“I felt so prepared for whatever aspect of pharmacy I wanted to pursue”
Jackie Ho '15 on her experiences at Touro University California College of Pharmacy
During Jackie Ho’s undergraduate studies, she volunteered at San Francisco’s Chinese Hospital, where she shadowed doctors, nurses and other health professionals. It was there that Ho found her passion: pharmacy. She graduated from Touro University California School of Pharmacy in 2015 and was honored to receive the U.S. Excellence in Public Health Pharmacy Practice Award and win a prestigious national student research award.
“I’m so grateful to the professors,” says Ho, who today is Clinical Coordinator at a hospital near San Francisco. “They were excellent teachers and clinicians, but even more important, they were mentors.” Ho wanted to be the sort of pharmacist who would have a direct impact on her patients. “Touro encourages its pharmacy students to think outside of the box when it comes to their career; we are challenged to think creatively on how to solve problems, care for patients and advance our practice,” she says. “I felt so prepared for whatever aspect of pharmacy I wanted to pursue.”
What she decided to do involves a head for administration and research and a heart for people. Among her undertakings, Ho is developing clinical pharmacy programs at her hospital. One is studying the proper balance of using antibiotics when necessary, but not so much as to create resistance and ineffectiveness. “Touro is a great place to learn, with many opportunities to grow personally and professionally,” she says.
