Student Spotlight: Caitlin Tamblyn PharmD ’24

As a P1 student starting at Pacific University in 2021, there was still a lot of uncertainty around what the school structure would look like for the upcoming year. My class received the official word from Dean Karimi in May that, after a year of distance learning, Pacific School of Pharmacy would resume with in-person learning for Fall 2021.

In order to make this long-awaited dream a reality we happily took all of the necessary next steps to come to campus, including arriving in August fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Our life on campus looks slightly different than before, but we are all navigating the changes well. We complete a daily survey each morning prior to arriving on campus attesting to our health status and from there receive the approval to attend class and, despite being a fully vaccinated campus, we all wear our masks. 

Perhaps the biggest change from the pandemic is the integration of remote learning options still available to students who need to stay home due to health or other concerns. Platforms like this allow us to share important things like our white coat ceremony with our families through live-streaming capabilities, as we are still cautious of holding large events at this time.
Getting to know my professors and classmates in person has been one of my favorite parts of my time at Pacific so far. My P1 classmates and I are all so grateful to be with each other and our professors that it has helped us form a close bond that we can keep with us forever.