Mary Douglass Smith

Mary’s Story

Dr. Mary Douglass Smith received her Pharm.D. from the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy in Columbia, South Carolina. Following graduation, she worked in community pharmacy for several years. Currently, Dr. Smith is the Director of Experiential Education at Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy in Clinton, South Carolina. She is also an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and teaches in several of the lab sequences, including her favorite topic, Compounding.

This year, Dr. Smith is the ASHP Network Facilitator for Preceptor Skills. She is looking forward to working with ASHP members who seek to train the new generation of pharmacists and finding creative solutions for some of precepting’s most difficult challenges. Look out for her at the Midyear Clinical Meeting (especially any session about precepting) and make sure to introduce yourself!

Facility

Presbyterian College School of pharmacy is a private institution with a Pharm.D. curriculum. It has an average of 70 students per class, and provides numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth as well as a curriculum to create a solid foundational pharmacy knowledge base.

Significant Projects

Dr. Smith’s work is focused on Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) and Preceptor Development. An IPPE workbook was developed and implemented last year in order to standardize the IPPE rotations for students. Students at PCSP are scheduled for 9 IPPEs in 3 years in order to become familiar with the many career options for pharmacists. To take advantage of the diversity of experiences, but still ensure competencies are being met for each student, the workbook was created to track and confirm the student’s progress through the curriculum. The workbook was put together and approved by the Experiential Program Review Committee, made up of faculty and outside preceptors from diverse pharmacy settings.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

"The network of pharmacists is small in each state and relatively small across the country, especially in the specialty areas. Making direct, meaningful connections with individuals in the same field gives you the support you need to improve in your career! Using colleagues to bounce ideas off of, collect resources, and share laughs and frustrations with helps prevent feeling like you work alone in a silo."

Involvement in ASHP

Dr. Smith first became a member of her local Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) while at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy in Columbia, South Carolina. The state affiliate held their annual meeting every year at Hilton Head Island and, being an excused absence from class, it seemed like a great student organization to join.

But it was at these annual meetings that Dr. Smith truly saw the benefits of joining the society. South Carolina is a small state and all of the pharmacists know each other. The camaraderie and cooperativeness of the pharmacists to advance pharmacy care and improve patient outcomes is palpable at these meetings. With the support of ASHP, pharmacists can share resources, problem solve, and recognize achievements at the state level.

ASHP’s Value to Members

"ASHP is like a huge reservoir of the brightest and most talented pharmacists in the country. Attending a large meeting, like ASHP Clinical Midyear Meeting, highlights the collegial nature of the profession. It is humbling to see 25,000 professionals who strive to care for their patients and improve the profession all in one location."

"While pharmacy careers are becoming more diverse and certainly more challenging, ASHP collects the voices of many to create a clear message. Without ASHP’s advocacy and leadership, many outsiders would not be able to articulate the importance of pharmacists in our health care system. But with a shared mission, ASHP members can do more together than they can complete individually."