She’s the type of pharmacist I hope to be when I graduate pharmacy school.
To a dedicated educator like Esther Lee, there is likely no higher praise. The kind words come from a nomination letter from Esther’s co-op students – Dr. Lee is the first-ever recipient of the Waterloo School of Pharmacy Outstanding Co-op Supervisor Award.
Esther Lee is a clinical pharmacist on the general medicine floor at Grand River Hospital. She’s acted as a co-op supervisor for School of Pharmacy students since 2015, mentoring 5 students. She’s supervised more students outside of the co-op program, and has been shadowed by PharmD students from both Waterloo and University of Toronto Pharmacy. Her interest in mentorship stems from the positive effects that her students create. Esther explains:
My pharmacy students have a great impact on patient care and are exceptional members of our medicine team. I am so proud of what they’ve accomplished.
By acting as a role model, mentor and supervisor, she has continuously enabled her students to be challenged and inspired by their workplace.
Brilliant and hard-working are some of the words nominators used to describe Esther, but it was her humility, kindness and willingness to teach that stood out for her co-op students. She’d spend time each shift reviewing patient cases with her students, and also ensured that her students gained experience dialoguing with physicians and other members of the multidisciplinary hospital team. The experience was highly valued by students, with one nominator stating that she wants to pursue hospital practice after graduation, in part because of Esther’s positive influence.
Esther’s ability to deliver exemplary patient care while also providing exceptional support for her pharmacy students make her especially worthy of this award. She received her award at the Ontario Pharmacist Association's annual conference in June.
Congratulations, Esther!
New in 2016, the Outstanding Co-op Supervisor Award is sponsored by the School of Pharmacy in recognition of the critical role our co-op employers play in educating the next generation of pharmacists.
For more OPA Conference news, see this story on the OPA's annual awards and their connection to Waterloo Pharmacy.