Article by Phoenix writer Caitlin Hanratty ’25:
St. John’s University professor Dr. Maidhof came to Kellenberg on April 10 to talk about his career in pharmaceuticals.
Maidhof gave a preview of what life working in pharmacy looks like and talked about the different kinds of career paths someone in the field could follow.
One of the jobs that Dr. Maidhof spoke about was a community pharmacist. This career could be a fit for someone looking to work locally and make patients’ prescriptions at a pharmacy. These pharmacists work directly with their patients by seeing them face to face, communicating with them, and giving them counsel.
Dr. Maidhof continued his talk with the similar profession of a hospital pharmacist, who works in indirect patient care and makes prescriptions given by hospital doctors for patients. This position, however, is more collaborative than one as a community pharmacist.
If neither of these paths were of interest to students, Dr. Maidhof told of a lesser known role as an industry pharmacist. This kind of pharmacist works directly with companies such as Pfizer to create and distribute the medications used in everyday life. Dr. Maidhof also described the many other career choices there are in industry pharmaceuticals, such as working in the law or advertising parts of these companies.
Junior Isabella Breen shared, “When Dr. Maidhof presented today, it solidified my interest in pharmacy. His passion, knowledge and willingness to connect with students truly showed during his presentation.”
Overall, Dr. Maidhof’s talk enlightened many students about the possibilities ahead of them in the pharmaceutical industry.
