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Distinguishing traits of a Pharmacy Buckeye experience

March 8, 2022
Julia Miller Headshot

College of Pharmacy Student Spotlight: Julia Miller, PharmD Class of 2023

The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy is shining a spotlight on students throughout the year. Meet Julia Miller, a third-year Doctor of Pharmacy student from Baltimore, Maryland.

Miller’s range of experiences coupled with her interest in advocacy is positioning her as an experienced and well-rounded future health care leader.

How did you decide on Ohio State and the PharmD program? 

I always knew I wanted to be a Buckeye and I think it has mostly to do with my family. Everyone in my family went to Ohio State: my mom, dad, cousins and a few aunts and uncles. I wanted to be a part of the culture on campus and what feels like a family legacy.

Julia Miller, second row, right side, with her family members
Julia Miller, second row, right side, with her family members

When I was in high school, my aunt – who is a pharmacist at the Wexner Medical Center – told me about pharmacy. I shadowed a couple of pharmacists in Baltimore. I also took my grandma to anticoagulation clinics and got to experience a side of pharmacy that I didn’t know about. This experience piqued my interest in learning about different areas of pharmacy and I was hooked. I saw that the world of pharmacy is much bigger than I realized.

What other extracurriculars are you involved in? 

As a P1 I heard assistant professor Dr. Michael Murphy talk about advancing the pharmacy profession through legislative changes. I was interested so I became the P1 legislative chair for Ohio State’s American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and engaged in policy action. In my P2 year, I moved to policy vice president where I got to work with the Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) and represent Ohio State at the state level. After that experience, I applied to be on the policy standing committee for APhA-ASP where I’ve been implementing policies that were passed in the 2021 APhA House of Delegates. I was one of four students in the entire country selected for that role, so it was an incredible honor.

Through the policy standing committee, I have worked with three students from Virginia Commonwealth University to create a podcast about pharmacy sustainability. If you think about all the packaging at a pharmacy, there’s a lot of waste that is created. The goal of the podcast is to get pharmacy professionals thinking about the waste and enact changes to become greener. I also wrote an article about this issue in APhA’s magazine.

For the past two years, I’ve worked as vice president of the College of Pharmacy's Pharmacy Council, where I lead the advocacy collaborative, bringing advocacy here to Ohio State and finding ways for students to get involved. We've particpated in OPA's Student Legislative Day and planned a boot camp to prepare the student participants.

Julia Miller, first row, third from right, with fellow pharmacy students
Julia Miller, first row, third from right, with fellow pharmacy students

As for research, I’ve worked really closely with Dean of Outreach and Engagement Dr. Jennifer Rodis and Dr. Murphy, and we recently published an article in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education about implementing advocacy in the pharmacy curriculum. I’m currently writing a paper on addressing social determinants of health with research pharmacist Dr. Armando Silva Almodóvar and professor emeritus Dr. Milap Nahata.

How have these experiences enriched your time at Ohio State? 

I followed my interests and it’s led to a lot of doors opening. I built a large network and met some great people who I think will be lifelong mentors and friends. Everyone I’ve met at the College of Pharmacy, coupled with all the experiences I’ve had, have contributed to the person I am today and I am excited to be on this journey.

One thing that I didn’t realize until I started working with APhA is just how well known our faculty members are. Everyone knows Drs. Murphy and Rodis, and it’s crazy because they both are my mentors. I think we really take it for granted because we see them every day and don’t realize the national and global impact that a lot our faculty members have. All this makes me feel proud to be a Pharmacy Buckeye.  

Julia Miller, center, with her friends before a football game
Julia Miller, center, with her friends before a football game

What are your goals after graduating? Why did you decide to pursue this career? 

Right now I want to pursue a PGY1 residency. I love both ambulatory care and clinical pharmacy, so through my APPE rotations and other future experiences, I hope to get a better idea of what I want to pursue for my PGY2.

What makes me excited for ambulatory care is that I can see some of the same patients over and over and build a strong patient-clinician relationship. Last summer I did an ambulatory care internship at Johns Hopkins and it was nice to build connections with my patients and follow their progress. I like the one-on-one aspect of it and it’s easy to see that I am making a difference in people’s lives.

I have such a passion for patient care and I’m really looking forward to APPE rotations next year. 

What advice would you give to incoming students? 

Keep an open mind and take opportunities that are presented to you, no matter how big or small. It may seem overwhelming at first but finding ways to be involved outside of the classroom helps you to develop as a true pharmacy professional. Ohio State is a big school with a lot of resources and I think it's important to take on these opportunities.

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