Denise Kelley

Specialty

I am currently an Internal Medicine Pharmacy Specialist at UF Health Jacksonville Medical Center. I received my Doctor of Pharmacy from Auburn University prior to completing a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UF Health Jacksonville and a PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Role

I practice with inpatient, interdisciplinary Internal Medicine teaching services at an academic medical center and serve as an adjunct faculty member with the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. I help precept an Adult Medicine rotation for both pharmacy students and pharmacy residents. I also actively participate on numerous hospital committees related to transitions of care, patient satisfaction, and quality improvement initiatives. My professional interests include anticoagulation, HIV, and nephrology.

How They Got There

Internal Medicine is the perfect fit for me due to my broad interest area within pharmacy. Each day brings a diverse list of patients presenting with various disease states and conditions. I was fortunate to train under fantastic Internal Medicine pharmacists throughout my student and resident rotations that influenced me to follow in their career paths.

Other Professional Activities

I am an active member of ASHP, the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists (FSHP), and the Northeast Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists (NEFSHP). I have served two terms on the ASHP New Practitioner Advisory Groups (Communications Advisory Group, Professional Practice Advisory Group) and currently serve as a member of the Educational Steering Committee within the Section of Clinical Specialists and Scientists. Within FSHP, I am currently a Board of Director-Elect, have served as a delegate to the FSHP House of Delegates for the past two years, and was a previous member of the Education Council in 2014-2015. At the regional level, I recently completed a term serving as Treasurer for the NEFSHP chapter. I have had the opportunity to present at the local, state, and national level at NEFSHP, FSHP, and ASHP meetings.

Advanced Training

I completed a PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at UF Health Jacksonville in 2012-2013 followed by a PGY-2 Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2013-2014. I achieved Board Certification of Pharmacotherapy (BCPS) in 2013 and hope to achieve AAHIVP certification in 2017.

Advice

My advice is to get involved early in your career and start establishing a network within the profession. Seek out mentors that can help with your personal/professional growth and development, set up regular meetings with these mentors and learn from their wisdom, experience, and advice. It is important to take advantage of all opportunities provided to you, even if it may initially appear intimidating or uncomfortable. Creating a continuous professional development plan with specific, tangible goals that can regularly be reviewed and modified can also be helpful.