February 7, 2025

By: Markie Heideman, Content Marketing Manager

 

Like many families, Drs. Margo and Drew Bowman start their day by getting their three children ready – making breakfast, getting lunches together and trading off drop-off duty. Then, they transition into work – Margo, PharmD ‘12, as a Senior Director of Clinical Pharmacy for Corewell Health, a large health system, and Drew, PharmD ‘12, as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for Priority Health, a health insurance company. 

 

Their story, though, starts far before they were hailing “Go Blue” at the Big House and staying up late to cram for their medicinal chemistry final in PharmD school. They met all the way back in kindergarten when they were just first learning about shapes and the alphabet. By middle school, they were official, and by high school, Margo didn’t just have eyes for Drew, but also a career in pharmacy. 

 

“In high school, I started working in a small community pharmacy in our hometown of Hastings, Michigan,” Margo explained. “It was a great way to get exposed to serving the community and caring for patients, and it’s what sparked my interest in the field.”

 

Next Stop: Ann Arbor 

Following high school graduation, Margo and Drew both packed up their cars and made the trek to Ann Arbor as new U-M Wolverines. Both interested in science and healthcare, they tackled the same undergrad major – molecular, cellular and developmental biology. 

 

“I was always interested in math and science, so when I went to college, I knew I wanted to stick with that,” explained Drew. 

 

As graduation grew nearer, Margo knew she wanted to stick with her pharmacy roots and began applying to pharmacy schools. 

 

Drew, on the other hand, was considering medical school. 

 

“When I was in college, my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and I knew I wanted to get into healthcare. I was able to shadow a family physician in my hometown, and that’s when I decided I wanted more work-life balance than a career as a doctor lends itself to, and I decided I could make an impact in pharmacy.”

 

Going Blue Times Two 

The following fall, Drew and Margo continued as a dynamic duo in the U-M College of Pharmacy as PharmD students. Surrounded by world-class faculty and opportunities to grow and learn, Drew and Margo began exploring the vast career opportunities a PharmD can deliver. 

 

“My game plan when I originally pursued pharmacy was to get my degree and then own and operate the independent pharmacy I worked at in high school,” explained Margo. “That dream changed when U-M exposed me to vast career opportunities. I interned at Michigan Medicine which opened my eyes to clinical pharmacy within health systems.”

 

“Michigan uniquely prepared me for what I wanted to do in my career,” said Drew. “I had exposure to a cardiology rotation through Michigan Medicine and later went on to work in a cardiac unit. I had the opportunity to do a rotation at Mott Children’s Hospital, and I later worked in a children’s hospital. The experience and training I got at U-M really set me up for success down the road.”

 

Building Successful Careers

And what a successful road it has been. Following PharmD graduation, they both secured residencies at the University of Minnesota Medical Center—Margo in Health System Pharmacy Administration and Drew in Acute Care. 

 

Following residency, the couple made their way back to the mitten state.

 

Margo rose from Manager of Clinical Pharmacy Services at Corewell Health to Senior Director of Clinical Pharmacy. Today, she oversees more than a hundred people across the state and manages teams focusing on ambulatory care, inpatient clinical care, medication use and safety and education and training. 

 

Drew spent years as a clinical pharmacist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Corewell Health Zeeland Hospital and now serves as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for Priority Health – helping make decisions about medication criteria for insurance coverage, coverage of new medications and reviewing literature to make clinical decisions on what medications should be covered.

 

In It Together

Leaning on each other since their grade school days, Margo and Drew say it’s their understanding of each other’s work that makes their busy lifestyle so seamless. 

“We are fortunate,” Margo explained. “We have a first-hand understanding of when one person needs to push and when one needs to pull. We work in the same industry and have a deep understanding of how our work plays into our home life.”

 

“I think back to the early days of COVID-19 when Margo was in charge of managing Corewell’s vaccine rollout. Because I know this industry, I knew how much of an undertaking that was for her and the pressure she was under, and I was able to do what I could to alleviate responsibilities at home so she could focus on that.” 

 

Giving Back

Between work schedules and raising three children, Margo and Drew find time to give back to the future of pharmacy – both serving as preceptors for PharmD students and residents. 

 

“I love precepting because I feel that I’m getting just as much out of it as they do,” said Drew. “As a student, they hold me accountable for explaining specific cases, and it reminds me to understand the “why” further. I encourage my residents to become  preceptors as soon as possible.”

 

“Precepting is a great reminder of how much I’ve grown since being in pharmacy school,” said Margo. “My students always ask great questions about my work, contributing to my continued growth.”

 

And the advice they give to their students and residents hailing from Ann Arbor?

 

“Have fun,” said Margo. “It can be so stressful and you’re in an intense program, but you should explore everything U-M has to offer. Your pharmacy school friends will become your best friends.”

 

“Take advantage of U-M's small class sizes and make connections,” said Drew. “You will make friends and network with people you can collaborate with down the road.”