Rooted in Service, Fueled by Science

Pharm.D. Candidate Trisha Otwell Transformed Setbacks into Growth in Pharmacy Practice

Trisha Otwell’s path to pharmacy wasn’t linear—but it was intentional. Originally set on a nursing career, a shadowing experience proved to be a pivotal turning point in her career trajectory.

From Pivot to Passion

“I realized it just wasn’t for me,” Otwell said. “Even though you’re helping patients, it’s more short-term—you don’t build the same kind of relationship.”

That insight prompted a period of reflection, leading her to consider pharmacy instead.

“I fell in love with chemistry and how everything works in the body, which made me more interested in pharmacy overall,” Otwell said. “Having the ability to actually be the expert on medications—and the fact that people see their pharmacists more than they see their doctors—really stood out to me.”

Growth Mindset

Otwell will be graduating with her Pharm.D. in just a few days. The road to this moment was marked by both triumph and adversity. One of the most challenging moments came during the COVID-19 pandemic when the transition to online learning disrupted her study habits and focus.

“During the Pharm.D. application process, I failed Organic Chemistry, which was awful,” she admits.

Rather than allow that setback to derail her goals, Otwell retook Chemistry I and II in intensive mini-mester sessions while simultaneously communicating with the pharmacy school to preserve her application status.

“I had to learn how to bounce back from failure and keep pushing forward,” Otwell said. “It wasn’t easy, but it showed me how important it is to maintain a growth mindset.”

Once in pharmacy school, Otwell’s transition from working student to full-time professional-in-training was another steep climb.

“I had to learn how to study,” Otwell said. “Pharmacy school is a marathon, not a sprint. You must be disciplined with your time, but you also have to take care of yourself. You can’t just burn out trying to do everything perfectly.”

Leadership and Learning

Over the course of pharmacy school, Otwell was elected secretary of her class’s student council and served as a student ambassador, offering guidance to incoming students navigating the same decisions she once faced. She also took on leadership positions in such organizations as the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists, for which she served as international vice president and International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation senior chair, and the pharmacy fraternity Phi Delta Chi – Alpha Tau chapter, for which she served as vice president.

In 2024, Otwell was accepted into the competitive Academia-Community Transformation (ACT) Pharmacy Collaborative Community Pharmacy Student Scholar Leaders program, securing one of 50 spots from across the country.

Since 2015, she has worked in various roles across H-E-B, starting as a cashier and eventually progressing to pharmacy technician, pharmacist intern and future full-time pharmacist. As a pharmacy intern, Otwell created educational materials and quick-reference guides for clinical use, and she built training resources on injectable diabetic medications. Her efforts have earned her Partner of the Month on multiple occasions.

“The best part of working at a community pharmacy is that it gives me the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on my patients’ lives every day,” Otwell said. “I’ve worked with so many patients who really depend on us for advice on managing their health. There’s something special about being able to support them.”

Rotation Realization

Through her many APPE and IPPE rotations, Otwell developed a multifaceted understanding of pharmacy practice, ranging from inpatient hospital settings and ambulatory care clinics to specialty areas like psychiatry and critical care.

“One of the things I really love about rotations is how they give you the space to explore different aspects of pharmacy,” Otwell said. “For me, psychiatry has become one of the areas I want to explore more deeply.”

Otwell said one of her most profound experiences came during her rotation with UTMB Correctional Managed Care at Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, where she worked directly with patients navigating severe mental illness and medication dependence.

“That rotation really opened my eyes,” Otwell said. “I wouldn’t have learned what I did anywhere else, and it shifted my focus from just hospitals and community patients to a totally unique population.”

She also completed a similar rotation at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, where her work with veterans furthered her interest in psychiatric pharmacy.

Though Otwell has accepted a full-time position as a floater pharmacist at H-E-B, she remains open to exploring roles in mental health pharmacy in the future to continue helping patients with unique health care needs.

To future students considering a path in pharmacy, Otwell advised them to “be ready to put in the work.”

“Try to get experience in the pharmacy world early on—it’s a lot different when you’re in it compared to just thinking about it,” Otwell said. “You really do get out what you put into it and how you apply yourself.”

— Naqiyah Kantawala