Spotlight on Susan

We know Susan to be the reliable, knowledgeable, and professional pharmacist that she is, but we had the feeling that there is more depth to her than at first impression.

As you may have seen on the "About Us" page of this website, Susan grew up living and travelling all over the U.S. and Europe as her dad was in the Air Force. She learned to adapt to various environments and people and we see this part of Susan's background shine through on a daily basis, as she actively listens to and interacts with patients and providers, never losing patience.  Working with her, we very much enjoy her steady disposition and openness to different viewpoints.

"It takes a village to raise a child"

And Susan is an integral part of that village, mentoring the children of friends. She has been doing this for years as some of those kids are almost adults! As an informal big sister, Susan finds ...

Volunteering

Susan helps out at her Methodist church and also at Harmony Health Clinic, which many of us at The Pharmacy also support wholeheartedly. It is a free medical and dental clinic in Little Rock for the uninsured and under-insured.

She also enjoys spending time with her parents, who appreciate her help as well.



What is a little-known fact about you, Susan?

When I was studying in pharmacy school, I had to keep my hands busy while studying. So, I would stand and focus on reading my notes, and at the same time have yo-yos in my hands so that they'd be occupied!

My brother gave me a yo-yo machined out of titanium once, that he had found and bought from a San Francisco yo-yo shop, pre-internet. I was proud of having such a high-quality yo-yo -- the better ones are made so that they have minimal drag. There are also yo-yos made with specific levels of friction, for specific tricks.

When I get into something and focus on it, I tend to want to know everything about it. This was also the case with collecting wines, although that particular tendency has been put into check since covid.

And yes, I can still do some yo-yo tricks!

If you weren't a pharmacist, what would you be?

I'd be an English major graduate, specializing in Southern literature!  I went to Ol' Miss and I would have been content surrounded by historical Southern figures, except that I chose pharmacy because of an interest piqued by perusing my grandmother's copy of the Physician's Desk Reference, a book that included photos and descriptions of medications. Today, I like to read biographies and mostly non-fiction. I prefer older non-fiction, classics, mostly about the South. 

What are humans' best invention to date?

The internet. We have so much information at our fingertips. When I was about 10 years old, my parents bought an encyclopaedia set and I read it as a child, from A to Z. 

One thing that I remember from it is that if a cow has twins and they are a male and a female, that the female twin is always sterile. The reason was discovered in the 1800's -- because placenta membranes often merge when a heifer has twins, the two calves end up sharing proteins and other molecules. This renders the female twin infertile and reduces the fertility of the male twin. 

This happens in certain animals, such as pigs, cows, and goats.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation. It wouldn't include time travel, but just being able to go from one location to another instantly, to be able to pop in for dinner, for example. It takes too long to get to a place!

What are your thoughts about travel?

Having been to almost all the world's continents, I have to say that the U.S. has wonderful places to see. You don't have to go abroad to see amazing things.

My next trip will be to upstate New York and the Great Lakes area in the spring. I look forward to seeing Cooperstown and other quaint villages and towns in that area. If anyone has travel tips for that area, please let me know!

What is a common misconception about pharmacists?

The education that we must go through. People often don't realize the difference between a pharmacy technician and a pharmacist. While technicians are part of the backbone of pharmacy, pharmacists are highly trained in our field.

After obtaining a bachelor's degree, we do 4 years of specialized training and finish with a doctorate in pharmacy. We are exposed to various medical environments (hospital, retail, research, industry, etc.) through internships and we specialize after graduating.

We work closely with physicians and both professions now have more exposure to each other during their training. When consulting with a patient in a retail setting, we may discuss medication options that the patient then brings up with his/her physicians. We enjoy playing a key role in a patient's health team, pulling for the best outcome for each patient.