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Episode 27 — Maddie Stacey, Early Admission Pathway student
In this episode we chat with first-year student pharmacist Maddie Stacey, who found confidence — and a community — through ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy’s Early Admission Pathway. A native of Kingsport, Stacey learned about the college’s EAP program while in high school. For her, the program has made the adjustment to pharmacy school much easier.
Open to high school seniors and first-year ETSU students, the Early Admission Pathway enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in just six years. EAP students also join the college’s Pre-Pharmacy Student Organization, designed to introduce them to different specialties in pharmacy and to foster connections with their classmates. Learn more at www.etsu.edu/RxEarlyAdmit.
Transcript
Teaser Introduction
Maddie Stacey
I think some of the things that the early admissions pathway has made me as a student as confident. I would say that the transition pathway is very smooth. They again, they put everything in line for you. I mean, they give you your schedule, they tell you what you need to do. And so I think that it makes everything much more cohesive.
Main Episode:
Michele Williams
Welcome to White Coat Radio, a podcast from East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. Each episode, we cover a wide range of topics about the pharmacy school experience, from study tips to deep dives with faculty and student pharmacists. I'm one of your hosts, Doctor Michele Williams, assistant professor and director of academic success.
Stephen Woodward
And I'm Stephen Woodward, marketing and communications manager. First year student pharmacist Maddie Stacey from Kingsport, Tennessee, sat down for us to talk about her experience going through Gatton's early admission pathway opened high school seniors and first year ETSU students. The early admission pathway enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and the Doctor Pharmacy degree in just six years.
Stephen Woodward
The pathway offers students the assurance of a seat, mentoring, scholarships, research opportunities, and flexible start options for the pharmacy curriculum. For Stacey, the early admission pathway has made the adjustment to pharmacy school much easier and helped her to find confidence and a community. The deadline to apply is March 31st, 2026. Learn more at Etsu Edu slash. Early admit.
Stephen Woodward
Let's hear more about her experience now. Well, hi, Maddie, welcome to White Coat Radio. Start by telling us what got you interested in pursuing pharmacy.
Maddie Stacey
I'm interested in pursuing pharmacy because when I was younger, I realized how much one medication could do for one person. Right? And if it can just do so much to change a person's life, to make it more accessible, I want to know everything about how that drug was able to do that for that person. And what else can it do for another person?
Maddie Stacey
So I'm really interested in pursuing pharmacy because I want to know how all the drugs can help people be better and function in their lives and be able to enjoy their lives. And so I really love that about pharmacy.
Stephen Woodward
Well, what was it like going through our early admission pathway, which is for high school seniors attending ETSU and ETSU freshmen?
Maddie Stacey
I got really interested in pharmacy when I was in high school. And in high school they start to tell you about college options. And when you look at ETSU, you figure out that there are a lot of opportunities. So I was invited to a event for the Honors College and at the Honors College, they have a lot of the other colleges come and set up like Quillen and Gatton.
Maddie Stacey
And at that event, Becky Dunkelberger was there and she was there representing Gatton. And that's when I first got to figure out that there was a place here in Johnson City, really close to my hometown, Kingsport, that was offering a pharmacy program, which was very exciting. I was excited about that. And she told me there were a lot of opportunities.
Maddie Stacey
So the Early Admissions Pathway isn't just, you get here as soon as you can. It's a you create what you want to do. So there was a two years of undergraduate, and then you go in and you can start getting those requirements for your PharmD. Or if you want to get chemistry, biology, health sciences, any of those, you can do three years of undergraduate and then go in.
Maddie Stacey
And Becky explains all this very well. For me, I chose to go ahead and do the two years, and I also chose to get a Bachelors of Pharmacy studies, which is an option, and I chose to do that. It's just a few more requirements. But again, I never had to worry the school was with me along the way.
Maddie Stacey
So when you choose to be an Early Admissions Pathway student, you meet once a semester with either Steve Ellis or Becky, and they're like, okay, here's where you're at. Here's what you need to do. How does that sound? And you either are like, yeah, I can do that. Or, you know, this class is full. I don't think I can take this.
Maddie Stacey
And they help you every step of the way. If you can't do it, if you can do it. So, it sounds like a lot. Being like, oh, I need to do everything before I come to pharmacy school. But you do it one step at a time. And I love that. About the early admissions pathway. And I would do it again if I, if I was asked, I would definitely do it again.
Maddie Stacey
It's very smooth transition.
Stephen Woodward
Talk about your experience in the pre pharmacy student organization at Etsu. Also known as. So what was that like.
Maddie Stacey
So when you decide to become an early admissions pathway student Becky invites you to join pre pharmacy student organization which is so and so this organization works to invite pharmacists from the surrounding areas, from the faculty to come and speak about their specialties, their advice or their disciplines. And pharmacy. And it gives students like a wide range of options to see, oh wait, pharmacy is not just something that happens behind the counter at a Walgreens or a CVS.
Maddie Stacey
There's so much more to pharmacy and that's something I really loved about pre pharmacy student organization. So once you start going it's like once every other Wednesday night. And something great about pre pharmacy student organization is that as an early admissions pathway student it's a requirement. So obviously everybody there is also going to be in your program or a year behind you maybe a year ahead of you.
Maddie Stacey
But you're connected with all of these students that go to Etsu and are going to go with you to that program. So my class is 63 people, and of that 63 going in, I knew about 30 people, which is pretty incredible considering that, you know, they're students from out of state that didn't have that same opportunity. And that's just something that the early admission pathway offers.
Maddie Stacey
If you go to Etsu as well. And I loved getting to do that. And in addition to doing that, our faculty advisor is Doctor Thigpen. He's one of the pediatric pharmacists, and he's a faculty member. So, as president of the club, I got to talk to him a lot and make a relationship with him. And that was really great, because coming here, whenever they matched me up with an advisor, he actually ended up being my advisor to sorry, already had that relationship.
Maddie Stacey
And that's just like something that just falls into place. Something really great I can say about him is that when I was first starting with the requirements, you have the option of an elective, but my class was one of the first where physiology was a requirement, but, physics wasn't. And so I had a question. I was like, you know, is this still an option for an elective?
Maddie Stacey
Like. And it was like getting close to deadline. I was nervous, I was like, what if they just don't let me in because I didn't know there is an elective? And he was really fast to get back to me within, you know, a day he was like, yeah, that's all good. Get inside. That's okay. And it's like, I had that relationship with him.
Maddie Stacey
I was able to ask me that question, and I got my answer within a day because I knew him. And I think that connection was really great to have from that club to.
Stephen Woodward
So what advice would you give someone interested in applying for the early admission pathway? Again?
Maddie Stacey
Something that I think is a really big deal. Gatton is not just about having good grades or, you know, making the best grades. I think it's really important that you're going to be somebody that cares about your patients. And I think they care about seeing that in your essays. So I would say the essay portion is a big part of the admissions.
Maddie Stacey
And I would I would challenge, people who are interested in joining the program to ask themselves, what impact are you making right now, whether that be in an area and shared, say you help with child care. You do volunteering at a certain place. What impact are you making now? And, you know, I would ask, you know, how can you connect that in your essay to say, how does being a pharmacist help you make more of an impact in that area?
Maddie Stacey
What is being a pharmacist do to make an impact for you? And I think that's important because when you're connecting that, you're really showing how, you're not just interested in it for, you know, maybe the life, but you're interested in it for the way that you're going to impact patients. And getting is very patient centered. And I love that.
Maddie Stacey
That's why I chose, again, they love their patients and they love making people, the best they can be in that area.
Stephen Woodward
So as you know, getting offers a unique two week bridge program to help students transition into pharmacy school ... What was that experience like?
Maddie Stacey
Getting Ready is the first two weeks of your first year of pharmacy school. So in those two weeks you get introduced to all the classes. You will be taking, in the following semester. So you it's a little bit different from what your actual schedule will be like, but it encourages you to think about how you are going to balance and time manage the rest of the semester, which is the most important part that I feel like I got from getting ready.
Maddie Stacey
I think that it's nothing more challenging than you have done. I think that they prepare you in everything that is in the first two weeks you can do. It just feels like a lot because it kind of is. Everything is all at once in those first two weeks, and then, you know, after your first week, you have to prepare for your white coat ceremony, too.
Maddie Stacey
So it's just a lot of events at first, and I think that can be the most challenging. But as far as the transition, I would say that it got me prepared to think about what materials I wanted to use. You know, pharmacy school, there's a lot of notes, and I thought I was going to come in and do a lot of paper notes.
Maddie Stacey
But after that first two weeks, I was like, you know what? I think I'm actually gonna go digital for the first time. So I think those first two weeks really show you how the rest of your semester can go and what you want to do that works best for you. And I think that's what a lot of my peers would say, too.
Maddie Stacey
It's about learning about how you want your semester go and how you're going to attack your semester. So, you know, I'm really glad that I went digital. It helped me keep up in class. And a lot of people will tell you that, too. When you're just covering so much volume of material, it's faster when you're able to highlight the PowerPoints.
Maddie Stacey
And addition to that, you get to meet all of those advisors and all of those, professors in the first two weeks, which was really great. They were very helpful. They clearly outline how you can meet with them when you can meet with them. If you have questions where you can get those resources. So I really enjoyed that part.
Maddie Stacey
I think trying to think if there's anything else that I could say about, getting ready other than it's, it's not bad. I think I was, I was, I was intimidated, I was really scared. I was like, oh, they're trying to win me out here. This is where if I don't want to do it, they're trying to get me out.
Maddie Stacey
But it's not as scary as it sounds. So that's that's the comforting part.
Stephen Woodward
What? So what was the interview day process like for you as an early admission pathway student?
Maddie Stacey
So the interview process for me was during Covid. So unfortunately, I wasn't able to come on to campus and get to interview. I had my interview online and it was a set of two separate interviews in the same day. And once you one was with a small group and then one was individual with a mine was with a student instead of a faculty member.
Maddie Stacey
And it may have just been, Covid. I'm not sure how they do it now. And then once you get accepted, something that is very good about the early admissions pathway is that as long as you're on track, you have a seat reserved at the pharmacy school. So there's no second applications, there's no second essays, there's no second interviews.
Maddie Stacey
Once you're accepted, you have a shot at being here and you have that seat ready for you. When you're ready.
Stephen Woodward
You know, we hear from a lot of our students, alumni, faculty and staff that the culture and people are just highly valued at the college. How would you describe our culture here as a first year student pharmacist?
Maddie Stacey
I absolutely adore our staff so much. I can't tell you how much I adore them. You know, one thing I'd love to highlight as a pharmacy student and coming there are like obviously a million people for you to meet. Add on the professors, add on the the patients. Like there are just so many people for you to meet.
Maddie Stacey
I just want to give a shout out to Demers. She did so great. You know, introducing herself, making herself very approachable, you know, tells you about her career and something that I love you do as a pharmacy student. First year, you get to have lunch with the dean, which is so cool. So you have the small group, you come meet with the dean, she asks you these questions and like individually as you, it's not like, oh, I don't know your name.
Maddie Stacey
It's oh, she knows your name. She's already looked at your picture and the book. She knows who you are. How are you doing? Where are you at in this process? And that is so awesome. I don't know if other pharmacy schools do that, but we do here, and that's something I love. And then the one other thing I wanted to comment on was a time I was struggling and an advisor helped me, which was great because they're not even my personal advisor.
Maddie Stacey
They're just the professor of that class and offered to help me. I was really, really scared of vaccines. I was afraid of hurting somebody. I was afraid that I was going to make somebody really like. I was so afraid of hurting somebody, which I think is reasonable when you're starting to learn that. And when I started, after I got certified, the first thing I did when I gave vaccines was I would shake really bad because I was just so afraid of hurting people, you know?
Maddie Stacey
And it made me really upset. And I felt really disappointed in myself because I couldn't give a vaccine. And instead of, you know, just being quiet about it, letting that go on for four years, I reached I reached out to doctor J. Rob and Doctor Alexander. I was like, hey, I'm struggling, I'm not doing good and I'm okay.
Maddie Stacey
Admit that. Can you help me? And, doctor J. Rob. She was like, hey, come to my office at 8 a.m. and we can talk about it. And I thought we were just gonna be talking about it. And she had brought, syringes, needles. She brought saline, and she's like, we can get better today, and I will let you give me a shot in both my arms.
Maddie Stacey
And what what other school is going to have professors that offer up their arms? You know, when I say, hey, I'm struggling, I don't know how good I am. She's like, that's okay, you can do it on me. That's that's a pretty big ask. And then on top of that, she said, and down the hall, Doctor Dowling, you can give her two shots.
Maddie Stacey
Two after you give them to me. So she's just offering up everybody's arms. What other school are you going to get that that professors would be brave enough to be confident in me that, you know, I know you're struggling, but I know that you can. You're here because you can. So I think that's a really great, you know, a testament to how great the faculty is that they would be willing to give their arm for me to learn.
Maddie Stacey
So I love that.
Stephen Woodward
All right, well, tell us what you want to do when you graduate.
Maddie Stacey
So I think something to remember is, even if you're a first year student, you don't have to make plans as soon as you get here. You don't have to know what you want to do. As soon as you get here. Obviously, you're here because you're interested in pharmacy. In my case, though, I have a vision and I would love to see myself working at a pediatric hospital.
Maddie Stacey
I would love to see myself helping that population of patients. So right now, after I finish pharmacy school, I would absolutely love to go on to a residency that has a PGY1 and a PGY2, which, is focused in pediatrics. But something that I would really love is to be close to home. So the one that I'm looking at that I'd be very interested in is wake Forest.
Maddie Stacey
They have a pharmacy general, your first one, which means, you get to see all the disciplines within pharmacy and they have, I mean, a lot of different patients. I see a lot of different cases. And I think that would be a great learning opportunity. And, if I could get there my first year, I would love to apply to their pediatric program, which will be intensive.
Maddie Stacey
And that population of patients, how you work with them in those different areas. And I would absolutely love to continue to learn that. I love helping, children. And it's a lot of different dosing. They're not just little humans. They are they have different metabolism, different things they need. And I would love to learn more about that.
Maddie Stacey
So that's where I would love to see myself after Gatton.
Stephen Woodward
Was, you know, getting offers. A lot of student organizations and leadership opportunities. Tell us about what you're involved in and why that's important for students here.
Maddie Stacey
Okay, I'm in a few clubs and organizations here at Gatton. I am in the Pediatrics Pharmacy Association club, and what they do is they meet once a month and they go over some pharmacists or patient cases that pharmacists look at in their day, and they talk about how there's a range of cases and then you have volunteering opportunities in that club.
Maddie Stacey
And then I'm also in a residency based club. And what they do is they bring in, pharmacists that have either been through residency or, or who are very specialized in residency and, can help you a lot with looking at that. And that's a really great club to be in. I think if you are interested in residency, because it tells you early on what to expect, how can you make yourself competitive?
Maddie Stacey
And that one also meets about once a month. And the best part about clubs at Gatton is you have a free period. Usually in your day it's, lunch and then they call it common time. And most of the clubs meet during that day, so you don't have to commit extra time outside of school because it's within schools within those hours.
Maddie Stacey
So you have extra time to still work and, you know, have your work life balance. And that's something I think is really great about the clubs that you don't get an undergraduate. I would love to be a student ambassador. And that comes out at the end of the semester. You get to start to apply for those things, and it just gives you more opportunities to represent Gatton and get to look into the types of students that want to apply and get to talk to them and just encourage them about what's going on here.
Stephen Woodward
What impact do you think the early admission pathway had on you as you transition to Gatton? Now that you're going through your first semester?
Maddie Stacey
Yeah, I think some of the things that the early admissions pathway has made me as a student as confident, I would say that the transition pathway is very smooth. They again, they put everything in line for you. I mean, they give you your schedule, they tell you what you need to do. And so I think that it makes everything much more cohesive.
Maddie Stacey
Whereas if I was applying and for years I would be getting everything together myself, I would be applying to multiple things. I would be looking for all of these things. But the early missions pathway gives you everything in one place, and I think that's something really great. And that's something that has made me confident now, because again, I know those people coming in and I met a lot of advisors coming in and I know who to ask if I have questions.
Maddie Stacey
I think that's something the programs offered me.
Stephen Woodward
So of course, Gannon's mission is to train pharmacists who help serve rural and underserved patients. Service is really important here at the college. Talk about why that's important to you.
Maddie Stacey
Yeah. Something great about Gatton is how it aligns with what I want to do, whether that's in my values and morals. And I think that the college has done a great job. So something that we often talk about at Gatton is how important it is that we give back to our community, whether that's in the rural and underserved area or any of those areas around that we can do.
Maddie Stacey
And I think the school has really supported me and the ability to do that because they're consistent and constant volunteering opportunities in our area. And something that I think is really cool. We do, it's in combination. So Gatton and Quillen both work together. And this thing, it used to be called street medicine, but now it is under a different name and it helps to look at the people in our area, look at who is not getting enough healthcare, how can we help them?
Maddie Stacey
How can we bridge the gap and make sure that they're getting what they need? And, something great about Gatton again is that we're always considering those factors. So something they often tell you is, someone may need their insulin, but do they have a place to keep it? And, you know, we never want to make that patient feel bad just because they can't keep their insulin somewhere.
Maddie Stacey
And I love considering those things. I think it's so important that it's not just about helping people, but how can we make sure that the people were helping can stay healthy?
Stephen Woodward
Well, Maddie, we're really thankful that you would be part of this interview and be part of some of the publicity that we're rolling out as part of showcasing the early admission pathway and helping to educate students, in high school and at Etsu, about this pathway, as well as our other flexible admissions pathways. Can you kind of talk about your passion for Gatton, Etsu, and the early admission pathway?
Stephen Woodward
What is it about the university in the college that makes you just want to encourage others to to follow in the same path?
Maddie Stacey
That's a good question. I think something that Gatton does for me that makes me want to support them so much is the reason that they chose to support me. You know, when you apply to schools, you choose them. And it's at that point they have their opportunity to choose you. It's their turn. And you know, when Gatton chose me, they didn't just give me one opportunity.
Maddie Stacey
They have continuously given me opportunities. And you know, I have love how supported I felt here. And if I was to, tell our students about my experience, I'd want to be honest. I'd always be honest, and I don't have anything bad I can say about what they've done for me. You know, even more, I go further to say that if I did have something bad, I could tell them and they'd be like, okay, well, let's think about how we can fix it.
Maddie Stacey
I mean, and that's what, lunch with the Dean is like, as I was talking about, she wants to know what's going on. She wants to know how she can help us. And that's why I would constantly and consistently say that Gatton has made this a great experience for me. They will do whatever they can to make sure that I get the best education, and I feel like that's why I talk so well about them, because I want other students to get to experience what I have, and I don't want anybody miss out on that experience because it's really great.
Stephen Woodward
Well, Maddie, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for listening to White Coat Radio. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and leave this review wherever you listen to podcasts. To learn more about East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, visit us at etsu.edu slash pharmacy or follow us on social media @ETSUPharmacy. We'll see you next time.
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By East Tennessee State UniversityIn this episode we chat with first-year student pharmacist Maddie Stacey, who found confidence — and a community — through ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy’s Early Admission Pathway. A native of Kingsport, Stacey learned about the college’s EAP program while in high school. For her, the program has made the adjustment to pharmacy school much easier.
Open to high school seniors and first-year ETSU students, the Early Admission Pathway enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in just six years. EAP students also join the college’s Pre-Pharmacy Student Organization, designed to introduce them to different specialties in pharmacy and to foster connections with their classmates. Learn more at www.etsu.edu/RxEarlyAdmit.
Transcript
Teaser Introduction
Maddie Stacey
I think some of the things that the early admissions pathway has made me as a student as confident. I would say that the transition pathway is very smooth. They again, they put everything in line for you. I mean, they give you your schedule, they tell you what you need to do. And so I think that it makes everything much more cohesive.
Main Episode:
Michele Williams
Welcome to White Coat Radio, a podcast from East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy in Johnson City, Tennessee. Each episode, we cover a wide range of topics about the pharmacy school experience, from study tips to deep dives with faculty and student pharmacists. I'm one of your hosts, Doctor Michele Williams, assistant professor and director of academic success.
Stephen Woodward
And I'm Stephen Woodward, marketing and communications manager. First year student pharmacist Maddie Stacey from Kingsport, Tennessee, sat down for us to talk about her experience going through Gatton's early admission pathway opened high school seniors and first year ETSU students. The early admission pathway enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and the Doctor Pharmacy degree in just six years.
Stephen Woodward
The pathway offers students the assurance of a seat, mentoring, scholarships, research opportunities, and flexible start options for the pharmacy curriculum. For Stacey, the early admission pathway has made the adjustment to pharmacy school much easier and helped her to find confidence and a community. The deadline to apply is March 31st, 2026. Learn more at Etsu Edu slash. Early admit.
Stephen Woodward
Let's hear more about her experience now. Well, hi, Maddie, welcome to White Coat Radio. Start by telling us what got you interested in pursuing pharmacy.
Maddie Stacey
I'm interested in pursuing pharmacy because when I was younger, I realized how much one medication could do for one person. Right? And if it can just do so much to change a person's life, to make it more accessible, I want to know everything about how that drug was able to do that for that person. And what else can it do for another person?
Maddie Stacey
So I'm really interested in pursuing pharmacy because I want to know how all the drugs can help people be better and function in their lives and be able to enjoy their lives. And so I really love that about pharmacy.
Stephen Woodward
Well, what was it like going through our early admission pathway, which is for high school seniors attending ETSU and ETSU freshmen?
Maddie Stacey
I got really interested in pharmacy when I was in high school. And in high school they start to tell you about college options. And when you look at ETSU, you figure out that there are a lot of opportunities. So I was invited to a event for the Honors College and at the Honors College, they have a lot of the other colleges come and set up like Quillen and Gatton.
Maddie Stacey
And at that event, Becky Dunkelberger was there and she was there representing Gatton. And that's when I first got to figure out that there was a place here in Johnson City, really close to my hometown, Kingsport, that was offering a pharmacy program, which was very exciting. I was excited about that. And she told me there were a lot of opportunities.
Maddie Stacey
So the Early Admissions Pathway isn't just, you get here as soon as you can. It's a you create what you want to do. So there was a two years of undergraduate, and then you go in and you can start getting those requirements for your PharmD. Or if you want to get chemistry, biology, health sciences, any of those, you can do three years of undergraduate and then go in.
Maddie Stacey
And Becky explains all this very well. For me, I chose to go ahead and do the two years, and I also chose to get a Bachelors of Pharmacy studies, which is an option, and I chose to do that. It's just a few more requirements. But again, I never had to worry the school was with me along the way.
Maddie Stacey
So when you choose to be an Early Admissions Pathway student, you meet once a semester with either Steve Ellis or Becky, and they're like, okay, here's where you're at. Here's what you need to do. How does that sound? And you either are like, yeah, I can do that. Or, you know, this class is full. I don't think I can take this.
Maddie Stacey
And they help you every step of the way. If you can't do it, if you can do it. So, it sounds like a lot. Being like, oh, I need to do everything before I come to pharmacy school. But you do it one step at a time. And I love that. About the early admissions pathway. And I would do it again if I, if I was asked, I would definitely do it again.
Maddie Stacey
It's very smooth transition.
Stephen Woodward
Talk about your experience in the pre pharmacy student organization at Etsu. Also known as. So what was that like.
Maddie Stacey
So when you decide to become an early admissions pathway student Becky invites you to join pre pharmacy student organization which is so and so this organization works to invite pharmacists from the surrounding areas, from the faculty to come and speak about their specialties, their advice or their disciplines. And pharmacy. And it gives students like a wide range of options to see, oh wait, pharmacy is not just something that happens behind the counter at a Walgreens or a CVS.
Maddie Stacey
There's so much more to pharmacy and that's something I really loved about pre pharmacy student organization. So once you start going it's like once every other Wednesday night. And something great about pre pharmacy student organization is that as an early admissions pathway student it's a requirement. So obviously everybody there is also going to be in your program or a year behind you maybe a year ahead of you.
Maddie Stacey
But you're connected with all of these students that go to Etsu and are going to go with you to that program. So my class is 63 people, and of that 63 going in, I knew about 30 people, which is pretty incredible considering that, you know, they're students from out of state that didn't have that same opportunity. And that's just something that the early admission pathway offers.
Maddie Stacey
If you go to Etsu as well. And I loved getting to do that. And in addition to doing that, our faculty advisor is Doctor Thigpen. He's one of the pediatric pharmacists, and he's a faculty member. So, as president of the club, I got to talk to him a lot and make a relationship with him. And that was really great, because coming here, whenever they matched me up with an advisor, he actually ended up being my advisor to sorry, already had that relationship.
Maddie Stacey
And that's just like something that just falls into place. Something really great I can say about him is that when I was first starting with the requirements, you have the option of an elective, but my class was one of the first where physiology was a requirement, but, physics wasn't. And so I had a question. I was like, you know, is this still an option for an elective?
Maddie Stacey
Like. And it was like getting close to deadline. I was nervous, I was like, what if they just don't let me in because I didn't know there is an elective? And he was really fast to get back to me within, you know, a day he was like, yeah, that's all good. Get inside. That's okay. And it's like, I had that relationship with him.
Maddie Stacey
I was able to ask me that question, and I got my answer within a day because I knew him. And I think that connection was really great to have from that club to.
Stephen Woodward
So what advice would you give someone interested in applying for the early admission pathway? Again?
Maddie Stacey
Something that I think is a really big deal. Gatton is not just about having good grades or, you know, making the best grades. I think it's really important that you're going to be somebody that cares about your patients. And I think they care about seeing that in your essays. So I would say the essay portion is a big part of the admissions.
Maddie Stacey
And I would I would challenge, people who are interested in joining the program to ask themselves, what impact are you making right now, whether that be in an area and shared, say you help with child care. You do volunteering at a certain place. What impact are you making now? And, you know, I would ask, you know, how can you connect that in your essay to say, how does being a pharmacist help you make more of an impact in that area?
Maddie Stacey
What is being a pharmacist do to make an impact for you? And I think that's important because when you're connecting that, you're really showing how, you're not just interested in it for, you know, maybe the life, but you're interested in it for the way that you're going to impact patients. And getting is very patient centered. And I love that.
Maddie Stacey
That's why I chose, again, they love their patients and they love making people, the best they can be in that area.
Stephen Woodward
So as you know, getting offers a unique two week bridge program to help students transition into pharmacy school ... What was that experience like?
Maddie Stacey
Getting Ready is the first two weeks of your first year of pharmacy school. So in those two weeks you get introduced to all the classes. You will be taking, in the following semester. So you it's a little bit different from what your actual schedule will be like, but it encourages you to think about how you are going to balance and time manage the rest of the semester, which is the most important part that I feel like I got from getting ready.
Maddie Stacey
I think that it's nothing more challenging than you have done. I think that they prepare you in everything that is in the first two weeks you can do. It just feels like a lot because it kind of is. Everything is all at once in those first two weeks, and then, you know, after your first week, you have to prepare for your white coat ceremony, too.
Maddie Stacey
So it's just a lot of events at first, and I think that can be the most challenging. But as far as the transition, I would say that it got me prepared to think about what materials I wanted to use. You know, pharmacy school, there's a lot of notes, and I thought I was going to come in and do a lot of paper notes.
Maddie Stacey
But after that first two weeks, I was like, you know what? I think I'm actually gonna go digital for the first time. So I think those first two weeks really show you how the rest of your semester can go and what you want to do that works best for you. And I think that's what a lot of my peers would say, too.
Maddie Stacey
It's about learning about how you want your semester go and how you're going to attack your semester. So, you know, I'm really glad that I went digital. It helped me keep up in class. And a lot of people will tell you that, too. When you're just covering so much volume of material, it's faster when you're able to highlight the PowerPoints.
Maddie Stacey
And addition to that, you get to meet all of those advisors and all of those, professors in the first two weeks, which was really great. They were very helpful. They clearly outline how you can meet with them when you can meet with them. If you have questions where you can get those resources. So I really enjoyed that part.
Maddie Stacey
I think trying to think if there's anything else that I could say about, getting ready other than it's, it's not bad. I think I was, I was, I was intimidated, I was really scared. I was like, oh, they're trying to win me out here. This is where if I don't want to do it, they're trying to get me out.
Maddie Stacey
But it's not as scary as it sounds. So that's that's the comforting part.
Stephen Woodward
What? So what was the interview day process like for you as an early admission pathway student?
Maddie Stacey
So the interview process for me was during Covid. So unfortunately, I wasn't able to come on to campus and get to interview. I had my interview online and it was a set of two separate interviews in the same day. And once you one was with a small group and then one was individual with a mine was with a student instead of a faculty member.
Maddie Stacey
And it may have just been, Covid. I'm not sure how they do it now. And then once you get accepted, something that is very good about the early admissions pathway is that as long as you're on track, you have a seat reserved at the pharmacy school. So there's no second applications, there's no second essays, there's no second interviews.
Maddie Stacey
Once you're accepted, you have a shot at being here and you have that seat ready for you. When you're ready.
Stephen Woodward
You know, we hear from a lot of our students, alumni, faculty and staff that the culture and people are just highly valued at the college. How would you describe our culture here as a first year student pharmacist?
Maddie Stacey
I absolutely adore our staff so much. I can't tell you how much I adore them. You know, one thing I'd love to highlight as a pharmacy student and coming there are like obviously a million people for you to meet. Add on the professors, add on the the patients. Like there are just so many people for you to meet.
Maddie Stacey
I just want to give a shout out to Demers. She did so great. You know, introducing herself, making herself very approachable, you know, tells you about her career and something that I love you do as a pharmacy student. First year, you get to have lunch with the dean, which is so cool. So you have the small group, you come meet with the dean, she asks you these questions and like individually as you, it's not like, oh, I don't know your name.
Maddie Stacey
It's oh, she knows your name. She's already looked at your picture and the book. She knows who you are. How are you doing? Where are you at in this process? And that is so awesome. I don't know if other pharmacy schools do that, but we do here, and that's something I love. And then the one other thing I wanted to comment on was a time I was struggling and an advisor helped me, which was great because they're not even my personal advisor.
Maddie Stacey
They're just the professor of that class and offered to help me. I was really, really scared of vaccines. I was afraid of hurting somebody. I was afraid that I was going to make somebody really like. I was so afraid of hurting somebody, which I think is reasonable when you're starting to learn that. And when I started, after I got certified, the first thing I did when I gave vaccines was I would shake really bad because I was just so afraid of hurting people, you know?
Maddie Stacey
And it made me really upset. And I felt really disappointed in myself because I couldn't give a vaccine. And instead of, you know, just being quiet about it, letting that go on for four years, I reached I reached out to doctor J. Rob and Doctor Alexander. I was like, hey, I'm struggling, I'm not doing good and I'm okay.
Maddie Stacey
Admit that. Can you help me? And, doctor J. Rob. She was like, hey, come to my office at 8 a.m. and we can talk about it. And I thought we were just gonna be talking about it. And she had brought, syringes, needles. She brought saline, and she's like, we can get better today, and I will let you give me a shot in both my arms.
Maddie Stacey
And what what other school is going to have professors that offer up their arms? You know, when I say, hey, I'm struggling, I don't know how good I am. She's like, that's okay, you can do it on me. That's that's a pretty big ask. And then on top of that, she said, and down the hall, Doctor Dowling, you can give her two shots.
Maddie Stacey
Two after you give them to me. So she's just offering up everybody's arms. What other school are you going to get that that professors would be brave enough to be confident in me that, you know, I know you're struggling, but I know that you can. You're here because you can. So I think that's a really great, you know, a testament to how great the faculty is that they would be willing to give their arm for me to learn.
Maddie Stacey
So I love that.
Stephen Woodward
All right, well, tell us what you want to do when you graduate.
Maddie Stacey
So I think something to remember is, even if you're a first year student, you don't have to make plans as soon as you get here. You don't have to know what you want to do. As soon as you get here. Obviously, you're here because you're interested in pharmacy. In my case, though, I have a vision and I would love to see myself working at a pediatric hospital.
Maddie Stacey
I would love to see myself helping that population of patients. So right now, after I finish pharmacy school, I would absolutely love to go on to a residency that has a PGY1 and a PGY2, which, is focused in pediatrics. But something that I would really love is to be close to home. So the one that I'm looking at that I'd be very interested in is wake Forest.
Maddie Stacey
They have a pharmacy general, your first one, which means, you get to see all the disciplines within pharmacy and they have, I mean, a lot of different patients. I see a lot of different cases. And I think that would be a great learning opportunity. And, if I could get there my first year, I would love to apply to their pediatric program, which will be intensive.
Maddie Stacey
And that population of patients, how you work with them in those different areas. And I would absolutely love to continue to learn that. I love helping, children. And it's a lot of different dosing. They're not just little humans. They are they have different metabolism, different things they need. And I would love to learn more about that.
Maddie Stacey
So that's where I would love to see myself after Gatton.
Stephen Woodward
Was, you know, getting offers. A lot of student organizations and leadership opportunities. Tell us about what you're involved in and why that's important for students here.
Maddie Stacey
Okay, I'm in a few clubs and organizations here at Gatton. I am in the Pediatrics Pharmacy Association club, and what they do is they meet once a month and they go over some pharmacists or patient cases that pharmacists look at in their day, and they talk about how there's a range of cases and then you have volunteering opportunities in that club.
Maddie Stacey
And then I'm also in a residency based club. And what they do is they bring in, pharmacists that have either been through residency or, or who are very specialized in residency and, can help you a lot with looking at that. And that's a really great club to be in. I think if you are interested in residency, because it tells you early on what to expect, how can you make yourself competitive?
Maddie Stacey
And that one also meets about once a month. And the best part about clubs at Gatton is you have a free period. Usually in your day it's, lunch and then they call it common time. And most of the clubs meet during that day, so you don't have to commit extra time outside of school because it's within schools within those hours.
Maddie Stacey
So you have extra time to still work and, you know, have your work life balance. And that's something I think is really great about the clubs that you don't get an undergraduate. I would love to be a student ambassador. And that comes out at the end of the semester. You get to start to apply for those things, and it just gives you more opportunities to represent Gatton and get to look into the types of students that want to apply and get to talk to them and just encourage them about what's going on here.
Stephen Woodward
What impact do you think the early admission pathway had on you as you transition to Gatton? Now that you're going through your first semester?
Maddie Stacey
Yeah, I think some of the things that the early admissions pathway has made me as a student as confident, I would say that the transition pathway is very smooth. They again, they put everything in line for you. I mean, they give you your schedule, they tell you what you need to do. And so I think that it makes everything much more cohesive.
Maddie Stacey
Whereas if I was applying and for years I would be getting everything together myself, I would be applying to multiple things. I would be looking for all of these things. But the early missions pathway gives you everything in one place, and I think that's something really great. And that's something that has made me confident now, because again, I know those people coming in and I met a lot of advisors coming in and I know who to ask if I have questions.
Maddie Stacey
I think that's something the programs offered me.
Stephen Woodward
So of course, Gannon's mission is to train pharmacists who help serve rural and underserved patients. Service is really important here at the college. Talk about why that's important to you.
Maddie Stacey
Yeah. Something great about Gatton is how it aligns with what I want to do, whether that's in my values and morals. And I think that the college has done a great job. So something that we often talk about at Gatton is how important it is that we give back to our community, whether that's in the rural and underserved area or any of those areas around that we can do.
Maddie Stacey
And I think the school has really supported me and the ability to do that because they're consistent and constant volunteering opportunities in our area. And something that I think is really cool. We do, it's in combination. So Gatton and Quillen both work together. And this thing, it used to be called street medicine, but now it is under a different name and it helps to look at the people in our area, look at who is not getting enough healthcare, how can we help them?
Maddie Stacey
How can we bridge the gap and make sure that they're getting what they need? And, something great about Gatton again is that we're always considering those factors. So something they often tell you is, someone may need their insulin, but do they have a place to keep it? And, you know, we never want to make that patient feel bad just because they can't keep their insulin somewhere.
Maddie Stacey
And I love considering those things. I think it's so important that it's not just about helping people, but how can we make sure that the people were helping can stay healthy?
Stephen Woodward
Well, Maddie, we're really thankful that you would be part of this interview and be part of some of the publicity that we're rolling out as part of showcasing the early admission pathway and helping to educate students, in high school and at Etsu, about this pathway, as well as our other flexible admissions pathways. Can you kind of talk about your passion for Gatton, Etsu, and the early admission pathway?
Stephen Woodward
What is it about the university in the college that makes you just want to encourage others to to follow in the same path?
Maddie Stacey
That's a good question. I think something that Gatton does for me that makes me want to support them so much is the reason that they chose to support me. You know, when you apply to schools, you choose them. And it's at that point they have their opportunity to choose you. It's their turn. And you know, when Gatton chose me, they didn't just give me one opportunity.
Maddie Stacey
They have continuously given me opportunities. And you know, I have love how supported I felt here. And if I was to, tell our students about my experience, I'd want to be honest. I'd always be honest, and I don't have anything bad I can say about what they've done for me. You know, even more, I go further to say that if I did have something bad, I could tell them and they'd be like, okay, well, let's think about how we can fix it.
Maddie Stacey
I mean, and that's what, lunch with the Dean is like, as I was talking about, she wants to know what's going on. She wants to know how she can help us. And that's why I would constantly and consistently say that Gatton has made this a great experience for me. They will do whatever they can to make sure that I get the best education, and I feel like that's why I talk so well about them, because I want other students to get to experience what I have, and I don't want anybody miss out on that experience because it's really great.
Stephen Woodward
Well, Maddie, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for listening to White Coat Radio. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and leave this review wherever you listen to podcasts. To learn more about East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, visit us at etsu.edu slash pharmacy or follow us on social media @ETSUPharmacy. We'll see you next time.