Heidi Wicks

Amy Randell dreamed of being a pharmacist since junior high school. She will receive her MSc (Pharmacy) on June 2, checking off another goal off on her academia career bucket list.

“I was always impressed by the community pharmacists I used to encounter at the grocery store, how they could know so much about all the medications out there. When I was in high school some pharmacy students from MUN came to do a presentation in my chemistry class about why pharmacy was such a great program and a promising career and it was at that point that I decided I wanted to apply once I got to university,” she said.

She believes that a passion for lifelong learning is essential for having a career in healthcare, especially in a profession that is changing as rapidly as pharmacy.

“I hate the idea of stagnating in my career,” she said. “In order to provide quality pharmaceutical care to my patients, I need to stay up to date on new medications used to treat their conditions and newly discovered drug interactions that may be putting them at increased risk for adverse outcomes.”

Ms. Randell received her BSc (Pharmacy) from Memorial in 2010, and upon graduation worked in a small community pharmacy for two years. While she relished the experience, genes tugged her in the direction of research.

“My father is an academic with an intense passion for research,” she explained. “When he’s starting a new research project, he can’t wait to talk about it at the dinner table, although many times a lot of what he talks about is over our heads! I wanted to feel excited about my job like he does, so decided to pursue my masters degree in an area I’m passionate about – pharmacology.”

She has formed many meaningful relationships during her time in the School of Pharmacy – partnerships she expects will continue for many years.

“I think the most significant bond I’ve formed is with my thesis supervisor, Dr. Noriko (Daneshtelab). She invested so much time and energy into my education and for that I am eternally grateful. I was also privileged to work as a teaching assistant in the Pharmacy Skills Lab during my degree, which allowed me to collaborate with the skills instructors.”

Her ambition is to someday teach and collaborate alongside her School of Pharmacy family.

“Ideally I can find a faculty position that enables me to be heavily involved in teaching but also allows me to partner with my colleagues in clinical research.”

With an education that has circled within Memorial for two rounds of tutelage, her chances of continuing down this path seem scientifically likely.

Amy Randell is from St. John’s.