Leadership Development Program

New Practitioners: Precepting 101

Originally presented on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 7 PM PST


Michelle Ito, Alpha Psi alumni and pharmacy residency program director at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, presents on various topics key to developing precepting skills. The presentation covers the fundamentals of precepting, giving effective feedback, setting expectations, and working with challenging learners.

New Practitioners: Mental Health and Empowerment

Originally presented on Monday, April 1 2024 at 7 PM PST


Have you ever felt burnt out, stressed, or gone through a difficult time? Well this might be the webinar for you! Angeline Tran, a life coach, will be speaking on mental health and empowerment.

New Practitioners: Financial Planning Basics & Road to Loan Repayment

Originally presented on Tuesday, September 26 2023 at 7 PM PST


Do you ever wonder if you are saving enough for retirement, or have questions regarding your loans?

Chase Armer, a certified financial planner, will be presenting on financial basics and tips, budgeting, and preparing for retirement. Kaitlyn Goslinga, a senior assistant director of financial aid at UOP, will speak on how to identify your loan servicer, payment plan options and available tools (calculators, etc.), refinancing vs. consolidation, and PSLF (just in time before repayments restart).

Bios:

CHASE ARMER

Chase Armer is a co-owner of Planned Solutions, Inc., a Sacramento based Financial Planning and Investment Advisory Firm, where he currently acts as a financial planner and is a member of the Planned Solutions Investment Management Committee. Chase holds several professional designations including; Certified Financial PlannerTM Practitioner, Chartered Financial Analyst®, and Enrolled Agent. Chase holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master’s in Taxation from William Howard Taft University, a BA in Economics from California State University, Sacramento, and a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from the UC Davis Extension. Chase is a past president of the Financial Planning Association of Northern California. Chase has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, working primarily with individuals and business owners who seek advice in all areas of financial planning with a special emphasis on Investments, Retirement Planning, and Income Taxation. Chase has also authored several books on financial planning topics. His most recent offering, Financial Planning Insights, was published in May 2020.

KAITLYN GOSLINGA

Kaitlyn Goslinga is the Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid at University of the Pacific responsible for financial wellness and outreach.  She has been working in The Office of Financial Aid for close to 10 years and began there when her husband joined Pacific’s Physical Therapy program (so she is no stranger to managing loan repayment!)

One of the goals in her role is to help educate students to make smart financial decisions regarding money management in college and beyond, as well as to help students and families understand the financial aid process and their eligibility.  

When she is not spending time with her husband and two little boys, you can often find her on her Peloton, in front of the TV cheering on her Los Angeles Dodgers, tweeting with her book club, or playing board games with family and friends.

Financial Planning Basics with Chase Armer

Road To Repayment with Kaitlyn Goslinga

New Practitioners: Interview Tips and Advice for Success

Originally presented on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at 7 PM PST


Dr. Scott Harada and Dr. Jag Chauhan will be sharing their experiences with us. Dr. Harada will share how to prepare for an interview and Dr. Chauhan will give an interviewer’s perspective.

Dr. Scott Harada and Dr. Jag Chauhan will be sharing their experiences with us. Dr. Harada will share how to prepare for an interview and Dr. Chauhan will give an interviewer’s perspective.

The speakers give a rundown of some interview tips, including professionalism, in-person and online interview methods, and the importance of sharing information with participants. Scott gives a demo of how to use Zoom for interviews and jchauhan gives a rundown of their background in pharmacy and how they can use that to craft a narrative about their career. They also mention that they need to have examples of their job duties in mind so that they can present themselves as being on the top of their game. jchauhan and Scott discuss what it takes to be a good interviewee, including practice interviewing and listening to recordings. The team discusses the next steps for the project. They also mention the possibility of using Zoom for interviews in the future.

New Practitioners: Leadership 108: Coaching and Mentoring for Success

Originally presented on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 7 PM PST


Are you looking to increase your job satisfaction, develop your leadership skills, and create stronger interpersonal relationships? Consider finding a mentor or becoming one yourself! This Leadership Webinar will focus on what to look for in a mentor and how to be a great one yourself.

Our very own Brother Scott Shimamoto ’88 will be leading us through his presentation titled “Leadership 108: Coaching and Mentoring for Success.

Scott graduated from UOP in 1988 with his PharmD. He has worked for Kaiser for 34 years starting as an intern pharmacist. He spent the first 10 years as a staff pharmacist in outpatient, inpatient and oncology. He then became inpatient supervisor and later inpatient director for 10 years. His next 14 years were spent as the Area Pharmacy Director and he recently transitioned to the Regional Director of Pharmacy Labor Relations. For the past 6 years, he has lead the pharmacy coaching and mentoring program. Scott is married and has 2 sons in college.

New Practitioners: “Leadership 107” – Managing Your Career Over a Lifetime w/Ron Wade!

Originally presented on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 6:30 PM PST


One of the best things about the profession of pharmacy is the versatility that our degree gives us. Speak to any seasoned pharmacist and you’ll likely learn about a variety of career changes over the span of decades. Alum Ron Wade, RPh is one of those pharmacists who has had a fruitful career and would love to share his experiences with you!

Some discussion points that we’ll cover are:

  1. Your career path, and when/why you should look for a new job
  2. How to develop valuable new skill sets along the way
  3. Predicting the future so that your career keeps up

Ron Wade is Senior Principal, HEOR, Real-World Evidence Solutions at IQVIA, currently working on a part time basis focusing on thought leadership projects after leading the US Outcomes Research team there for 8 years. He is a recognized expert in applying large datasets to answer a wide range of research questions and providing strategic consulting to the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. His 35+ years of experience include senior positions at Cerner Research, HealthCore, and Pharmacia-Pfizer. Ron is a Phi Delta Chi Alum from the 1975 Alpha Psi Class “The Pudic 20”, and served on several chapter and regional roles through the 1980’s. He received “The Max” award in the Alpha Psi chapter as an undergraduate. He was a part of the team that developed and ran the original Leadership Development Conferences in the 80’s.

Prior to joining IQVIA, Ron served as a Healthcare Executive and Principal Investigator with Cerner Research, where he directed much of their retrospective database research using electronic medical records, administrative claims and other publicly available databases. Prior to Cerner, Ron was a Research Director at HealthCore (an Anthem Company), where he led project teams in health outcomes research, economic modelling, safety/epidemiology and prospective observational research for many of the top 20 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Earlier, he served in a variety of leadership roles with The Upjohn Company, Syntex, Searle and Pharmacia in which he focused on generating evidence to support value messages to managed care, government payers, and public health associations. He serves as Professor of Practice at the UOP School of Engineering and Computer Science, is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Thomas J Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and on the Executive Committee at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. He has served in leadership roles with the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. He is a licensed pharmacist and received his BS in pharmacy and his MS in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of the Pacific in California. He currently resides in Virginia with his wife of 40 years, Gwynne, a little sister of Alpha Psi.

New Practitioners: “Leadership 106” – Pharmacy Board Certification

Originally presented on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 7:00 PM PST


Looking for a way to advance your career and stand out from the crowd in this competitive market? We will be having 4 amazing speakers, Dr. Claire Kim, Dr. Logan Brodnansky, Dr. Cindy Hsieh, and Dr. Michelle Ito.

They will be covering a variety of topics including the benefits of getting board certified, what to expect from the examination, their study styles and advice, and potential cons (e.g. costs). After their presentations will be a Q&A.

Panelist bios:

Dr. Claire Kim

Board Certification: Critical Care Pharmacy (BCCCP)

Dr. Kim is an emergency medicine clinical pharmacist at UC Davis Health. She is a preceptor for PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents as well as pharmacy students during their APPE rotations. She also serve as a pharmacist representative on the hospital’s substance use disorder committee.

Fun fact – She is training for her first marathon on July 24th!

Dr. Logan Brodnansky

Board Certification: Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS)

Dr. Brodnansky currently works as a Clinical Pharmacist at the VA in Mather, with a hybrid role working in Primary Care and Pain Management. She is a preceptor for APPE students, currently serve as the President of the Alpha Psi Alumni Association, and as a Director for the Alpha Psi Education, Scholarship, and Leadership Foundation.

Fun fact- She has an annual pass to Disneyland.

Dr. Cindy Hsieh

Board Certification: Pharmacotherapy (BCPS) and Infectious Diseases (BCIDP)

Dr. Hsieh is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases for Alta Hospitals System in Los Angeles, California. In her current role, she established and, now, co-chairs three separate antimicrobial stewardship committees across five acute care hospitals and three subacute care facilities. She is also a key clinical specialist for the corporate COVID-19 Task Force, ID Subcommittee, and Clinical Task Force.

Fun fact- She has two COVID cats (born and adopted in 2020) named Luna and Tiger who are the best officemates.

Dr. Michelle Ito

Board Certification: Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP).

Dr. Ito is the PGY1 and PGY2 residency coordinator and student coordinator for the County of Santa Clara Health System. Prior to this role, she worked as a geriatrics clinical pharmacist.

New Practitioners: “Leadership 105” – Addressing Difficult Issues with Management

Originally presented on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 7:00 PM PST


Have you ever felt burnt out at work, but don’t know how to approach management or how to ask for more resources? Well this is the webinar for you!

Leading our discussion will be brothers Dr. Matthew D’Anis and Dr. Anthony Sinconis. They will be sharing their insight on these difficult issues, how to address them, when to escalate to management, etc.

New Practitioners: “Finance 104” – Salary/Benefits Negotiation and Knowing Your Worth

Originally presented on Thursday, December 2 2021 at 7:00 PM PST


Have you been told that you can’t negotiate salary ranges in a health-system? Are you nervous that you may make a bad impression? Is negotiating for salary and benefits even applicable in this job market? Are you worth it?

Let us help convince you that the answer is – YES! Brothers Dr. Michael Conner, Pacific grad, and Dr. Sonya Frausto, USC grad will lead the discussion.

Learning objectives:

  • List and describe different mindsets in preparing to negotiate (e.g. win-win)
  • Appraise and illustrate your value
  • Describe a process for negotiating
  • Formulate a counter offer
  • Recognize what can be negotiated

New Practitioners: “Finance 103”

Originally presented on Tuesday, October 19 2021 at 7:30 PM PST


Are you thinking about taking the next step in your relationship, but you need some advice on how to save up for that fancy ring, wedding, or children?

Dr. Tina Won ‘14, Dr. Christopher Won ‘13, Dr. Bess Armstrong (Glinka) ‘12, and Dr. Chintan Shah ‘13 will give their backgrounds and offer advice on how they prepared financially for these big milestones.

New Practitioners: Elevating Your Career

Originally presented on Tuesday, June 15 2021 at 7:30 PM PST


After graduation, many of us get started in our prospective careers and may sometimes wonder what steps we can take to challenge ourselves. This webinar is for you! 

We discuss board certifications, joining pharmacy organizations, and leadership opportunities. Growth does not and should not stop after graduation. Our very own Dr. Marcus Ravnan, who is a strong advocate for residency and leadership development, will share insight on how to set goals and create opportunities for your careers.

Drs. Annie Ho and Kristen Ward also discuss board certifications and the impact of joining pharmacy organizations post graduation.

I know many of us were very active in clubs and organizations in pharmacy school – and it should NOT stop there! Keep the momentum going and stand out from the crowd like all Phi Delts do 🙂  

New Practitioners: Time for a Career Pivot!

Originally presented on Tuesday, February 23 2021 at 6:30 PM PST


Have you been dreaming of pursuing a different career path, but not sure where to start? Are you a student pharmacist and wondering how you can differentiate yourself as a candidate?

Are you feeling “stuck” in your current position? Are you interested in learning HOW to change your career path? You are not alone! Many of our brothers have found a way to pivot to a different field of pharmacy – and you can too! 

Dr. Ashlee Hayes, an Omicron brother, will lead us through personal branding to help you confidently stand out in a competitive economy. Our very own Alpha Psi brother Dr. Joy Pimentel (“Colgate”) will share her personal journey of her transition from community pharmacy to clinical and industry pharmacy, and how a side hustle may help get things started.

Brotherhood in COVID: Learn About the Vaccine

Originally presented on Monday, December 21 2020 at 7PM PST


Finally, good news. There’s a vaccine!! But wait, what’s mRNA? Need a crash course on biology and immunology? No worries, we have your back! 

Dr. Matthew D’Anis and Dr. Michael Conner will be giving an overview of the vaccine mechanism, development, and our role as pharmacists. They will also discuss how to collaborate with other providers and tips for leadership during this stressful time.

New Practitioners: Finance 102

Originally presented on Thursday, November 5 2020 at 6:30PM PST


Do you wonder if you’re eligible for a Roth IRA? What is this talk about a backdoor Roth-is that legal? What is the difference between a 401, 403b, and 457? It’s never too early to start retirement planning and after this talk you’ll learn why and how you can plan for your future while still taking care of your student loans and rent!  

We’re welcoming back Chase Armer and Daryl Wong, certified financial planners and friends of brother Ed Larimer. We remember feeling overwhelmed by the endless financial decisions we needed to make once we started working. Having the confidence to manage your “adult money” will free you to spend your precious time on the things that you care about!
We’ve taken in your feedback from the 1st webinar and will take a deeper dive into less topics. The focus on this talk will be budgeting strategies (for a mortgage, student loans, personal expenses, etc) and retirement planning.

Chase and Daryl will each present a non-biased presentation for about 30 minutes each. Directly following the presentations, we will open the floor to any finance-related questions you may have. 

While we are on the topic of finance, we wanted to mention an article that Brother Robert Nickell wanted to share with the group! It’s about a pharmacist who paid off his loans/debt in just a few years!
Link: https://www.thescopeofpractice.com/how-one-pharmacist-paid-off-100000-in-student-loans-and-other-debt-in-just-a-few-years

LEADERSHIP 101: “Leading and Managing as a New PIC”

Originally presented on Thursday, August 27 2020 at 6:30PM PST


Are you a Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC), planning on becoming a PIC, or involved in a management position? Whether we are prepared for it or not, many of us will be put in a management position during our career. This webinar is for those of you curious to learn what it takes to be an effective manager and leader, avoid burnout, thrive with changes, conflict management, policies & procedures, make tough choices, and more.  

Our speaker will be Dr. Michael Conner ’12 who will give a presentation and a Q/A popcorn type discussion afterwards.

Being a PIC can be an extraordinarily stressful career as you are forced to wear many hats, but it can also be a rewarding experience for you and your team(s) as you develop more tools and resources. 

New Practitioners: Finance 101 Webinar

Originally presented on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 6:30PM PST


We want to provide you with tools to navigate financial topics that new practitioners are faced with right out of school- student loans, retirement accounts, and managing your new “adult money!” 

This will be a combination of presentations and discussions. We’re pleased to invite Daryl Wong and Chase Armer, certified financial planners and friends of our brother Ed Larimer to present a non-biased presentation on budgeting and retirement plans. Brother Bess GlinkaCynric Cho, and Annie Ho will discuss managing student loans, including private loans refinancing, IBR, PSLF, and how to pay off debt quickly (< 7 years).

Bess Armstrong (Glinka), PharmD, BCPS, c/o 2012, currently works as an Academic Detailing Pharmacist at VA San Diego to educate providers and teams on various topics including opioid safety initiatives, HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), antimicrobial stewardship, and staffs as a clinical pharmacist in our HIV speciality clinic. On a personal note, her most recent adventure is becoming a new mom to her 9 month old son, Cameron. He inspires her to live in the moment, be more present, and try creative recipes to get those green veggies in!   

Cynric Cho, PharmD, c/o 2012, currently works as an outpatient pharmacist at Kaiser Permanente in Bakersfield, CA. He’s currently working on perfecting his homemade sourdough bread and enjoys spending time with his adorable niece, Charlotte.

Chase Armer is a co-owner of Planned Solutions, Inc., a Sacramento based Financial Planning and Investment Advisory Firm, where he currently acts as a financial planner and is a member of the Planned Solutions Investment Management Committee. Chase holds several professional designations including; Certified Financial PlannerTM Practitioner, Chartered Financial Analyst®, and Enrolled Agent. Chase holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and a Master’s in Taxation from William Howard Taft University, a BA in Economics from California State University, Sacramento, and a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning from the UC Davis Extension. Chase is active with the Financial Planning Association of Northern California where he is a past president and is a contributor to the Sacramento Business Review. Chase has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, working in all areas of financial planning with a special emphasis on Investments, Retirement Planning, and Income Taxation. Chase has also authored several books on financial planning topics. His most recent offering, Financial Planning Insights, was published in May 2020.

Daryl Wong, CFP, EA has over 15 years of experience in the financial planning business  including many years operating as an independent financial planner and tax preparer. Daryl holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Enrolled Agent designations and CA Insurance License #0H16109. He is a former instructor for the Personal Financial Planning Certificate Program offered through the UC Davis Extension and currently is a board member of the Financial Planning Association of Northern California.

Brotherhood in COVID Webinar Series


Brothers, thank you to each of you for what you are doing. Whether on the front-lines seeing patients, providing support behind the scenes, giving moral support, or simply by staying home. We can’t help but think that at this time, our motto “each needs the help of the other” rings more true than ever.

We want to acknowledge the stresses we are each facing, while providing tips on staying well, debunking myths, reviewing clinical questions, and opening up the floor to discuss as a group. You are not alone! Please join us as we come together as brothers to support one another. Below are the recordings of the webinars for your reference.

March 26, 2020
April 6, 2020
(Please note that the Monkey Business Illusion video shown during this webinar
had to be removed due to copyright reasons. You may watch this yourself on https://youtu.be/IGQmdoK_ZfY )
May 14, 2020

New Practitioners: Professional Boundaries Webinar

Originally presented on April 25, 2019 at 7PM PST by Nam Nguyen, Chintan Shah, and Niki Saqueton


Are you tired of playing politics? How do you navigate getting along with others while also standing your ground and avoid being a pushover? What do you do if there is [inevitable] workplace drama — how do you stay out of it? Should you be friends with your technicians and does this complicate your supervisor role?

These are situations that we aren’t taught to handle in school. In this discussion-based workshop, we’ll take a dive into navigating these situations. Our goal is to help you set appropriate boundaries at work so that you can focus on what’s most important–taking care of patients! 

Underwritten by The Jack and Priscilla Schlegel Endowed Leadership Development Fund  

Speakers background info:

Chintan Shah (’13)- Pharmacy Clinical Services manager at Walmart, helping to teach/train RPhs around MTM, immunizations, and specialty medications for one of the Central CA markets

Nam Nguyen (’08)- Currently a pharmacy manager for CVS Pharmacy for the past 10 year. I have previous experience as a district pharmacy supervisor in the Central Valley/ Fresno market and participated in the CVS Pharmacy Emerging Leader program for 4 years. I am a graduate of the CPhA Leadership Development Institute Program. Currently I serve on the Board of Directors for the Alpha Psi Foundation and Pacific Pharmacy Alumni Association. 

Niki Saqueton(’13): Full-time night pharmacist at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and full-time adventurer during weeks off from work.  Graduated in 2013 and have learned a lot more out in the real world than I did in school.  You will make mistakes, and you will learn and grow, and it will be worth it.  Keep going!

Webinar recording

Alpha Psi Foundation

Creating tomorrow’s leaders through annual leader development programs, scholarships and awards.

MISSION

The Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt public benefit corporation, provides scholarships and leadership development for student pharmacists and new practitioners.

VISION

The Foundation aspires to be widely recognized for creating and developing tomorrow’s leaders in pharmacy, healthcare, and communities across the nation.

VALUES

The Foundation embodies the belief that investing in the development of student pharmacists and new practitioners is an investment in improving the profession of pharmacy and health of our communities.