Doctor of Pharmacy
Hometown: Lucasville, Ohio            

Jenny Mason will be among the first students to graduate from The University of Findlay with a doctor of pharmacy degree.            

The direct-admit, six-year program was the first new pharmacy program in 100 years in the state of Ohio when it accepted its first class five years ago. The College of Pharmacy at the University was given approval from the Ohio Board of Regents (2005) and the Higher Learning Commission (2006) to offer a doctor of pharmacy degree and has been awarded candidate accreditation status (2008) by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Candidate accreditation status is awarded to a doctor of pharmacy program that has students enrolled but has not yet had a graduating class. Graduates of a class designated as having Candidate accreditation status have the same rights and privileges of those graduates from a fully accredited program.   


“After meeting the faculty and staff … I could see how passionate they were about pharmacy and seeing this new program succeed,” said Mason. “I immediately felt very welcome.”            

Mason says that she enjoys the close-knit atmosphere she experienced at Findlay and was able to get to know her professors and staff members on a personal level, rather than “just being another student.” Mason began her studies at UF after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and admits to being a little nervous about switching from a large school to a small school. However, she quickly learned that the smaller class sizes at Findlay allow for discussion-based learning, rather than being one of many students in a large lecture hall.            

Because she is a member of the first pharmacy class, Mason had the opportunity to become involved with founding several new pharmacy student organizations. She is most proud of being a member of the Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP). “I enjoyed being a founding officer … and continuing to be a leader while I was on campus,” she said. “ASP allowed me to socialize with other pharmacy students … while learning about pharmacy careers and volunteering within the community.”            

An activity Mason especially enjoyed was coordinating monthly blood pressure and blood glucose screenings at the Findlay Village Mall, which gave her the opportunity interact with faculty and students while providing a service to the community.            

During her final year as a UF student, Mason is completing a clinical practice rotation at Mount Carmel West in Columbus, where she works directly with a pharmacist who supervises her job responsibilities. Her favorite rotations include working in the intensive care unit, emergency room, neonatal intensive care unit and cardiology unit.

Mason speaks with a colleague at Mount Carmel, where she is completing a clinical practice rotation. Photo courtesy of Mount Carmel.

As part of her daily activities, Mason looks at patients’ medications and laboratory work to make sure they are receiving adequate drug therapy; attends multidisciplinary rounds with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and others and makes appropriate recommendations for patients’ medications; makes sure that medications are dosed correctly and that patients are receiving the appropriate treatments for each medical condition; and more.            

Mason answers drug-related questions for the medical staff and researches issues as necessary. She also has provided presentations and educational sessions for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care students.            

In addition, Mason responds with her supervising pharmacist to Code Blue situations and incoming traumas, and she has had the opportunity to view procedures such as open-heart surgery. “These rotations allow students to experience many different areas of pharmacy and health care and to see how the pharmacist can directly impact patient care,” she said.            

Mason appreciates the faculty and staff members who helped prepare her for her career. She mentioned many people within the College of Pharmacy who served as her mentors, advocates, motivators and challengers.

“I could not have asked for a better faculty and staff than those at The University of Findlay,” said Mason. “I had the privilege to work with many of them during my five years at the University.”            

Following commencement, Mason plans to complete a post-graduate pharmacy practice residency with a focus on pediatrics at Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla.