Christian Ruiz, Pharmd, Bcemp Email & Phone Number

When I was younger, I thought I wanted to become a lawyer (also, my fortune cookie told me that I would be one).As a PGY2 emergency medicine (EM) pharmacy resident, I have practiced making a difference in people’s lives in a unique way: by using evidence-based pharmacotherapy to improve medication outcomes. Whether through medication reconciliation, antibiotic recommendation and counseling for discharged ED patients, or leading the code cart during cardiac arrests, I have learned about and experienced the substantial impact of EM and critical care pharmacists in helping patients live better lives.However, I have also learned that our role as clinical pharmacy specialists is not just clinical; we are also teachers and leaders in both our practice setting and in our profession.As a student and as a pharmacist, I have pursued numerous teaching and leadership experiences, including:• serving as an Instructor for General Chemistry Laboratories, • leading brothers and candidates as Worthy Inner Guard for the Alpha Delta Chapter of Phi Delta Chi, and• delivering various didactic lectures to and precepting various pharmacy students and PGY1 pharmacy residents in a diversity of practice experiences.Along the way, I achieved milestones for my organizations and earned honors and awards, such as:• establishing the first Sunday student-led Masses for Catholic Campus Ministry,• earning the Most Spirited Organization Award for the Pediatric Pharmacy Student Group by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (Virginia Chapter), and• receiving the Phi Lambda Sigma September Lambda Award and Phi Delta Chi Alumnus Awards for outstanding leadership as both a pharmacy student and an alumnus.Throughout my experiences, I learned essential skills as a clinical pharmacy specialist, including how to motivate people, how to efficiently manage my time, and how to resolve conflicts. Also, I found out that being a lawyer and being a pharmacist are not that different: I can still enjoy discussing with people about problems, solutions, and evidence, and I can still make a difference in people's lives with those discussions.Ultimately, I hope to further my skills and my experiences as an EM and/or critical care pharmacist, where I can further pursue my passion for hands-on, evidence-based pharmacotherapy. Moreover, I hope to continue my passions for teaching, mentoring, researching, and writing as a pharmacist, regardless of my practice setting.Maybe my fortune cookie was right, after all – I can be a lawyer, but in a different way.

Listed skills include Public Speaking, Research, Tutoring, Piano, and 31 others.