Marian Gurguis mentors the next generation of pharmacists
When Marian Gurguis (Rx2011), a Clinical Pharmacist in the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, welcomes fourth-year Waterloo Pharmacy students for their patient care rotations, she isn’t just teaching clinical skills; she’s helping them build trust, communication and clinical judgement for their future practice.
As a leading academic health sciences institution affiliated with major education and research hubs, St. Joe’s Hamilton plays an important role in training the leaders and providers of tomorrow. Its partnerships with teaching programs are a vital part of that mission, giving pharmacy opportunities to learn and contribute under the mentorship of experienced pharmacy professionals.
Before starting their placement, Gurguis has her students set realistic clinical learning goals, thinking carefully about what they want to improve on and areas they want to explore. During the first week, she helps students in develop structured approaches to patient interactions, including how to ask effective questions and identify key concerns to guide care planning.
"I don't want them to sit and watch us work. I want them to gain more than the knowledge of psychiatric medications; they’re expected to show their independent clinical skills from the beginning,” she says.
Under Gurguis’ mentorship and the oversight of the pharmacy team, students counsel patients, investigate medication histories, identify drug-therapy programs and present recommendations to the health-care team. They attend rounds, participate in interprofessional care and are encouraged to share their ideas and recommendations with the care team. Patient care rotations give students experiences in a range of situations, building their confidence to practice as a pharmacist in a real-world setting.
At St. Joe’s, Gurguis has an additional role in the central pharmacy, allowing students to explore another area of the hospital. Students are exposed to the intensive care unit, medicine, nephrology, surgery and more. The focus is to educate patients and counsel them on their current and any new medications.
“Waterloo Pharmacy students set themselves apart among all other pharmacy students,” she says. “They have excellent problem-solving and communication skills that allow them to look at the bigger picture to understand how the working environment functions and what the clinical role of a pharmacist entails. This can only be developed through Waterloo’s co-op program.”
During rotations, students become active contributors to the care team, transitioning from student to practicing pharmacist. A recent student under Gurguis’ mentorship quickly evolved from learner to contributor.
Samantha Livingston (Rx2026) demonstrated this progression by confidently contributing evidence-based recommendations and collaborating with the care team to support continuity of care.
Dr. Nathan Bakker, Psychiatrist at St. Joe's in the Acute Psychiatry Unit, was equally impressed by Livingston's contributions. Working alongside her on the acute mental health unit, he noted that she consistently looked beyond patients' immediate psychiatric needs.
"What stood out most was how thorough and proactive Samantha was," says Bakker. "She wasn't just focused on a patient's mental health. She looked at their overall health, identifying opportunities to improve metabolic health, cardiovascular risk factors and preventive care. Her recommendations were consistently evidence-based and supported by primary literature."
Bakker also observed her patient-centred approach. "Patients found her kind, helpful and easy to talk to. She took the time to understand their concerns, validate them and provide education in a way that helped them feel more comfortable with their treatment decisions."
Livingston collaborated with other allied health-care professionals, identified the need for and conducted, group therapy sessions on sleep hygiene for patients, integrating both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to sleep seamlessly into their care plans. Livingston saw the importance of continued self-care for the patients that inspired her to create a pamphlet that patients could take with them to set goals and implement them before discharge. She is the first student to independently identify and implement this idea in the program at St. Joe’s.
While students learn from preceptors, preceptors in turn learn from students. “Students bring fresh perspectives, current evidence and different approaches that I often incorporate into my own work,” Gurguis adds.
Watching students recognize their full potential during their rotation, knowing they're only months away from becoming pharmacists is her favourite part. Years later, many former students keep in touch with her, sharing career milestones and seeking advice. By helping students build confidence and independence, she is paying forward the mentorship and opportunities she once received herself.
“Waterloo Pharmacy has a special place in my heart. As an alum and preceptor of more than five years, I understand the opportunities the program provides and how we can help set students up for a strong start in their careers,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to help shape the future of pharmacy.”