October 23, 2024

By: Markie Heideman, Content Marketing Manager

 

Discovering a Passion for Medicine

At just eight years old, Gabby Toreja was saddling up and riding horses at the stables down the road from her Oak Forest, Illinois home. What she didn’t know was that this exciting hobby would eventually sprout into a lifelong passion for animal care. 

 

By 10, Gabby had her own horse and began to understand that caring for a horse extends far beyond riding. 

 

"In high school, I knew I wanted a career in human or veterinary medicine, but I didn't know where until I fell in love with organic chemistry at the University of Illinois. I really enjoyed solving problems where we had to modify a starting compound through a series of reactions to end with the structure of a drug molecule. Then, I took a graduate elective in drug discovery and development, which sealed my interest in pharmacy."

 

Through her experiences competing on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Hunt Seat Equestrian Team, these passions evolved. She learned about excellent horsemanship and equine veterinary care from her Coach and her Coach's daughters, a veterinarian and veterinary student with passions for equine medicine. As a first-year pharmacy student, these connections were instrumental in helping Gabby realize veterinary pharmacy was the perfect career direction for her interests.

 

“I reached out to a veterinarian I knew at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and she set me up with a pharmacist and I shadowed for the day,” Toreja explained. “That experience gave me a better understanding of the role a veterinary pharmacist plays in assisting a veterinarian.” 

 

Trusting the Process and Blazing a Trail

Veterinary pharmacy isn’t a well-known path, so Gabby knew if she wanted to pursue a road-less-traveled, she would have to treat it like riding a horse: always get back on after falling off and never give up. 

 

Once enrolled in the U-M PharmD program, she wasted no time enrolling in the Veterinary Pharmacotherapeutics elective course in the program, co-taught by Patrick Lester, DVM, PharmD and Gerry Hish, DVM. She credits Dr. Lester and Dr. Hish for helping her push her passion forward and look for opportunities and connections to ensure her future success. 

 

One of those opportunities – an internship she completed with the veterinarian who now cares for her own horse in Ann Arbor. 

 

“I was persistent in finding an internship in this field. I called veterinary offices around Ann Arbor, and finally found an equine veterinarian who was able to take me on as an intern.”

 

That internship experience solidified her zeal for animal care. 

 

“I went to farm visits with her once a week. It was a great introduction to equine physiology and common disease states that you would treat on the farm. I became quite familiar with drugs used to treat horses – many of which are NSAIDs, steroids and broad-spectrum oral antibiotics”. 

 

Outside of the barn, Gabby’s internship experience was a hands-on introduction to the work she one-day hopes to make her day job.

 

"Before meeting, I would review the disease states of the horses we were seeing that day and research the medications used to treat them. I was able to apply the knowledge I've learned so far in the PharmD program to evaluate the level of evidence for use and understand the drugs' mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and place in therapy. I would present my findings to the veterinarian on our way to the appointments. We discussed considerations specific to veterinary medicine, such as cost per unit, ease of administration by owner, compounded vs commercial products, and adverse effects associated with horses but not humans."

 

Most recently, Gabby participated in an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotation in veterinary pharmacy. There, she was able to attend rounds with veterinarians and evaluate prescriptions to ensure the correct medication, the correct dose, and the correct species. Gabby also gained a better understanding of drug compounding in the animal space. She learned about the different laws regarding medications compounded from bulk ingredients versus commercial drugs and their use in different species. Gabby also evaluated USP 797 sterile compounding guidelines for immediate-use products and presented ways to realistically implement them throughout the veterinary hospital.

 

"Pharmacists bring a unique perspective to veterinary medicine. We have the skills to assess compounding guidelines and implement policies to ensure compliance with best practices. Our training helps us select drug therapy based on different factors like time to reach a steady state, distribution to the affected area, activation of prodrugs, and more."

 

Saddling Up for the Future

Now in her fourth and final year of the PharmD program, Gabby hopes to put these experiences into practice post-graduation through a veterinary pharmacy residency program – all to meet her goal of becoming a Clinical Veterinary Pharmacist.

 

“I’ve only been met with positivity from peers and faculty at the College. I’ve always felt very supported here, even as someone pursuing a different career path within pharmacy. The relationships you make at Michigan help you build a support network to grow personally and professionally.”

 

Not only is Gabby confident in her journey, but she encourages others to find and follow their passion as well.

 

“Don’t be intimidated by not knowing where to go. It’s okay to pursue opportunities that are outside the norm for a pharmacy student. Choosing a nontraditional career means taking the road less traveled. Don’t be afraid to create and explore opportunities for yourself. If it’s really what you want, don’t stop trying.” 

 

It’s this type of story that students who come to U-M College of Pharmacy can experience. It’s what we mean when we say we are discovering the unknown and applying pharmacy to infectious diseases to wildlife and taking a seat at the table to be a part of veterinary care teams.