Meet alumna, Gabriella Salerno, a PGY-1 resident at UConn John Dempsey Hospital

Gabriella

“I also owe a lot to Phi Delta Chi Fraternity. Not only did it strengthen my bond with Dr. Trotta as she is a faculty advisor for the organization, it also opened numerous doors for me in terms of networking, leadership, service, and so much more.”

Name: Gabriella Salerno

Program: Doctor of Pharmacy

Match: PGY-1

Residency program: UConn John Dempsey Hospital, Farmington, CT

Education: Pre-pharmacy, Campbell University (2 years, no degree)

If you loved your time at Campbell please describe the experiences, people, dual degree/courses, work, service and/or leadership experiences that have meant to the most to you and helped you to get where you are today: One of the biggest contributors to my success was Dr. Katie Trotta. Our close relationship started when I became the Pharmacy Co-Director for the Campbell University Community Care Clinic (CUCCC). Throughout the two years I served with the clinic, Dr. Trotta became more than just a professor. She supported me through difficult personal and educational times, gave me advice on any topic I ever needed her opinion on, and played an integral role in my preparation for residency applications. I couldn’t have made it through four years of pharmacy school without her support and guidance!

I also owe a lot to Phi Delta Chi Fraternity. Not only did it strengthen my bond with Dr. Trotta as she is a faculty advisor for the organization, it also opened numerous doors for me in terms of networking, leadership, service, and so much more.

Accomplishments:

Leadership:

  • Pharmacy Co-Director – Campbell University Community Care Clinic (CUCCC)
  • Pharmacy Co-Director – Delivering Equal Access to Care Clinic (DEAC)
  • Fundraising Chair Phi Delta Chi Pharmaceutical Fraternity
  • Student Chair Pharmacy Curriculum Committee

Research / Publications:

  • The Frequency of Subtherapeutic Serum Drug Concentrations of Valproic Acid and Phenytoin -Following a Loading Dose
  • Tadeusz Pankiewicz – A Pharmacy Hero. A History of Pharmacy SIG Newsletter.
  • A Day in the Life of a Pharmacy Resident. Pharmacy Journal of New England.
  • The Evolving Role of the Pharmacist in Interprofessional Practice.

Awards and Honors:

  • D’Alonzo Family Scholarship
  • Lucille L. Ellis Family Pharmacy Scholarship
  • Distinguished Dean’s Scholarship
  • American Institute of the History of Pharmacy
  • Student Certificate of Recognition

When thinking about how you got to where you are now, list the most important things you did/were involved with or that Campbell helped you to do? I was the Pharmacy Co-Director of CUCCC and DEAC Clinic. I conducted a research project on Valproic acid and Phenytoin and I also published an article in the NCJM and a History SIG publication.

What would you recommend to those interested in becoming a successful clinician pharmacist? Involve yourself in things you are passionate about and that fulfill you as a person. Don’t just join or lead an organization for the sake of the title.