Josmi Joseph Ramsha Nisar Reda Safi Emily Scott

Josmi Joseph Ramsha Nisar Reda Safi Emily Scott Dana Shepherd 2020 -2021 PGY-1 PHARMACY RESIDENTS

Josmi Joseph v Hometown: Des Plaines, IL v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: Drake University v College of Pharmacy: Drake University v What interested you about Hines: I fell in love with the environment of the VA during one of my IPPEs and was amazed at all the opportunities and autonomy that the pharmacists were able to have when treating patients. Hines is a great place to allow me to delve into my interests in ambulatory care while also having the opportunity to learn more about the inpatient side of pharmacy and become a well-rounded future practitioner. I loved the warm and welcoming environment I got during my interview and could really see myself finding mentors here who can aid me in my journey to becoming and independent practitioner. v What Pharmacy interests do you have: I love anything and everything with patient care. I really enjoyed all my ambulatory care experiences in the past. One of my passions is diabetes and diabetes education. I would also like to delve into the mental health and geriatrics side of pharmacy. Whether it is teaching patients or teaching providers, I believe education is a big part of pharmacy and love to work with other providers and students. I am excited and ready to refine my skills in any situation that I am put in as there is so much to learn! v PGY-1 Research Project: Experience and tolerability of the various SGLT 2 inhibitors in a VA population. v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with freetime in the Chicagoland area? I love to try new restaurants and am looking forward to exploring the city a little bit more and finding fun things to do with my new co-residents. I also love to bake and cook so I am excited to try some new recipes during my free time! v Contact information: Josmi. Joseph@va. gov

Ramsha Nisar v Hometown: Bolingbrook, IL v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: Benedictine University-Lisle, IL v College of Pharmacy: Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy v What interested you about Hines: I first became interested in Hines due to the variety of rotations offered here and opportunities in ambulatory care and infectious disease. I had the fortunate opportunity of completing an APPE rotation here last year and appreciated the environment, staff, and continuity of care that I saw. I also loved the supportive and welcoming preceptors that I met during my rotation and interview here and knew that this was the right place for me! v What Pharmacy interests do you have: I am interested in infectious disease, teaching, and emergency medicine. I am also interested in ambulatory care especially in diabetes, hypertension, and women’s health. v PGY-1 Research Project: Impact of national metformin recall on veteran outcomes. v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with free time in the Chicagoland area? Some of my hobbies include working out, baking, and spending time with my family and friends. I am also a very big foodie and love trying different types of cuisines. I also like to stay as active as I can and enjoy bike riding with my friends, kayaking, and kick-boxing. v Contact information: Ramsha. Nisar@va. gov

Reda Safi v Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: University of Nebraska-Omaha v College of Pharmacy: University of Nebraska Medical Center v What interested you about Hines: I enjoyed the sense of camaraderie present within the VA systems, and particularly that within Hines’ campus. I value giving back to the community and the best place to start is serving our veterans on a daily basis. v What Pharmacy interests do you have: I have a broad set of interests with specific passions for areas such as critical care, internal medicine, cardiology, and infectious disease. Overall, I am open to learning the depths of clinical pharmacy practice and administration to best guide future pharmacists and continuously serve patients on a healthcare team. v PGY-1 Research Project: Identification of factors predicting inappropriate administration of medications via enteral nutrition tubes. v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with free time in the Chicagoland area? My favorite at-home hobbies include cooking, baking, and watching movies. When I get outdoors, I love exploring little nooks around the city and trying new foods. I am also an adventurer at heart and enjoy traveling, kayaking, and camping with my spouse, family, and friends. v Contact information: Reda. Safi 1@va. gov

Emily Scott v Hometown: Oswego, IL v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: Benedictine University v College of Pharmacy: Midwestern University v What interested you about Hines: I first became interested in Hines because of the rotations offered and the overall ambulatory care focus. I had also heard from many past pharmacy residents about how much they enjoyed being residents at Hines and how great the program was. After my APPE rotation in the anticoagulation clinic, I knew that this was the program for me! v What Pharmacy interests do you have: I am most interested in ambulatory care pharmacy, especially diabetes care, anticoagulation, and hypertension. I also enjoy areas such as infectious diseases, drug information, acute care, pain management, and women’s health. v PGY-1 Research Project: Evaluation of glycated hemoglobin A 1 c before and after initiation of continuous glucose monitoring v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with free time in the Chicagoland area? In my free time I like to spend time with my friends and family, explore new restaurants, and anything that keeps me active! v Contact information: Emily. Scott 1@va. gov, escott 19@midwestern. edu (evenings and weekends)

Dana Shepherd v Hometown: Reno, NV v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: Benedictine University (Lisle, IL) v College of Pharmacy: University of California, San Francisco v What interested you about Hines: I loved the unique sense of camaraderie I felt as I walked through the halls of the hospital on interview day. Everyone said hi to each other and had such a friendly and welcoming attitude. Everyone I talked with during the interviews seemed very satisfied with their pharmacy careers at Hines and it seemed that there is opportunity to grow a long-term career at Hines VA. I also love that I will be serving the veteran population with my skills as a pharmacist. Before entering college, I wanted to join the Coast Guard. Life turned down a different path for me and I feel so fortunate to be in a position to serve those who served our country. v What Pharmacy interests do you have: Geriatrics, Infectious Disease, Ambulatory Care, Teaching v PGY-1 Research Project: Assessment of number of bleeds and VTE rates in COVID-19 positive veterans receiving various VTE prophylaxis regimens v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with freetime in the Chicagoland area? : I enjoy bike riding along the Lake Shore path and finding new cafes and outdoor nature spots in Chicago. On a hot summer day, I love to jump in the lake for a quick swim before hopping on my bike again. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, cooking, reading short stories, catching up on some TV shows, and spending time with my family and friends. v Contact information: Dana. Shepherd@va. gov

Jimmy Nguyen v Hometown: Chicago, IL v Pre-pharmacy school(s) Attended: University of Illinois at Chicago- Chicago, IL v College of Pharmacy: Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy- Schaumburg, IL v What interested you about Hines: My initial interests in Hines VA coincides with my ultimate desire to train at a program which offers a wide variety of opportunities to work in different clinical practice settings and with other highly knowledgeable and equally passionate preceptors and educators v What Pharmacy interests do you have: I am passionate about all things related to infectious diseases, specifically with antimicrobial stewardship. Additionally, I also enjoy learning about pharmacy informatics and being able to teach/precept others v PGY-1 Research Project: Validation of an AUC-based vancomycin dosing calculator in spinal cord injury patients. v PGY-2 Research Project: Clinical outcomes associated with guideline discordant management of bacteriuria in hospitalization patients with neurogenic bladder. v What interests outside of pharmacy do you have/what do you intend to do with free time in the Chicagoland area? One of my favorite things to do in Chicago is to explore all the different neighborhoods and experience the various lifestyle, food, and interactions with other people v Contact information: Jimmy. Nguyen 5@va. gov PGY-2 INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHARMACY RESIDENT