The Women in Pharmacy Leadership (WIPL) Alumni Mentorship Program pairs recent alumni who identify as female with working or retired professionals in their field of interest to help them move towards their leadership goals. In this series, Waterloo Pharmacy spotlights their experiences.
Leadership in a hospital pharmacy role is complex and multi-faceted. Krystyna Edwards-Lee (BScPharm’11, PharmD’16), a clinical resource pharmacist for the New Brunswick Heart Centre and board member of the Canadian Cardiovascular Pharmacy Network, was seeking guidance for project development and how to handle the difficult situations that arise in leadership positions.
When Edwards-Lee was matched with Jane Martin (BScPhm, ACPR, MBA), Vice President of Clinical Support Services and Regional Programs at Grand River Hospital and Regional Vice President of the Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer program, it led to the perfect pairing.
Martin became Director of Pharmacy at an acute care hospital at just 27 years of age.
“I’ve always been fortunate to have a strong female mentor presence throughout my career. With no prior management experience, I was pulled into the director role because my mentor believed in me and saw in me the attributes of a leader,” says Martin.
“It’s an important goal of mine, to give back to young leaders in much the same way that my mentors helped me.”
Edwards-Lee realized early in the mentorship that she needed guidance to develop her leadership skills.
“I loved working with Jane. She was a great mentor and helped me overcome different barriers within a hospital environment,” says Edwards-Lee. “She helped me identify who to lean on for support within my coworkers and recognize who I could connect with for specific projects.”
As an introvert, Edwards-Lee mostly works independently but she found that being more visible and vocal, with Jane’s guidance, has made managers aware of the accomplishments she has made and initiatives she has implemented and has helped her to be considered for future opportunities.
“This recognition has led to management requesting my involvement in provincial projects,” says Edwards-Lee.
I have found that although you may not always be aware, people are watching you, how you interact with others, and what you achieve. Decisions about your career are made when you’re not in the room and are based on the qualities that you bring to the position.
By expressing this to young leaders, she hopes they will tap into their confidence and seize opportunities when they arise.
Both Edwards-Lee and Martin want future female students entering the pharmacy field to believe in themselves, seek others around them who can support them, and form a network of like-minded individuals.
Q&A with Jane and Krystyna
Krystyna Edwards-Lee
UW: What was your favourite part of the program?
KEL: Being a part of the WIPL alumni mentorship program boosted my confidence and in turn bolstered my leadership skills. It helped me overcome the self-doubt I was experiencing.
JM: It was rewarding to be a part of a more formalized mentorship network. Krystyna and I enjoyed the program and we will continue to stay in touch informally moving forward.
UW: What was your biggest accomplishment/take away from the program?
KEL: With Jane’s guidance, I figured out what I needed to include for a grant proposal for a province wide project in New Brunswick and as a result, was able to secure some of the funding.
JM: For me helping another emerging female leader was fulfilling. I am grateful to have made a difference in Krystyna’s career.
Jane Martin
UW: What are your recommendations to women in the pharmacy field?
JM: I always advise the students in my lectures to not discount leadership when they first graduate. Their natural inclination is to apply their clinical knowledge about medications and treatments to improve patient care as a front-line pharmacist. People who go into healthcare want to make a difference and they think leadership has less of that impact. However, leadership influences change on a broader scale and we need to foster engaged leaders to continuously improve healthcare.
UW: What advice would you give future mentors/mentees?
JM: Everyone needs mentors throughout every stage of their career. Put your name forward as a mentee or consider being a mentor. Not only will you make a difference in someone else’s career but you yourself will reap the rewards of being a mentor in ways you never would have anticipated.
KEL: Future mentees – be as open as you can be and try to self-reflect on your goals and what skills you want to develop to get the most out of the mentorship. Do not be intimidated by your mentor’s success but embrace all they have experienced to get to their position.
For more of our mentor and mentee experiences, please visit our website.