Meet Mauri, a pharmacy student at Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy whose path to the profession is rooted in a deep commitment to health equity, education, and community impact. Inspired by personal experiences and the legacies of powerful South Texan advocates, she has leveraged every opportunity to broaden her impact, earning an MBA with a certificate in Health Informatics alongside her PharmD. From early exposure through mentorship programs to founding initiatives that support fellow students, her journey reflects both compassion and leadership. In this blog, Mauri shares insights on choosing pharmacy, overcoming challenges, and embracing the versatility the field offers to make a meaningful difference.

And if Mauri looks familiar, you may have seen her as a co-presenter in our spring '25 Pharmacy School Personal Statement Workshop!

How did you choose your pharmacy school?

I chose the Texas A&M University Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy (RCOP) because the mission of the school aligns with my personal mission to serve my community by helping to overcome disparities in health care delivery. Through this program I have been able to earn my Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a certificate in Health Informatics while pursuing my PharmD, equipping me to drive sustainable change by broadening my view of how healthcare systems operate and how to lead effectively.

What do you wish you had known before applying to pharmacy or graduate school?

If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be to embrace expressing your value and its relevance to pharmacy. This is a crucial skill that can be learned and prepares you to confidently present yourself as a strong candidate. Success is a very subjective metric, but you can always find ways to create value. 

I was fortunate to have been a part of the Aggie Student Pharmacists Initiative for Retention | Recruitment and Education (ASPIR2E) program as an undergraduate, which gave me the opportunity to interact with pharmacy student mentors, learn how to be a competitive applicant for pharmacy school, and deepen my understanding of what pharmacists do. As someone who transitioned from an ASPIR2E student to a mentor, I now emphasize to aspiring students that they shouldn't discount themselves for not having particular experiences or accolades because there is no set image of what a pharmacist looks like. They can look like you and me!

Why did you choose pharmacy?

I chose to pursue a career in pharmacy due to the ability to become a specialized and versatile member of healthcare teams. In this pursuit and as a South Texan, I have always drawn inspiration from the late Attorney Irma Lerma Rangel along with Dr. Hector P. Garcia, who were powerful historical figures that dedicated their lives to elevating their communities. I aspire to carry forward their mission as a future pharmacist.

Pursuing pharmacy enables you to serve in various capacities, from industry roles that can make population-level impact to community pharmacy roles that work on the ground level to provide direct patient care. I am eager to leverage this versatility to improve patient outcomes.

Describe your career path and how you got into pharmacy.

My first introduction to health disparities in my community was on a field trip with the local Medical Explorers chapter. I vividly recall realizing the stark reality of a patient's amputated leg in a hospital lab with my local Area Health Education Center (South Coastal-AHEC). We were learning about the prevalence of diabetes in our area and this was an early confrontation with the impact and unfortunate reality of language and health literacy barriers. Five years later, during clinical rotations with my high school's Health Science Academy, I had another harrowing experience. A Hispanic man with diabetes was told he needed to amputate his leg or he would die. Feeling he would lose his dignity if he could no longer work due to the loss of his leg, he decided not to amputate and paid the ultimate price. I thought to myself, if only someone who understood the cultural nuance and barriers that kept this patient from improving his health and intervened sooner then maybe he would not have ended up in this grave circumstance. These experiences ignited my initial interest in how pharmacists, as integral members of healthcare teams, can provide transformative care. Through high school, I became a certified pharmacy technician and gained valuable experience in the field. My hands-on work experience combined with the exploration of diverse fields of pharmacy through the ASPIR2E program only made my passion for the profession grow stronger. Through my experiences in pharmacy school, I discovered that I most resonated with an informatics role which requires an interdisciplinary foundation in clinical care, health administration, and information technology to optimize medication use processes to increase safety and efficacy. This path offers a unique opportunity to utilize my PharmD and MBA degrees to improve patient care and advance the profession. I envision myself as a highly skilled pharmacist who is not only capable of providing excellent patient care but also actively contributes to improving healthcare delivery within the systems I serve.

What does a typical school day look like for you?

We typically have one to two exams per week at 8:00 AM followed by classes that last until between 2:00 to 6:00 PM depending on if we have a lab. We get an hour for lunch, which we also use for student organization meetings to foster connections among pharmacy students and various guest speakers. After classes, I would take a mental break by incorporating wellness walks or playing tennis with my friends. Then it would be time to work on any upcoming MBA program assignments and attend supplemental instruction sessions to help grasp particularly challenging material. Though it may be tempting to micromanage your life, it's good to be flexible and true to what works for you.

Describe the most rewarding aspects of your career.

In the clinical setting the most gratifying aspect of pharmacy practice is witnessing how the interventions you make impact a patient’s quality of life. In informatics, roles can vary from still being involved in providing patient care to completely remote roles that optimize systems to make it as easy as possible for healthcare teams to provide excellent care for their patients. I am drawn towards informatics because it gives you the ability to make positive system-wide changes that will ultimately improve patient care.

Describe the most challenging aspect of your career.

The most challenging part of pharmacy is the pursuit of balance in caring for patients, supporting the team, and prioritizing one's own well-being. While didactic studies and rotations provide a strong foundation for patient care, it is important not to lose sight of personal aspirations and needs. After all, self-care is not about “me first” but rather “me too”. By prioritizing your well-being, you can give the best of yourself, not what’s left of yourself.

What advice would you give to a current student who is interested in pursuing a similar type of career in the future?

While informatics is a niche area of pharmacy, it can offer a broad scope of practice. I first found out about informatics through guest lectures at my pharmacy school and sought out experiences during my Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs & APPEs). Connecting with leaders in the field for advice and pursuing experiences that provide exposure to this specialized practice area are excellent ways to explore if this path is right for you.

Share a brief story about a time you had a positive impact in your role.

There are many ways to already start making a positive impact in your community, even as a student! One of my proudest accomplishments was establishing an “Entry to Rotations” event to better prepare my P3 class and future classes for their APPEs. This initiative was designed to foster alumni engagement, enhance professional readiness, and provide a supportive send-off as we prepared to transition from didactic studies to APPE rotations. After a year of dedicated planning and collaboration with RCOP administrators and student leaders, it was incredibly rewarding to see our vision come to fruition with positive feedback from participants!

Describe how you manage work/life or school/life balance.

Finding balance means recognizing that your needs will often change, and that's okay! What is truly important is building the awareness to recognize when your personal or professional needs require attention and then making adjustments as needed. I would encourage a person interested in this career to seek out leadership positions to learn how to juggle multiple responsibilities that will translate into your professional practice. This will help increase your self-awareness and ensure that you will always bring your best self forward as you navigate new challenges.

Share any additional comments or fun facts.

“Howdy” is the official greeting of Texas A&M University, so I like to introduce myself by saying “Howdy, I’m Mauri” since it rhymes 🤠 Fun Texas fact: Dr. Pepper was invented by a pharmacist in Waco, Texas who enjoyed how all the scents of the fruit syrup flavors used in compounding medications mixed together so much that he wanted to capture the aroma in a drink!