May 6, 2024
First-generation college student, Stephanie Martin, Pharm.D. candidate, Class of 2024, has always been passionate about education and addressing health disparities.
She grew up in Kernersville, North Carolina and her grandparents immigrated from Canada, Malta and Greece. “Growing up, I saw very quickly how health disparities played out and how important education was,” she said.
Martin decided to pursue her undergraduate studies at Carolina and initially focused on education but learned more about the pharmacist role as educators in health care. It was the perfect combination of her passions, and she ended up studying biology and psychology.
She then applied to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and chose the dual Pharm.D. and Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. During her third year, she heard about the application to complete a rotation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“It sounded like a great opportunity, so I applied, but never thought I would get it,” Martin said. “I wanted to be able to combine public health and pharmacy and to see how pharmacists work nationally on public health initiatives.”
To her surprise, she was accepted and just completed her month-long CDC rotation in April. She worked for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which focuses on falls, drownings and motor vehicle accidents. Her biggest project was a literature review for injury prevention in American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.
“Seeing the collaboration among people across the country has been a highlight for sure,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about career pathways to the CDC, and I think it would be really interesting to work in a government role in the future.”
Her CDC experience was also a full-circle moment. Throughout her time at the School, she worked on a deprescribing project with Stefanie Ferreri, Pharm.D., Henry L. Smith & James L. Olsen Distinguished Professor and chair of the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, and discovered that her CDC preceptor was the mentor on Ferreri’s grant. The $3 million grant was for a study on screening older adults who use prescription opioids and are at risk for falls with the objective to implement a deprescribing medication protocol.
“I wasn’t expecting that connection at all,” she said. “Projects I was working on in pharmacy school were adopted by the CDC, so it felt like the perfect ending to pharmacy school.”
Martin’s immediate plans following commencement include an ambulatory care track residency at UNC Medical Center.
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