Trista Ross
Pharmacy Site Manager
Genoa Healthcare
“I knew the only way I was going to get anywhere was to work as hard as I could...there is no free/easy road in life.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I graduated high school and was working at a local gas station and living at home. I saw a flyer for an online pharmacy tech school. I decided to go for it and ended up getting certified on my own.
I got a job in the pharmacy and worked as a tech, with every intention of going to pharmacy school. I ended up failing out of college at first. I just had no motivation.
After getting out of a toxic relationship that lasted five years (with someone who discouraged me from school at every turn) I decided to enroll in college.
This time, school was much easier for me. I was older and better able to manage my time. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do pharmacy though. I took pharmacy pre-reqs but also majored in writing.
One of my dearest friends I met in college encouraged me to apply to pharmacy school. I decided that poetry probably wasn’t going to get me very far, so I applied and got accepted.
While in pharmacy school, I worked for the same company I had when I was a tech. I had ambitions to be a manager and was accepted to a special management internship.
I became a pharmacy manager pretty much as soon as I got licensed. I was discouraged at first because it was so overwhelming. I ended up job hopping a bit.
I wanted more than anything to move to Austin, and I ended up finding a job in a mental health pharmacy. I love being here and I enjoy my job more than my previous ones.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Plate Canyon High School
Plate Canyon High School
Bachelor
English writing
University of Colorado Denver
English writing
University of Colorado Denver
Doctorate
Doctor of Pharmacy
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Doctor of Pharmacy
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Career
Pharmacy Site Manager
I handle the dispensing process for all prescriptions and manage the pharmacy also.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Medicine
Business
Helping People
Day to Day
I verify all prescriptions that were typed in and filled by the technicians. I have to deal with multiple compliance, management, or clinical situations throughout the day. I counsel all patients who pick up new prescriptions or who have any questions. I coordinate patient care between doctors, nurses, recovery coaches, and patient assistance coordinators. I try to make many people happy and try to please a lot of conflicting interests at once.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
I would recommend getting a job as a pharmacy tech first to make sure pharmacy is something you’re truly interested in. A lot of people think they’ll like it but end up hating it. Enroll in a college (doesn’t matter if it’s community) and take your pre-requisites. Do the best you can in school. Volunteer and do some extracurricular activities. Doing well in school ensures you will get accepted to the pharmacy school of your choice.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
English writing
English writing
Doctorate
Doctor of Pharmacy
Doctor of Pharmacy
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Teachers:
"Pharmacists are just pill counters and that is beneath you. "
Challenges I Overcame
Financial
