How many hats do Eshelman School of Pharmacy students wear? For Liza Schimmelfing, it’s four. Outside of school, Liza works at an independent pharmacy in Carrboro, works part-time at Loft as a sales associate, and coaches volleyball to middle-school girls.
A current PY3 student (Class of 2020) from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Liza Schimmelfing is a die-hard Tar Heel fan – in fact, her middle name is Carolina! For this week’s student feature, Sit with Senate’s Clara Kim interviewed Liza (and her pup Lola!) to feature her interests both inside and outside the classroom.
Sit with Senate: How has your perspective on the profession of pharmacy changed since joining the ESOP community?
Liza Schimmelfing: Pharmacy school has made me fall even more in love with the profession. Although I grew up knowing a lot about the life of a community pharmacist since my grandpa had his own independent pharmacy, since joining the ESOP community, my eyes have been opened to how much a pharmacist can contribute to the healthcare team.
SwS: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
LS: Control what you can control and be flexible to what you cannot.
SwS: Who is your favorite professor at ESOP, and why?
LS: Dr. Persky has been my favorite professor at ESOP. He has a great personality (which makes long lectures easier to get through), he is able to use a number of examples to ensure all students understand what he’s teaching, and he genuinely cares about his students. I really enjoyed his class.
SwS: How have you evolved as a student since you started pharmacy school?
LS: Coming into pharmacy school I thought I had good time-management skills since I was an athlete in college, but pharmacy school definitely showed me that I had even more to gain in this department. I am now more organized than ever to stay on top of due dates and upcoming exams. And even though I balance a lot of other activities outside of school, my academics have always had top priority to ensure I get everything done.
SwS: What is your favorite drug, and why?
LS: My favorite drug is honestly kind of lame, but to be fair, it has been around for almost 50 years and is still used by people every day. My favorite drug is ibuprofen. Although it doesn’t treat the most intense disease states and it may not have an elaborate mechanism of action, it’s my favorite drug because it can do so much. Have a fever? Take some ibuprofen. Have a headache from studying all day and night? Ibuprofen. Knee pain from standing at the pharmacy all day? You guessed it, ibuprofen. Although it’s not safe for everyone (as no drug is), it works for many people and it has helped me get through some painful days.
SwS: What did you want to be when you grow up?
LS: Since high school I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist. However, during elementary and middle school I wanted to be a firefighter, storm chaser, or the next Food Network star.
SwS: What do you work toward in your free time?
LS: “Free time” doesn’t really exist for me, but that’s how my life has always been (and how I prefer it to be). Outside of school I have three jobs. One of my jobs is at an independent community pharmacy in Carrboro. During my time at the pharmacy, I like to have as much patient interaction as I can, work to help the pharmacy be the best it can be, and test myself on things that I’ve learned in the classroom. My second job is at Ann Taylor LOFT, as a sales associate. Although it may seem random, I love my job there. Working retail allows me to work on my customer service skills and my teamwork skills with my coworkers. During the time I spend at LOFT, I work towards making women look and feel more confident. My third job is as an assistant club volleyball coach. I played volleyball my whole life, including through college, and it has always been a part of me (and it’s probably where my competitive nature comes from). I’ve been lucky enough to coach at the club that I played for in high school and with a coach that used to coach me when I was young. I get so much out of teaching the sport I love to younger girls and being a mentor for them. Last but not least, I work towards being the best daughter, sister, aunt, and friend I can be during my free time.
SwS: Describe your life using film titles.
LS: “The Pursuit of Happyness” or “Working girl.”
Interview with Liza & Lola
SwS: What is your pet’s name? How long have you had your pet?
LS: My family’s new puppy’s name is Lola. We got her on June 24th.
SwS: What is the first thing you say to your pet when you wake up in the morning?
LS: “Good morning Lola bean! Ready to go outside??”
SwS: What would your pet say about you if we asked for a reference?
LS: She sleeps in too late (but anything after 6:00 am is considered too late to me). She’s a wonderful big sister. I can count on her when I need her the most
SwS: “How would you describe your perfect day?”
Lola: My perfect day would consist of meeting all the humans I can, a lot of walks around the neighborhood, and eating all the shoes I can get my paws on.
SwS: “What do you do all day when I am gone for school?”
Lola: When you’re gone I chew on my favorite dinosaur until I get bored. I sleep a lot, since I’m still growing. And I patiently wait for you to come play with me again.
SwS: “If you had a job, what would it be?”
Lola: If I had a job it would be a gardener. My favorite thing to do in my backyard is hide in my dad’s garden and dig around in the soft dirt. Plastic planting cups are also my favorite thing to chew on and I would have a lot of those around if I was a gardener.
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