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RAMPS Mentorship
in Ambulatory Care By Catherine Ubaldo “What does ambulatory care entail?” This question plagued my mind and I sought out many pharmacists in hopes of finding the answer. Despite my inquisitions, I just could not seem to grasp the definition of an ambulatory care pharmacist. Not until I was given the opportunity to be paired up through RAMPS with my mentor and UCSF Alumni, Dr. Virginia Chu, who works in the Ambulatory Care at Kaiser Permanente, did I fully comprehend the mission and responsibilities of this profession. On the day I met Dr. Virginia Chu, I had prepared myself for the usual sit down lunch, consisting of an exchange in questions and opinions; however, she had much more in store for me as her mentee. After quick introductions, she whisked me away from the lunchroom to sit in and observe a patient consultation. A thorough patient profile review was conducted and barriers to the patient’s adherence became evident. Dr. Chu provided social support options and was well aware of the patient’s social factors which were affecting the patient’s compliance. In this ambulatory setting, the pharmacist and doctors share the same office, allowing them to literally work side by side to optimize patient treatment. Seeing Dr. Chu interact with both the patient and doctor revealed how crucial her role as an ambulatory pharmacist was in assessing and treating patients. Furthermore, this experience helped me understand the importance of one-on-one patient interaction in this setting. In addition to seeing patients throughout the day, Dr. Chu provided drug information to providers and patients. Micromedex and even Google were useful tools to look up any drug-drug interactions or just to get an idea of where patients are pulling some of the well-marketed supplements. Although she was delighted by my interests in ambulatory care, she encouraged me to continue to explore all different specialties that pharmacy has to offer. I was taken on a tour of the different pharmacy specialty units such as the coagulation, pediatrics, and asthma units. Every pharmacist and intern that I encountered was more than willing to answer any questions and made sure that I left with plenty of contacts. At the end of the day, Dr. Chu extended an invitation to visit again and I left with a better understanding of what ambulatory care pharmacists do. Overall, this mentorship has been eye-opening, allowing me to immerse myself further in the ambulatory care setting and hopefully find my niche in the pharmaceutical field. Catherine Ubaldo is a second-year pharmacy student.
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