Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences
California Health Sciences University
Fresno
My journey into the Leadership Development Institute started off with a texted picture of my name on the interest slip by a fellow member of the local CPhA association. I debated the idea of submitting my application since I was still learning my roles and responsibilities of being a faculty member at a new institution. Little did I know how much I needed LDI at that time! I knew that I wanted to be part of LDI but was hesitant about finding the best time to make that commitment. When it came time to apply, I did without hesitation, thanks to those who continued to push and promote this development program. What I needed from LDI at the time was a reflective approach and focus on leadership development. What I gained in the end from LDI was much more than I would have imagined.
While everyone may be thinking to themselves, “I don’t have time to commit to LDI,” LDI has taught me at least one valuable concept. Time is what you make of it and you are the creator of your own time. Time doesn’t own you. This may have been easier for me to realize since my top 5 strengths reflect discipline, consistency, responsibility, and achiever, so in essence, I am an executor and get things done. I have a great sense of organization and ability to be involved in several projects without losing a sense of self. It was through this discovery of managing my own time more effectively that I decided to pursue a masters. Even though my job as a faculty and academic is jammed packed and my students know how involved I am in many things, I still made this choice. A choice that was not an easy one but knew how beneficial it will be for my growth and development.
When it came time to decide on a project, I instantly knew what I wanted. My project stems from my desire to foster student growth and development. It is time to change the approach of advising in pharmacy school and develop more than success academically. With the recent dynamic changes in pharmacy education, there is a need to update and transform academic advising into a mentorship model. With the help of some colleagues at my current institution, we have implemented a mentorship framework to assist faculty to build and empower pharmacy students in a career path that is best suited for them individually. Through this new model, I hope to help other schools across California to build a similar framework in their programs.