• When he’s not studying, he loves hiking, camping, Alaskan road trips, and game nights with his family and friends - remotely or pre-covid of course!
• Duane says this is why he chose pharmacy: "My mother was a HUGE factor in the way I was raised and who I became, as an older single mother, she worked hard to put food on our table, a roof over our head, and provide a means to my education. When her health started to decline in 2007, due largely to her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, her healthcare team provided a huge support to her. I chose a career in healthcare to help people like her, those who need the support and can't find it elsewhere. my choice of pharmacy was based on the fact that I have always been very science minded, it always just clicked for me, and that I'd still like to have some kind of work/life balance."
• Duane says he is still exploring the many careers paths available to pharmacists, however, his interests right now lie in oncology or community pharmacy. He says, "While my immediate goals are to work clinical pharmacy in Alaska, one day I'd like to serve a small community as a pharmacist and move to a more rural location where quality healthcare is so desperately needed."
• A fun fact about Duane is that he worked as an EMT for ~3 years and wanted to be an ER surgeon before he realized that pharmacy was the best route for him. 🚑
• Duane says his favorite part about ISU is that it feels like the community has completely integrated his class despite the pandemic that we are all facing. "Even though I've completed much of my first semester at home, I've felt connected with not only my fellow students, but also my instructors and other faculty across all three campuses."
• When asked if he had a mentor or someone who inspired him to pursue pharmacy, Duane had 2 examples: "Chaundell Piburn served as the manager of Craig emergency medical services, where she showed me the ropes of rural healthcare, and the realities of a community that needs so much more than it has. Through her tireless efforts, so many lives have been saved, and she does it all with so little expectation of recognition. Bill Altland inspired me in so many ways, building a community pharmacy practically from scratch in a small island community, and traveling around the world to practice pharmacy in places that needed it most. His support for future generations alone is inspirational."
• His advice to anyone applying to the program is to get involved and stay involved. "Programs like this give you double whatever you put in, but first and foremost, you have to put in the effort. Pharmacy school is about so much more than just "getting the grade" - try to make yourself as well rounded as possible by being involved in anything that interests you." Thanks, Duane! We’re so glad that you are a part of our Bengal Pharmily! 🐅💊