Licamied Macklin

My mom is a pharmacist who also graduated from the University of Mississippi. Being so close to the field on a daily basis for the last 18+ years allowed me to see the numerous avenues of pharmacy that are available and growing! My mom has a history of working in retail, mail order, home infusion, hospital, public health, long-term care facilities and currently a more clinical setting. I also knew I wanted to be involved in the medical field without all the blood and gory that medical doctors and nurses experience on the daily!

When I began applying to pharmacy schools, I knew the University of Mississippi was at the top of my list. I was already experiencing what the university had to offer me, so why not continue a more difficult, yet rewarding, path at the same great university?

During the spring semester of my second year of pharmacy school, I began researching and exploring my possible future career paths. No matter which path I chose, I knew that it would more than likely require completing a residency. At that time, I was used to staying in my comfort zone and blending into the background. I knew that I had to step up and step out to discover my full potential as a student, professional and overall person. I knew that applying for a position within ASB would allow me to interact with various disciplines throughout UMMC and still experience leadership in a smaller scale before I get into the real world. In all, I am a member of the executive board of the third-year pharmacy class, a member of ASHP and a member of SNPhA.

My new responsibilities will include attending monthly ASB meetings, accurately taking minutes of the meeting, distributing the minutes to the executive officers in a timely manner, and assist the other officers with any events, ideas, etc.

Fun fact: I am the only member of the ASB executive board that is in the School of Pharmacy! All the other members are medical students. So, I look forward to offering a distinct perspective and voice for the profession of pharmacy. I am excited to communicate and establish connections with students throughout UMMC through campus-wide events, fundraisers, volunteering opportunities and celebrations!  

Being involved has caused me to vastly improve time management, verbal and written communication skills, and overall confidence in my abilities. In addition to leadership roles within organizations, I tutor the second-year pharmacy students in Oxford for one class per semester. This opportunity has taught me how to create and deliver information in a concise manner. All these skills will be applicable in some shape or form in any pharmacy position.

Currently, I am interested in critical care pharmacy or HIV pharmacy. I would love to graduate from pharmacy school, complete a PGY-1 residency and PGY-2 residency specializing in critical care, and eventually become a board-certified critical care pharmacist. Another possible avenue involves working with the HIV population. This could all change once I begin my APPE rotations in May 2022. However, my overall goal is to hold and maintain at least one board certification after graduation.

I love being able to interact with all the other health care professional students here on the UMMC campus. It more closely represents the real world in which we will be working in once we graduate. I also love all the good food options in and around the Jackson metro area!

My favorite class so far has been Oncology/Hematology/Immunology. I enjoyed learning about all the different chemotherapy regiments for the various areas of cancers and the supportive care regimens that go along with them.

If you had to choose one Winter Olympic event to compete in, what would it be and why?