So you're a pharmacist?

I often get curious looks and inquiries when people find out I'm both an Ayurvedic practitioner.... AND a pharmacist? How can these two worlds possibly exist? How did this happen? "Tell me your story!"

I'll be happy to! But we have to go back awhile.... bear with me!

My very first job when I was 14 (~1996) was in my small hometown soda shop/pharmacy - Henderson Drug. For those of you who are old enough to know what a soda jerk is (AKA "soda fountain specialist" per google - that was my job! For those of you who don't - google it! It involved a lot of scooping ice cream and making 10 cent cherry cokes (with real cherry syrup - something you can still get there to this day, although no longer 10 cents and there is no longer a pharmacy there - it's called Schuette's now). It was fun to be among the town happenings at this anchor shop and the hub of town (especially as a farm girl not seeing people outside of school much). We experimented making different kinds of malts when it was slow and enjoyed serving the after church crowd on Sundays, many of whom put a packet of peanuts in their 10 cent cherry cokes. Harold was the pharmacist in the back of the store and he and his wife Marge lived in the upstairs apartment. They instilled a work ethic in me - always stay busy. ("the boss is coming - start dusting!") Harold, walking a fine line of rules set by the board of pharmacy, always had his patients first in mind and if they couldn't afford medicine, he often helped. We also found he had a .22 handgun in his pharmacy drawer when he passed away and we were cleaning things out. It was here that in the evenings at the store, I helped out in the pharmacy by stocking prescription vials and bags. I looked upon the shelves and shelves of drugs with wonder and was fascinated to think about how they worked, what they did to the body and how they interacted with each other. I was 16 and decided I would go to pharmacy school.

As luck would have it (I do say luck, I sure didn't have a 4.0 like applicants do today but I was passionate about rural pharmacy and helping people)- I was admitted to the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and started in the fall of 2002. It was the #3 ranking pharmacy school in the nation and I felt humbled to be there - it was the only school I applied to. I was a first or second year in pharmacy school when I started dabbling in classes offered at the Center for Spirituality and Healing, located adjacent to the college of pharmacy building. First it was a weekly meditation stress busters lunchtime gathering with Erik Storlie - still a dear friend and mentor who I also collaborate with. I found it helped with life's stress, test anxiety and I got sick less. I went on to take more classes - I was hooked. It was a good balance to the heavy right sided brain I was using in pharmacy school. I learned about yoga, Tibetan medicine, and more. I will never forget the first time I heard the word Ayurveda in a class about integrative medicine - touching on a different healing modality each week. I had never heard this abstract word before and when I learned its meaning, it was a total epiphany - a light bulb went off. It made so much sense to me - I wanted more. I furthered my studies with the Center by travelling to India (twice) with a class to learn more about Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine & yoga. I have since been to India 6 (soon 7) more times. By this time, I was too deep into pharmacy school to quit but I knew my passion had shifted. I went through a difficult time in my life at this point and the principles of all I had learned thus far was an anchor that got me through it.

I ended up securing a residency at the University of MN Medical Center - Fairview East Bank. It was intense and fun and I found I enjoyed the ICU, which is where my 18 years of practice has been focused along with cardiology. I changed hospital jobs a few times and still work at Fairview, but Ayurveda never left my mind. I applied it personally in my own life but struggled to integrate the two - realizing it just wasn't possible. I kept going through the motions and I was good at what I did. I kept my longevity in the retail space as well, picking up at the local pharmacy when I could. Here, I can interject some Ayurvedic recommendations here and there and find it satisfying to help the community with day to day or larger problems.

When I heard there was going to be an Ayurveda school opening in MN, I told my Ayurvedic practitioner that I would be the first student. As life would have it, life happened and delayed my entry. Then we adopted our daughter from India, COVID happened and I thought well this is the time! I like to do things big. So I enrolled in school which had gone mostly online due to Covid and the previous space had been damaged in South Minneapolis. It was perfect timing, although not easy. Yet my hard work paid off and in the spring of 2023 I graduated from the MN institute of Ayurveda, after 3 years of school and a ~15 year dream. Even breaking my ankle and graduating on crutches didn't stop me.

I am so excited to be realizing this dream and helping people in a different way. I understand both the East & West aspects of medicine, which is a rare gift. It is truly an honor to be stepping into this space of ancient wisdom and getting to the bottom of peoples imbalances and issues. My pharmacy background will only enhance what I can offer to my clients and is a huge asset and I am thankful for it. I will continue to keep up to date and work in pharmacy but it may just look a little different as I built my Ayurveda practice. Thank you for your support whether you are new here or have been with my throughout this whole journey- it takes a village!

Photo of pharmacy school graduation 2006