Celebrating American Pharmacists Month: Dr. Jamie Seiffert | Pharmacy Heroes
For American Pharmacists Month, the UIC College of Pharmacy is celebrating some of its pharmacy heroes for their contributions to the profession and for the top-notch care they provide.
Today we are honoring Dr. Jamie Seiffert (PharmD '17), Staff Pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy in her hometown of Carlyle, Illinois. She completed her undergraduate studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 2012-2013, and then transferred to UIC College of Pharmacy at Rockford in the fall of 2013. Our Rural Pharmacy Education (RPHARM) Program stood out to Dr. Seiffert as the perfect opportunity to expand her role as a healthcare provider in a rural community. "The RPHARM Program helped teach me what I would need to know to deliver optimal care to the patients back in my hometown," says Dr. Seiffert.
She started out her career as a pharmacy technician at CVS and then became a pharmacy intern upon starting pharmacy school. After earning her license, she accepted a position as a “floating” pharmacist. After traveling to several CVS pharmacies for work, she was offered the position to be the Staff Pharmacist at Carlyle CVS Pharmacy, her hometown store, in April of 2019. Dr. Seiffer reflects on how excited she was to start this position. "This was a dream come true as it gave me the opportunity to deliver healthcare services to patients in my community. Working at the same store every day allowed me to see the impact I can have in delivering healthcare over time. Providing optimal health care is rewarding in itself, but to actually witness the positive outcomes reminds me why I wanted to become a pharmacist in the first place. I continue to utilize the skill that the RPHARM Program taught me, especially working as an interprofessional team with the local physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses."
In September, Dr. Seiffert's CVS location and others in the surrounding area became COVID-19 testing sites. This testing program has been a convenient way for their patients and patients in nearby rural communities to receive testing without the burden of a long commute which could prevent them from receiving that service.
Dr. Seiffert wants student pharmacists to continue to work hard and push themselves despite these unprecedented times we live in. "During one of my fourth-year rotations, Dr. Bryan Zobeck (Clinical Assistant Professor and preceptor) told me something I always repeat to myself and I’ll paraphrase it: 'There is still so much to learn after pharmacy school, and you don’t know what you don’t know.' This phrase was powerful in that it taught me to be confident with the knowledge I had, but to always challenge myself to expand it - especially in a career that is constantly evolving!"