Rachel Randall and Nick Tsoi complete memorable PGY1 residencies

Making adjustments to work and lives during the COVID-19 pandemic made the postgraduate year-one residencies memorable for Drs. Rachel Randall and Nicholas Tsoi. Both are DKICP graduates (Class of 2019) who spent the past year working at several locations within the state.

“My PGY1 residency experience was extremely memorable, even before COVID-19,” says Randall, who completed rotations at Wilcox Medical Center on Kauai, Pali Momi Medical Center and The Physician Center at Mililani, both on Oʻahu. “My day-to-day experiences changed depending on the type of rotation I was on, but there was always a mix of working up patients, rounding with the health care team, patient counseling, working on projects, and staffing the pharmacy.

“I think the most memorable experience was getting a rotation on Kauai, as well as doing some amazing hiking there, such as Awaʻawapuhi and Hanakāpī‘ai, and seeing Nā Pali by boat,” says the Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu, native. “It was also wonderful to attend ASHP Midyear in Las Vegas and participate in the residency showcase with thousands of other pharmacists across the nation.

“These past few months have been memorable in their own right,” adds Randall. “I was fortunate enough to continue working in the hospital during the quarantine and helping patients during this scary time.”

This coming academic year (PGY2), Randall will be practicing at Pali Momi Medical Center, both as a clinical pharmacist and as a pharmacy student preceptor. “I am very excited for the opportunity to give back to both the College of Pharmacy and the upcoming PharmD graduates,” she says. “Being a recent graduate, I am in a unique position to help the pharmacy students navigate experiential rotations and prepare effectively for their upcoming boards and licensure. This is also a critical time for pharmacists to showcase their ability to help on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Tsoi, who also grew up on Oʻahu, spent the first six months of this past year as a resident at Pali Momi Medical Center on Oʻahu and Wilcox Medical Center on Kauaʻi. He spent the remainder of the year at Straub Medical Center on Oʻahu. “Day-to-day activities varied from one rotation to the next. I could be formulating care plans with the multi-disciplinary team, managing operational issues in the pharmacy, or even precepting students that were rotating through our sites,” he says. “On top of my regular job duties, I also spent time working on various projects for my institution and creating academic lectures for the college.”

He says the most memorable part of his residency was working in the Straub emergency department. “There was rarely a dull moment in the ED, and the opportunity allowed me to experience a gamut of hands-on patient care activities, urgent and non-urgent. I learned to think critically but efficiently under high-stress situations. I am extremely thankful to have been a part of that team.”

In his PGY2 year ahead, he is looking forward to working with students and helping to mold them into great practitioners. “Academia has always been my passion, and I hope to pass down my experience and knowledge for the future generation of pharmacists.”