Introduction

Dr. Patrick Chan, PharmD, PhD, is an accomplished researcher and educator with expertise in clinical pharmacokinetics, mental health, and substance abuse. He earned his BA in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2000, followed by his PharmD and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy in Stockton, CA. Currently based at Olive-View UCLA Medical Center, Dr. Chan focuses on clinical outcomes for patients suffering from concurrent mental illness and substance abuse, with the goal of reducing abuse-related hospitalizations. He also serves as Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, and Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management at Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy. His research spans topics such as SSRIs' delayed therapeutic action, the pharmacokinetics of anesthetic agents, and strategies for managing diabetes with traditional medicinal herbs. An active contributor to academic literature, Dr. Chan has published extensively and has co-authored chapters in notable pharmacology and medicine texts. Learn more about him here.

Why Pharmacy

I feel very blessed to be in academia at WesternU where its a great intersection of teaching, precepting, research, administration, and professional service.  My passion is to push the profession of pharmacy forward, advocate for patients, and of course, support students in any way possible.  

Career Journey

I have many family members who are pharmacists so I was fortunate to be aware of the many areas of pharmacy.  Going into pharmacy school, I was enrolled in the PharmD/PhD program because I knew I wanted to do research. After graduating, I started as an Assistant Professor at Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy in Pomona, CA.      

Current Role and Responsibilities

In academia, our schedules are not quite rigid and will change on a daily basis.  My primary responsibilities at WesternU now are teaching and administration where I oversee enrollment.  I will also meet with APPE students on elective research and teaching rotations.  I am also a faculty advisor to several student organizations. I mentor students throughout all their years in school so I stay in touch with them consistently.    

Challenges

Since my current role is Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management at WesternU, the most challenging aspect of my career right now is all the negative publicity surrounding pharmacy!  Pharmacy is such a great profession and the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree is so versatile where graduates can work in many different avenues.  

Its not always easy, but managing work/life balance is based on working hard when it is time to work, being able to organize and prioritize, and simply knowing when you have to draw a line to stop working especially if its not on something that is not urgent.   

Rewards

The most rewarding aspect of my career at WesternU is working with and mentoring students and seeing them tackle various challenges and succeeding. There have been multiple instances of this - I have been lucky to work and mentor several students who did not have the strongest grades academically. But they worked so hard in developing their clinical, leadership, and research skills.  When it came time to apply for post-graduate residencies, they truly maximized and leveraged all their skills and experiences and were successful in obtaining a residency.   

Advice for Students and Aspiring Professionals

I would tell students to expand your experiences, develop leadership and research skills, but also think about what you want to specialize in.  Find a mentor(s) who can help guide and advocate for you in the future.