My Credentials

I assume you’ve come to this page because you’re a lot like me – endlessly curious and always a little skeptical.  I expect my trust to be earned the old-fashioned way, so I’m committed to earning yours that way, too.  Let’s get down to the details!

Ancient History

Skipping over the first 18 years of my life and a high school diploma, I had developed gastroparesis and also entered college.  While stubbornly pushing through my failing health, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the University of California, Davis.  During that time I racked up many hours working in a retail pharmacy as a technician.  I also score-kept rec league sports games, but that experience does not seem very relevant here…

In 2007, I entered pharmacy school at Creighton University.  Because I am a bit crazy, but also because I had already been thrown into the medical system as a patient, I insisted on gaining a wide range of experience as a student.  I took every opportunity to work or train in retail pharmacies, pediatric hospitals, adult hospitals, at the NIH, and even in an LGBT-HIV clinic.

Upon obtaining my Doctor of Pharmacy in 2011, I landed a clinical pharmacy residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where I had the opportunity to hone my critical thinking skills and begin to forge a relationship between my experience as a patient and my knowledge as a clinically-trained pharmacist.

In 2012, I relocated yet again, this time to Houston, Texas to complete a research fellowship at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.  Alas, while the training in research and statistics has proven invaluable, I discovered that it was not the field for me.  The very next year I found myself back at the Children’s Hospital as a Drug Information and Policy Development Pharmacist.

Less Ancient History

My years in Drug Information and Policy Development suited me well.  I got to answer questions about very complicated cases that required me to dig into the research and consider the science.  I worked directly with some world-renowned and truly impressive physicians, an experience for which I will be endlessly appreciative.  But most importantly for me, I had the opportunity to identify problems which impacted many people and implement creative solutions to address them at their core.

And this is where the intersection between my personal and professional experiences in the medical system occurred.  I became increasingly aware of an issue that is not being actively addressed.  No matter how much better we get at treating illnesses, this shortcoming keeps holding us back.

People are not always given the simple opportunity to understand their health and their options well enough to make themselves better.

The tools necessary to change this do not require a professional degree for the masses.  In fact, they simply require those with professional degrees to take a little extra time to teach the people they are trying to help.

Present Day

Enter today – we are meeting each other on a website that is intended to specifically address this missing piece of the healthcare puzzle for those of us with chronic GI conditions.  I hope that you’ll join me in shaping this chapter dedicated to building understanding, facilitating empowerment, and improving quality of life.

Start learning and growing through articles and discussions now, or sign up for the community newsletter so that you’ll get to it when you have time later.  Better yet, send in your thoughts on what you’d like to hear about or share with other members of the community.

Or, if you really are a lot like me, satisfy your skepticism further by learning more about my personal health experience here.