Charlie Bayliff Memorial Award recognizes future hospital pharmacists | School of Pharmacy

At convocation each year, several graduating students are recognized with awards that celebrate exceptional achievement. The Charlie Bayliff Memorial Award is one of these, given to a graduating student who has been accepted into a hospital residency program. The recipient must demonstrate academic excellence and a sustained commitment to professional activities throughout their academic career. Jace Hui (Rx2021, right) is this year’s recipient of the award.

“The Charlie Bayliff Memorial Award is just one way that our community has come together to bolster student success and recognize achievement,” says Andrea Edginton, Hallman Director. “This particular award supports a new graduate each year as they embark on a challenging but rewarding experience as a hospital resident and helps pave the way for exemplary pharmacy practice in hospital settings.”

Following graduation, Jace will begin residency at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre where she hopes to build the foundation for a career in hospital pharmacy. During her time as a student, she was active on many clubs and was the Waterloo Pharmacy representative on the Ontario Pharmacy Residents Association, a province-wide collaboration that connected residency programs with students for information sharing events.

Jace also held leadership roles with the Society of Pharmacy Students and the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns. At convocation, she also received a Mortar and Pestle award which is given to graduating students who complete the PharmD program in the top 10 per cent of their class.

This award was established in 2013 in memory of Charlie Bayliff, an inspiring hospital pharmacist and friend to many. Charlie made significant contributions in patient care and derived great satisfaction from his pharmacy-based drug therapy recommendations. His contributions impacted many colleagues in medicine, clinical pharmacology and pharmacy. To Charlie, staff members, physicians, residents, researchers, and students were all peers. His passion for a high standard of professional practice was evident to all. Charlie’s infectious enthusiasm and ‘can-do’, ‘why not’ attitude helped create first rate care teams throughout his career.

Charlie passed away in 2010 after a lengthy battle with cancer. As an enduring tribute, the profession established a scholarship fund in Charlie’s name. This fund has provided financial support for Waterloo Pharmacy graduates who have been accepted into a hospital pharmacy residency program. Jace Hui, the 2021 recipient, is the eighth student to benefit from this award.

“I’m heartened to see how the award has highlighted Charlie's important contributions to clinical pharmacy in Canada,” says David Knoppert, friend and coworker of Bayliff. “I hope that it will continue to inspire young Pharmacy students to follow Charlie's vision of what a clinical pharmacist can achieve."

Over $40,000 dollars were raised to support the award when it was established. To continue to offer this meaningful scholarship, we continue to seek support for the fund and welcome donations: Support the School website.