Savannah McLeod

It’s safe to say that a career in pharmacy has been on Savannah McLeod’s mind for many years.

In the eighth grade, Savannah McLeod completed a job shadowing at a local pharmacy. As a senior in high school, she completed two pharmacy internships.

“I was initially drawn to pharmacy because the way medicine works fascinated me,” says McLeod, now a student in the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. The combination of shadowing and internship experiences gave her confidence in her decision to pursue a career as a pharmacist.

But it wasn’t until coming to PC that McLeod discovered her true passion in the field: ambulatory care.
“Dr. Ratliff introduced me to ambulatory care because she could see that I would fall in love with it,” says McLeod. “Once I found where I felt I belonged and would be able to make a true difference in patients’ lives, I had an overwhelming feeling of happiness and reassurance in my decisions.”

Savannah McLeod in White Coat

McLeod says that every person and experience at PC has helped shape her into the pharmacist she wants to become. She has been named to the Dean’s list, received the president’s award, and has served as president of the Kappa Epsilon Professional Pharmacy Fraternity (KE) for two years.

“From my professors to rotations, every encounter has benefited me in some way. PC has given me far more than an education. This program has helped shape me as a person and given me skills that I will carry with me for my entire career. PC also introduced me to the greatest friends and professors that are more like family to me. This has been the most rewarding experience and the things I have gained from this program, I am certain I could not have gotten elsewhere.”

McLeod’s long-term career goal is to practice in ambulatory care, specifically in a primary care office or a clinic.

“My advice to incoming students would be to keep an open mind and take every opportunity that you can,” says McLeod. “Pharmacy is a diverse field and there are so many areas that you can go into and impact patients’ lives. Keep an open mind to all of the potential experiences where you can gain to develop your skills as a future pharmacist. Take advantage of every opportunity presented to grow and use it to become the type of pharmacist you want to be.”