A ‘Fearlessly Authentic’ leap of faith led Eric Dobberpuhl (center) to successfully seek a position on the 2019–20 APhA–ASP NEC.
By Eric Dobberpuhl
The beauty of this year’s APhA–ASP presidential theme “Fearlessly Authentic” is that you can cater it specifically to yourself. To me, being “Fearlessly Authentic” means embracing my true self, taking leaps of faith, and seeking improvement through vulnerability.
Early leaps of faith
My “Fearlessly Authentic” story begins in my pre-pharmacy portion of the 2+3 PharmD program at Chapman University School of Pharmacy (CUSP). I took my first leap of faith by successfully running to be Undergraduate Liaison on our chapter’s Founding APhA–-ASP Executive Board. I acted as a bridge of communication between the chapter Executive Board and the Pre-Pharmacy Undergraduate APhA–ASP members at CUSP. Early on, I learned that being vulnerable and open to constructive criticism allowed me to develop my skills as a leader and as a professional.
During this time, I took another leap of faith by attending my first ever APhA–ASP Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM) in Anaheim, CA, in 2016. I was the only attendee who was not a student pharmacist! Luckily, my chapter colleagues took me under their wings and made it an experience that I will never forget. I networked with student pharmacists and found new strategies to improve our chapter.
Up until MRM, I had the mindset that I was going to finish my term as Undergraduate Liaison and once pharmacy school started, I would solely focus on my studies. All of this changed during the MRM keynote presentation. The speaker shared her story and gave the most influential and inspiring presentation that I have ever heard. The next day, I found out that the speaker who I had thought was a hired motivational speaker was actually past APhA–ASP National President Kelsea Gallegos! That day, I made it my goal to be in Kelsea’s shoes up on that stage, moving and inspiring student pharmacists the way that she did.
By being vulnerable and taking a few chances, the entire trajectory of my pharmacy story was altered. I had also found an incredibly rewarding pharmacy home within APhA–ASP, and I hadn’t even started pharmacy school!
A new door opens after setback
The next fall, I began pharmacy school and became a student pharmacist. I came in ambitious and excited about my future in pharmacy. Within the first week, I ran for our chapter’s First-Year Liaison on the Executive Board. I felt confident because of my previous experience with our chapter’s APhA–ASP Executive Board. However, the vote did not fall in my favor. I was discouraged because this was something I was very passionate about and I thought I was well-qualified. After the initial sting, I asked my peers for constructive criticism in order to improve. I received valuable inspiration from past APhA President Nancy Alvarez, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, and we strategized on how I could bounce back. I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, so I stayed true to myself during this hardship by continuing that belief. By seeking self-improvement and receiving motivation from Dr. Alvarez, I took a leap of faith as a first-year student pharmacist and ran for Region 8 Regional Member-at-large at the 2017 MRM.
After being elected and having a successful term as a Regional Member-at-large, I found that I was left with a strong desire to serve APhA–ASP members, chapters, and communities across the country. I decided to take a further leap of faith and run for APhA–ASP National Member-at-large at the 2019 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition in Seattle, WA. After debating how I should conduct my election campaign, I determined that I should simply show student pharmacists who I am as a person and be my true self. With much pleasure, I now serve as one of your APhA–ASP
National Members-at-large!
This is how I define “Fearlessly Authentic.” How will you define it to create your own pharmacy story?
Eric Dobberpuhl is a final-year PharmD candidate at Chapman University School of Pharmacy and a 2019–20 APhA–ASP National Member-at-large.