The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) New Practitioner Award recognizes a HOPA member early in his or her career who has made a significant contribution to developing or supporting clinical hematology/oncology pharmacy services. This year’s recipient, LeAnn Norris, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, is assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and outcomes sciences at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy in Columbia and a member of The Oncology Pharmacist editorial board.
Please tell us about the career that has led up to your winning the Outstanding New Practitioner Award.
I graduated from the College of Pharmacy at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, which is now known as the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, in 2004 and completed my PGY1 pharmacy residency at the Moses Cone Health Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Then I stayed on for my PGY2 at the regional cancer center within the Moses Cone Health System, where I trained under Lew Iacovelli. I completed my PGY2 oncology residency in 2006 and debated staying on in Greensboro or taking a faculty position in South Carolina. I knew that I enjoyed working with students and thought that I would enjoy a career in academia, so I decided to move back to South Carolina and take the position in Columbia in 2006.
Why did you choose to specialize in oncology?
I have always had an interest in oncology but I also considered specializing in infectious diseases. Once I met Lew Iacovelli and saw the role he has with his patients at the cancer center, the positive influence he has in his patients’ lives, and his relationship with some of the physicians he works with, I knew immediately that that was what I wanted to do. He’s been an excellent role model and mentor for me.
In addition to your teaching duties, do you have any direct contact with patients?
I currently cover two services at the hospital here, the outpatient chemotherapy clinic and the hospice and palliative care unit. I’m on service 12 months a year, 20 hours a week per month so I have to try to squeeze in everything in 1 day. Every day is different and every day has a new challenge, and I love that.
Do you encourage your students to go on for specialty training?
I definitely advise all of my students that if they’re even thinking about residency, they need to pursue it. My opinion about specialty residencies is that if you have a very strong interest in an area, I highly encourage you to go on to a second year of residency, with the understanding that your job possibilities may sometimes be more limited. It’s a very rewarding experience, and generally there are no regrets in spending that extra year to pursue additional training.
A lot of students on my rotation will go on to work in a community pharmacy or a chain drugstore. Even if they have no interest in pursuing a career in oncology, I encourage them to make the most out of their rotation when they’re on service with me because everyone is affected by cancer in some way. I always try to make sure that my students can have an educational conversation with patients and that patients can see them as a good resource, even if it’s just a matter of answering questions for a cancer patient who’s coming in to pick up a prescription for nausea medication.
You learn how to counsel patients in pharmacy school, but sometimes when patients are very sick there’s a different way of communicating with them. I personally had to learn how to counsel patients all over again when I started in oncology.
Another piece of advice that I would give to students who are perhaps in a PGY1 residency and are interested in pursuing a career in oncology is that networking is key to advancing in this field because just by meeting people, you open doors up to potential jobs or potential collaborations in research.
I’ve been a member of HOPA since my first year of residency. It offers a great resource not just for specialists or people who have done oncology training, but also for people who have started in a new oncology pharmacy position, whether they have been practicing in another area for some time or are just starting out in their career.