First Masters of Science in Pharmacy students aim to impact the future of pharmacy

Maria Marchese (left) and Jessica Stovel began the Masters of Science in Pharmacy (MScPhm) in January 2020.

The first two students of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s new Masters of Science in Pharmacy (MScPhm) have different research and clinical interests, but they share a passion for education and a desire to have an impact on the future of the pharmacy profession.

Maria Marchese and Jessica Stovel earned their first pharmacy degrees at the Faculty in 2015 and 2007, respectively. They were each looking for advanced programs that would help them develop their practices and improve the care that they provide to patients. The new MScPhm program has been structured to do that and more.

Marchese was a hospital pharmacist working in oncology at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, as well as working part-time in community pharmacy and long-term care. She was most interested in the clinical component of the program, which she had not seen included in any advanced pharmaceutical science degrees she had explored.

“I find the connection to patients very important, and I enjoy the relationships with them,” she says. "I knew this program would provide the opportunity to gain more skills, expose me to cutting-edge research and allow for more networking and mentorship to help me develop even further in my practice, particularly in oncology." Marchese will be completing her clinical practicum and research project at the Odette Cancer Centre, where she will be working with supervisor Carlo DeAngelis and the cannabis consultation service provided to cancer patients.

“I knew this program would provide the opportunity to gain more skills, expose me to cutting-edge research and allow for networking and mentorship to help me develop even further in my practice, particularly in oncology."

Program encompasses more than clinical care

Stovel was also looking for ways to improve her clinical skills, but she was most drawn to the program’s research component. Before starting her pharmacy degree, she had considered a career in academia and research but decided against it so she could have a greater connection to patients. The MScPhm program allowed her to return to that interest.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be able to combine research with my clinical practice,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see that being done in practice, and I want to be able to do that myself in the future.”

A hospital pharmacist previously based in London, Ontario, Stovel has worked in various services, including pediatrics, orthopedic surgery and the cardiac care unit. But she was excited to be able to specialize in a longstanding clinical interest during her MScPhm – mental health and addiction. Her clinical practicum and research project will be based at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where she will work with supervisor Beth Sproule to examine the experience and perceptions of patients taking benzodiazepines chronically.

Leadership skills are core component of program

Both Stovel and Marchese are excited about the program’s emphasis on education and leadership, which will give them tools to serve in future leadership roles. “We’ll have the opportunity to apply leadership principles we learn in the program to shape the new direction of pharmacy and pharmacy education,” says Marchese.

The new program began in January, and both are excited to be back at U of T, where they knew they would receive a high calibre of education and the opportunity to learn from and network with world class researchers and clinicians.

“I had been looking for a way to advance my clinical practice, but I didn’t see anything that really matched what I was looking for,” says Stovel. “This program really called to me because it involves all three passions of mine – research, clinical care and education. It was even better than what I thought I was looking for.”

Interested in the MScPhm program?

Stop by for an Open House to learn more about our newly created Master of Science in Pharmacy (MScPhm) program:

Wednesday, March 11
6pm - 7:30pm  
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy 
144 College Street
Room 1210.

Register