Student Voices: Kamryn Sain
Second year student, Kamryn Sain, shares her early immersion experience
Story by Kamryn Sain | Published September 12, 2023
Student Voices gives first-person perspectives written by the students of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. For this piece, we hear from Kamryn Sain, PharmD candidate ’26, about her summer on the road and her immersion experience.
The summer between my PY1 and PY2 year has been incredibly enriching! I started it in Nashville, TN for the 119th Annual NABP Meeting, as my dad is the Vice President of the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. This trip was followed by another trip to Beaufort, NC for the NCAP Annual Convention. While I did not have the privilege of attending these conventions myself, being able to discuss their content with my dad proved to be incredibly beneficial to me, as I was able to hear about current issues facing pharmacy in North Carolina and across the United States. As a current pharmacy student, it’s allowing me to see where and how I can best serve patients in the state that has always been my home.
In July, I started my Health Systems Immersion at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville, NC. I have had a wonderful experience at Annie Penn and know that my knowledge and abilities as a pharmacy student have grown exponentially, as I have served and treated patients from a wide variety of backgrounds. During my immersion, I have had the opportunity to shadow an IV, OR, OB, NICU, oncology/hematology, and pediatric pharmacist to learn how they prioritize patient care in their respective specialties. The days I spent with these pharmacists were some of my favorite days of immersion, as I was able to participate in clinical rounds and patient cases while also contributing to discussions on the best medication therapy for their patients. I took particular interest in the roles of the NICU and oncology/hematology pharmacists, and prior to my immersion experience, I never would’ve imagined having an interest in either specialty!
In addition to shadowing pharmacists, I had the opportunity to shadow respiratory therapists, endocrinologists, oncologists, gastroenterologists, surgeons, ER physicians, and CRNAs, and these days added to my knowledge of pharmacy by requiring me to think through the disease states each patient was facing.
At Annie Penn, I have developed lasting relationships with pharmacy staff and am extremely grateful for the influence they have had on my learning experience. Outside of pharmacy, I spent time in Hickory, NC with my family. I am entering the school year feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to learn so that I am able to best serve my patients. I look forward to the coming academic year, and as always, Go Heels!