Mentor and Mentee Spotlights

Naadede Badger-Plange, PharmD, BCPS  

Clinical Pharmacy Manager/PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital

Over the years, I have mentored several students and residents and young practitioners.  One of such mentees is Jessica Chen, a Neurocritical Care Pharmacist at Piedmont Atlanta.  I have known Jessica since she was a pharmacy student and our mentor/mentee relationship is one of the longest since she stayed on at Piedmont after her residency.  As much as mentees learn from me, I feel like I learn a great deal from them and one of the greatest rewards is watching them mentor others.  Here are a couple of statements from Jessica:            

“I was someone who never really believed in mentorship. Mostly because I never really understood what the purpose of having one was or never really believed that people would have that much interest in my career and self. It was while I was a student working on a project with you, that I realized there are people who are dedicated to the growth of a student/resident. When I became a resident, the dedication that you had for my career and even my wellbeing grew. I will even say that most preceptors/pharmacists here are invested in their residents' growth as well. I felt pushed to grow clinically, but supported along the way. As an "unassigned" mentor, you helped me realized what my career path should be, while allowing me to make my own decisions. You shared your knowledge with me and gave me advice on how to handle work relationships, transition out of my residency and career growth. Even years after my residency, I can rely on you to give me honest feedback.”            

Our relationship has made me realize how important it is for residents/young pharmacists to have an experienced person to help guide them through. Not only to give advice on clinical matters, but to guide their way through making career decisions, handling work relationships or just as an ear to listen to their problems/issues. Being a mentor has enriched my life by allowing me to share my downfalls to prevent others from following that same path (i.e. burnout). I have watched my mentees grow into competent patient-driven clinicians and to have helped in that is a reward that everyone in our profession should experience.”

Ryan Rodriguez, PharmD, MS, BCPS

Clinical Associate Professor
University of Illinois Chicago, College of Pharmacy

I developed my relationship with my mentor (Robert J. Didomenico, PharmD, FCCP, FHFSA, FACC) through the UIC College of Pharmacy Mentorship program. The program is designed to guide faculty in excelling in clinical and teaching activities and achieve promotion in academic rank. Rob was one of the COP faculty members whose achievements aligned well with my own goals – these included service to various pharmacy societies, collaboration with lots of other COP faculty and learners, and a track record of interesting publications. When I first reached out, Rob was very receptive and wanted to ensure our mentorship relationship would be a good fit. Since then, we have met several times yearly to discuss my goals and his guidance. Throughout the years, it has been so helpful to benefit from Rob’s advice and get to know him better.