Apr 14
Commencement spotlight: Ramandeep Gill
NEOMED’s Commencement Ceremony will be held Saturday, May 6, at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Among the graduating class is Ramandeep Gill of Twinsburg, who will earn his Pharm.D. degree. He recently shared his story with The Pulse.
As a child in Twinsburg, Ohio, Ramandeep Gill thought he wanted to be a physician when he grew up.
“I have multiple family members in the health professions,” he noted, including his mother, who is a nurse, and cousins who are physicians or are currently in medical school. His brother, too, is currently narrowing down medical school choices in a gap year.
Shadowing experiences in high school and college led Gill to pursue a career in pharmacy instead.
“I decided to pursue a Pharm.D. degree during the summer before my third year of undergrad,” he said. “I had been shadowing different pharmacists during that time and it truly geared my decision to follow pharmacy. I liked the idea of being able to graduate and start working right away, and some of my friends were able to give me advice on what path to choose, since they were already practicing pharmacists.”
He will cross the stage as Dr. Gill, a member of the College of Pharmacy Class of 2023 during NEOMED’s Commencement Ceremony on May 6.
But his studies won’t end there.
Gill is enrolled in the combined Pharm.D./M.B.A. program, a collaborative program between NEOMED and the College of Business at the University of Akron. He is completing an M.B.A. track in pharmacy and hopes to complete that degree in fall.
“Managing one intense degree with other factors is already very difficult at times, so having two makes things super challenging,” he said. “However, being organized and planning ahead has allowed me to face minimal challenges in pursuing these degrees simultaneously. For example, when I am planning out my class assignments for my M.B.A., I am making sure that they are completed at times that I am free from pharmacy coursework, so that there is no overlap.”
The combination of skills and knowledge learned through the two degree programs fits with Gill’s plans to obtain a position in pharmacy administration in the future.
“Having the experience of my M.B.A. adds on to my pharmacy degree and I feel that it helps with building those skills of leadership and being a role model right out of graduation, which is key in obtaining a position in the administration area of pharmacy,” he noted. “Pharmacy truly is a small world, and being able to network with the different people I meet during each degree progression truly will help me obtain what my end goal is.”
Close to Home
Gill earned his undergraduate degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Youngstown State University. When deciding where to pursue his Pharm.D., NEOMED was a logical choice.
“NEOMED being the only pharmacy school in the northeast region of Ohio really allowed me to stay close to home and not go too far with a decent commute,” he said. “I enjoy being able to spend time with my friends and family at home during the weekends and put time away for school at the same time.”
He added, “NEOMED was also very welcoming during my interview and tour, which made me decide right then and there that this is where I want to attend pharmacy school.”
In the College of Pharmacy, Gill enjoyed being able collaborate with different professionals onsite and during the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations, gathering mentors – and confidence – along the way.
“Coming in as a P1, I would say that I wasn’t the most outgoing student in being social, and that had worried me because I wanted to build connections. However, looking at how far I have come today and the connections I have made up until this point, I feel that NEOMED really set me up for success and I have no worries in practicing soon,” he said.
As a student, Gill particularly enjoyed the APPE year, since it allowed him to apply what he learned in classes.
“Rotating from internal medicine to ambulatory care to community and others, I think it really shows you as a student all the different areas of what pharmacy entails, and where we as a profession make a difference,” he said.
He is looking forward to being a manager or director in pharmacy administration in the Cleveland area in next 5-10 years – “unless I start envying the weather in the west,” he said.
What advice does Gill have for current and future pharmacy students?
“I encourage pharmacy students to build connections throughout their years in pharmacy school. Never be discouraged to ask questions and always improve your knowledge.” he said. “APPE rotations are truly where I feel you learn the most as a student, so don’t take them for granted. I also think it’s important to always advocate for your profession, and the only way you can do that is to speak up. That sometimes starts with something small but can lead to something much bigger.”
