus on the exam, in performing at the level that that they can perform at, versus being distracted by things that, that they didn't necessarily know were going to happen, like, oh, they're going to take my phone and put it in the locker. Oh, I have to turn my car keys in. David Stewart Oh, I forgot my driver's license. It's in the glove box of the car. It's just those little things that can get students flustered on exam day. And what we were hearing from students that weren't used to that or didn't expect that, is that made a big impact on their ability to think and perform well on the exam. Michele Williams That can really throw you off your game if you don't know how regimented that environment is. David Stewart Well, if you look at, you know, any you get high performing athletes. As an example, you can bet that they're simulating the game environment. They're preparing for that big game, whether it's the Super Bowl or the World Series or whatever. And we're trying to do the same thing for our students. We want to simulate that environment. And have them as prepared as possible for those things so they can focus on doing what they need to do. David Stewart And that's, using their knowledge to perform at their highest level on the exam. Michele Williams I think that's great. And then how did you put together the other elements of the the preparatory program? David Stewart Yeah. So the very first class, that, that I helped to go through the exam process, we did an assessment after the fact. And one of the things, that that is unique about, our data set, and we're in the process of publishing these data so that others can benefit from this is there's a lot of information getting students opinions and perceptions. David Stewart Preparatory materials or courses as they're in school before they take their exam. We actually surveyed our graduates after they sat for the NAPLEX exam. So their perspective may be different. And we found in some ways it offers additional information than a student who hasn't taken the NAPLEX exam. So then we use the information we got from those graduates after they took their knapsacks, asking them what components of our program set you up for success? David Stewart What was effective? What was less effective? And then each year in an iterative process, we make minor changes. But really the things that they said were the highest impact. The back to the the simulated exams, and then some of the, preparatory content that we provided for them. And then things that were less effective, like, for example, at one point we had faculty meeting with students every week during their fourth year. David Stewart The students told us that's really not effective. We don't feel like it helped as much as other things. So we've taken that away. It's less burdensome for the students. It's less burdensome for the faculty. Yet we're seeing a continual rise in our scores because we're focusing on the high impact interventions that we can make. Michele Williams So that constant feedback from students and at various points along the way have really informed the way you put this program together. David Stewart Yeah. We've really we've really room for a data driven approach to do all that we do. And looking at, you know, not just what do other people do but other people who have successes, what are they doing? You know, looking at your data from people that are in a position to tell us this is what was helpful for me to be successful on this exam. David Stewart And we're incorporating those things. Not that other perceptions aren't important, but we feel like those perceptions are more valuable in getting the outcome that we want, which is our students being successful on those exams. Michele Williams So it sounds like it's about a lot more than just, you know, the the content, the questions. It's it's the totality of the experience of being prepared for the exam. David Stewart It is. And I want to reiterate that this is really a curricular experience that starts in the P1 year. Yeah. And some of the things that we do are actually going back and reinforcing things like pharmacy calculations. Yeah. They're oftentimes questions on the exam are mirrored in the practice models that students are in in their fourth year. David Stewart And so we want to make sure that they know how to do those types of calculations. And if and when they show up on the exam. We also recognize that there are some things that our students do over and over and over and get really good at. But, for example, they probably are really good at taking care of patients with diabetes and heart failure. David Stewart Those are chronic diseases that we see a lot here in rural Appalachia. But not all of our students feel, real comfortable about, calculations around, nutrition support in an inpatient hospital setting. Yet there are questions about that on the exam. Had it in the curriculum, but they've not practiced it day in and day out. So we're just getting them. David Stewart I would I would say we're getting them reps on the types of things that they may not be doing every single day on rotations, that that we know are going to be on that exam so that when they see those questions, they're comfortable and able to appropriately, you're accurately answering them. Michele Williams So sort of a broader approach so that they don't get, you know, too much of a certain type of question, but kind of broader look at the content. David Stewart One of the things that I will tell the students is you can't re learn everything in our curriculum during your fourth year. There's a lot of things that you already know, as a fourth year student pharmacist, one of the goals of our program is to help our students self-assess what they know and then what areas they need to work on more, and then encourage them to focus their study time on the areas that they need to, that they need more work in. David Stewart And so it's not going to be the same for everyone. So while our program is somewhat of a one size fits all in that they all go through it in the same way, a lot of what we're coaching them and mentoring them on throughout the year is that self-assessment of don't waste your time studying the things that you know and are comfortable with. David Stewart I think, Doctor Williams, you probably see this in your own work as director of academic success and in my experience with students on rotation, was if a student understood, say, the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes really well, they always wanted to talk about diabetes. They wanted to do their their presentations about diabetes. They wanted to pick up all the patients in the clinic or on the service that had the disease, diabetes, because they were comfortable with that. David Stewart One of my goals in this preparatory program is to get them to start focusing on the things they're comfortable in, and spend more time studying the areas that they're uncomfortable with so that they're prepared for that rigorous broad exam that ask questions across a plethora of disease states. Stephen Woodward Well, it's been really great talking with you, Doctor Stewart and seeing how Gatton is leading in licensure pass rates not only at the state level but on the national level. This is just been that's really exciting news. So we appreciate you coming out today. David Stewart Yeah. Well thank you. Thank you for having me. And again, just a shout out really to the graduates. Just the class of 2025. And we mentioned our graduates from the class of 2023 as well. They put in a lot of time and a lot of hard, hard work. So, the huge congratulations to any of our alumni that are out there listening today. Stephen Woodward Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for listening to White Coat Radio. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and leave this review wherever you listen to podcasts. To learn more about East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, visit us at etsu.edu, slash pharmacy or follow us on social media @ETSUPharmacy. We'll see you next time.

We're joined in this episode by Dr. Ralph Lugo, Senior Associate Dean and Professor at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. He has been with the college since its founding, joining in 2006 as the founding Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and serving in that role for 17 years before being promoted to Senior Associate Dean. Dr. Lugo discusses the role of AI in pharmacy education, including both the benefits and risks of the technology. He also reflects on the college's 20th Anniversary, how Gatton has grown and evolved over the years, and where he believes it is headed in the future.

In this episode we chat with first-year student pharmacist Maddie Stacey, who found confidence — and a community — through ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy's Early Admission Pathway. A native of Kingsport, Stacey learned about the college's EAP program while in high school. For her, the program has made the adjustment to pharmacy school much easier.  Open to high school seniors and first-year ETSU students, the Early Admission Pathway enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in just six years. EAP students also join the college's Pre-Pharmacy Student Organization, designed to introduce them to different specialties in pharmacy and to foster connections with their classmates. Learn more at www.etsu.edu/RxEarlyAdmit.

The Student Success Coordinators at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy are dedicated to supporting pharmacy students throughout their academic journey. Whether through connecting students with tutoring, setting up labs, or offering general support to students and faculty, the coordinators play a crucial role in fostering a positive and successful experience for all of pharmacy students. Hear from Justin White (P1 Coordinator), Kerstin Kromker (P2 Coordinator), and Lindsey Feltman (P3 Coordinator) in this episode.

In this episode we chat with Steve Ellis, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. After Gatton was founded in 2005, Ellis played a key role in the college's early development, officially joining in 2008 to lead the Office of Student Affairs. This office supports students throughout their entire journey—from recruitment efforts starting as early as high school, to current student services, and even alumni engagement after graduation. Ellis also serves on the college's Executive Committee and has held leadership roles at the university level. Steve recently celebrated his 30th anniversary working at ETSU and was honored with a special scholarship in his name to support students. You can support this scholarship by visiting our Gatton donor page: Under Designation, select "Write In Your Choice," and type in "Steve Ellis Scholarship."

In honor of American Pharmacists Month, we sat down with Dr. Anthony Pudlo, Chief Executive Officer of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA). Dr. Pudlo leads an organization that advances, protects, and promotes high-quality, pharmacist-provided patient care in the state of Tennessee. In this interview he talks about the importance of TPA, the state of the profession, and advice for students. Learn more about TPA on their website, tnpharm.org, or on social media.

In this interview with Dr. Jim Thigpen, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, we discuss his pharmacotherapy course and how to succeed, leadership in pharmacy, and Dr. Thigpen's favorite pastime: fly fishing!

Check out Part 2 of our interview with Dr. KariLynn Dowling-McClay, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Dr. Dowling-McClay discusses some of the exciting research opportunities for student pharmacists.

Check out Part 1 of our interview with Dr. KariLynn Dowling-McClay, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Dr. Dowling-McClay explains professional identity formation, imposter phenomenon, and the role those play in the lives of student pharmacists. She also shares her own journey to becoming a professional pharmacist. 

On this episode we chat with Dr. Chris Lopez, co-owner and lead pharmacist of Mooney's Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. He is a Class of 2014 alumnus of East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Among the wide range of topics we cover, Dr. Lopez dives deep into what it's like being a community pharmacist, how the profession has changed, steps to become a community pharmacist, and the impact his pharmacy made in partnership with Gatton on Hurricane Helene relief efforts in the region. For the video version of this interview, visit www.YouTube.com/@etsupharmacy and head over to our White Coat Radio playlist. 

We continue our conversation with Dr. Jessica Burchette, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and dig deeper into the pharmacotherapy and patient care course. She is a clinical pharmacist who helped lead the recent curriculum changes at the college.

Check out Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Jessica Burchette, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. She is a clinical pharmacist who helped lead the recent curriculum changes at the college. 

Hear from Dr. Shelby Brooks, one of the newest editions to faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and learn about her clinical interests as well as her obsession with Harry Potter!

Listen to this interview with Class of 2022 alumna Dr. Kaitlyn North, who returns to her beloved East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy not to visit but as one of the newest editions to faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Alex Surbaugh, one of the newest editions to faculty in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.

In this special bonus episode, we hear an inspirational speech from alumna Dr. Melissa McCall, who graduated from the inaugural Class of 2010 and recently spoke to the Class of 2028 at their White Coat Ceremony in August 2024. Dr. McCall serves as the Pharmacy Professional Services Manager at Food City/KVAT Foods and oversees daily operations for 31 Food City Pharmacy locations.     In addition, she completed her undergraduate pre-pharmacy coursework at ETSU and holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Milligan University. In 2018, former Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her to one of the highest pharmacy positions in Tennessee— serving on the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy.   

In this episode, we talk with Carolina Davis, a third-year student pharmacist at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy who recently served as the inaugural Executive Intern at the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA). TPA is a membership organization serving all pharmacy professionals, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians in Tennessee and advances, protects, and promotes high-quality pharmacist-provided patient care in the state. Our student pharmacists frequently have opportunities to attend TPA meetings throughout the year, which are important for professional and leadership development.

In this episode, we talk with Mary Little, Director of Disability Services at East Tennessee State University. Little is the point of contact and a vital resource for our students and faculty when determining student eligibility for accommodations at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.

In this episode, Michele and Dan talk with our new Student Success Coordinators at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Get to know Justin, Kerstin, and Lindsey, and learn more about what they do to help students succeed in pharmacy school.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Stacy Brown, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy about the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry or "POGIL" teaching strategy.  In addition to being a POGIL expert, Dr. Brown is an award-winning educator and researcher.  She teaches Medical Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry and serves as the Interim Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Gatton.  

On this episode, Dan and Michele talk with Dr. David Cluck, Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy.  He specializes in Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy, and is the course coordinator for the Infectious Diseases course in the Integrated Series  Dr. Cluck shares his advice for success in this challenging course! 

Bienvenidos al White Coat Radio! a podcast from East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, in Johnson City, Tennessee. In this episode, Dan and Michele talk with Gatton student pharmacists from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico to learn more about why they chose Gatton. 

This episode features Dr. Lori Mills, a clinical psychologist who is an expert on mood and anxiety disorders, as well as positive psychology. In addition, she provides counseling services to our student pharmacists at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. Dr. Mills shares valuable advice on how to manage stress and anxiety in order to thrive in pharmacy school.

Michele and Dan continue the conversation with Dr. David Stewart, Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Institutional Excellence and Professor of Pharmacy, about his role as the head of Academic Affairs at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy. In this episode, we discuss services the department provides including insights into academic progression and student course evaluations. 

In this episode, Dr. David Stewart, Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Institutional Excellence and Professor of Pharmacy Practice, talks with Michele and Dan about the Integrated Series at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and offers important context and advice for success in his cardio course. 

On this episode of White Coat Radio, we learn the steps to better sleep for pharmacy students. Dr. Sarah Melton, a board certified psychiatric and ambulatory care pharmacist, and Dr. Jeff Gray, who specializes in the care of advanced age patients with acute and chronic conditions are both professors in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. They offer insights into the effects of poor sleep hygiene on learning and performance, as well as practical advice for sleeping well.  Note: This episode discusses medication and health conditions and is for informational purposes only. Proper diagnosis and treatment of health conditions depends on a number of factors. Your doctor or other licensed health care provider is the best person to address your individual health care needs.  

In Part 2, Dr. Katelyn Alexander, Director of Experiential Education at ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee, goes deep into the context and purpose of experiential education and offers insights and perspective from the preceptor's point of view.

In this two-part episode, we hear from Dr. Katelyn Alexander, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, who serves as Director of Experiential Education at the ETSU Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. In Part 1, Dr. Alexander gives us a comprehensive introduction to Experiential Education and what students need to know to get the most out of all of their IPPE's and APPE's.

In this episode – The “Pond” Cast, Dan and Michele talk with Dr. Brooks Pond, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and recipient of ETSU's Distinguished Faculty Award. Dr. Pond talks with us about her fascinating research into the effects of psychostimulant use on the brain, and tips for being successful in her Human Physiology course.

In this episode, Dan and Michele interview Dr. Adam Welch, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy and nationally recognized vaccine expert. We learn more about his Medication and Terminology Course as well as his work providing COVID-19 vaccinations to thousands of East Tennesseans through multiple vaccine clinics in the region.

Dr. Ashana Puri talks about her fascinating research into transdermal drug delivery systems and keys to success in her Pharmacy Calculations course.

Our inaugural podcast welcomes the Class of 2026 to the Gatton College of Pharmacy with advice, encouragement, and inside info.