Jennifer Hagopian on Curiosity, Mentorship and Transplant Pharmacy

When Jennifer (Jen) Hagopian, PharmD, BCPS, BCTXP, selected a solid organ transplant APPE as a pharmacy student, she wasn’t planning her future career. She simply wanted to explore an area she didn’t know much about. That one rotation changed everything.

“I just tried to pick things that I didn’t really know too much about,” Dr. Hagopian said. “I ended up falling in love with it for all the different reasons that I thought I might.”

Today, Dr. Hagopian serves as a transplant pharmacist and Residency Program Director at Michigan Medicine, where she cares for patients before and after organ transplantation while mentoring the next generation of pharmacists.

Our Learners Get to Care for Patients Through Every Step of Their Journey

Unlike many pharmacy specialties, transplant pharmacy allows Dr. Hagopian to build lasting relationships with patients throughout their care.

She works with patients before a transplant by identifying medication-related concerns and helping prepare them for surgery. After transplant, she joins the interdisciplinary care team to manage immunosuppressive therapy, educates patients and caregivers on complex medication regimens and continues supporting patients through follow-up clinic visits.

“It’s really rewarding because we get to know our patients so well and make an impact in their lives,” she said.

The specialty also appealed to Dr. Hagopian because it combines many areas of pharmacy, including infectious diseases, internal medicine and critical care, while offering opportunities to solve complex clinical challenges every day.

This rotation gives learners a firsthand look at the full continuum of transplant care, from evaluating patients before surgery to supporting them long after their transplant. Along the way, they see how pharmacists are integral members of the care team and how building meaningful relationships with patients can have a lasting impact on their health and quality of life.

The Benefit of Learning Beyond the Classroom

As a preceptor, Dr. Hagopian hopes students leave their rotation with more than clinical knowledge. She encourages learners to embrace experiences that push them outside of their comfort zones and to remain open to career paths they may never have considered.

“Sometimes it’s hard to know what your interests are just from the classroom,” she said. “You really discover them once you’re out in practice and on rotations.” 

That philosophy stems from her own experience. A transplant rotation she chose simply to try something new, ultimately shaping her entire career.

Her advice to students is simple: don’t be afraid to explore. An elective rotation, APPE or residency in an unfamiliar specialty could introduce you to the career or a passion you never knew existed.

Her Advice On What Makes A Great Pharmacist?

For Dr. Hagopian, curiosity is one of the most important qualities in a future pharmacist. She encourages students to be lifelong learners, ask questions and become comfortable with uncertainty.

“There’s not one way to treat every patient,” she said. “Being inquisitive and learning to work through those gray areas is what helps students really excel.”

That mindset is especially important in transplant pharmacy, where every patient and every transplant center approaches care a little differently.

Giving Back Through Mentorship

Dr. Hagopian credits much of her own career to the mentors who guided her along the way, including the preceptor who first introduced her to transplant pharmacy during an APPE. Now, after more than a decade of precepting pharmacy learners, she’s committed to paying that mentorship forward.

“Being a preceptor means having the opportunity to give back,” she said. “I am where I am because of my mentors. You never know where your path will lead or who will impact it along the way.”

For Dr. Hagopian, watching students grow in confidence, from the first day of a rotation to the last, is one of the most rewarding parts of her work.

Beyond the Pharmacy

Outside of work, Dr. Hagopian enjoys international travel and endurance hiking. She has twice completed the 29,029 Everesting challenge, hiking the elevation equivalent of Mount Everest, 29,029 vertical feet, in 36 hours.

It’s a fitting hobby for someone who encourages others to embrace difficult challenges and discover what’s possible when they step outside of their comfort zone.