Kyla Agtarap (Rx2023) always felt drawn to a hospital pharmacy career. When considering which pharmacy career to pursue, Kyla felt that her love of interprofessional work and medicinal knowledge reflected a path to hospital pharmacy.
The University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy allowed Kyla to explore hospital pharmacy during co-op work terms and patient care rotations. She shadowed pharmacists in the hospital while on rotations which helped her recognize the benefit of pursuing a hospital pharmacy residency.
“This was the path I needed to take to learn more about hospital pharmacy and to become the leader I envisioned,” says Kyla.
Kyla, alongside four other co-residents, completed her hospital residency with The Ottawa Hospital and the Montfort Hospital. She was the only official bilingual 2023-2024 pharmacy resident.
“We did everything together,” Kyla says. “It is such an important bond to make with the other residents because when times get tough, and trust me they get tough, you are there to support and push one another through the hardships. I never felt alone.”
The residents helped each other during their hard times, inspired each other, celebrated one another’s accomplishments and made each other stronger healthcare professionals.
Over the course of the year, they spent time rotating through different hospital services, including mandatory infectious disease, general medicine and intensive care rotations. They were then able to streamline their interests. Kyla completed a rotation in stem cell transplant and CAR T-cell therapy, the only hospital to offer this service, along with neonatal intensive care, mental health, cardiology and the intensive care unit (ICU). The involvement in patient care and responsibilities changed per unit, keeping residents engaged. They also had to complete mandatory presentations on specific case studies and journal articles throughout the year to the whole pharmacy department and complete a research project.
“I went into the program solely thinking I’d focus on pediatrics,” Kyla says. “But the opportunity to see different services gave me a better appreciation for all the different roles.”
Q&A with Kyla
UW: What part of the residency program left the biggest impression on you?
KA: The stem cell transplant rotation was eye-opening for me. It reminded me why I chose the residency route. After spending time with a family undergoing chemotherapy I was reminded that although I have this knowledge to help people, at the end of the day I am still a human taking care of other humans. My goal is to make people’s lives better, even if it’s just making their life a little easier. I keep that in the back of my mind whenever I am treating a patient.
UW: If you could go back in time and do something differently before entering the residency program, what would it be?
KA: It seems so simple to say but I would take more notes. I tried to keep an ongoing document, but there’s so much information thrown your way and relevant conversations going on next to you. As much as I did my best to take notes, I’ve naturally forgotten some things. I’d advise future residents to keep a document with all the things they’ve learned. You may never hear a piece of advice or knowledge again and it may be the most important piece of information you gather.
UW: How did the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy prepare you for your residency?
KA: The School does a great job of varying the types of activities we do during our four years. The focus is not just on didactic learning in the classroom, not just lecture based. We participate in a lot of practical and group work. I definitely wouldn’t have been as confident speaking to patients during my residency without the professional practice labs where we learned how to speak to patients. Our co-op work terms and patient care rotations were unparalleled. Every single patient interaction and real-life cases I encountered gave me the transferrable skills for what I do now. I also appreciated how open the School was to listening to our feedback. Waterloo Pharmacy has a great culture where we can shape our learning. I am thankful for the opportunities I had to get involved with research and committees.
Future Plans
Kyla has been pursuing her career for the last nine years, from her undergraduate degree to her PharmD degree, completing her educational journey with a year in hospital residency.
“I am so thankful I took this path and can confirm it was the right journey for my career,” Kyla says. “It’s now time to nurture my pharmacy practice and to develop a work/life balance that a pharmacy career offers us.”
She is currently working at The Ottawa Hospital as a critical care pharmacist and pharmacotherapy steward. Kyla is looking forward to meeting people with similar passions and interests, travelling, and maintaining the friendships she’s built along the way, including her co-residents.