Bernard Leung joins a long list of health care professionals in his family.
He is proud to be the only pharmacist.
Leung, who already has a BSc in biology from UBC, worked in sales and marketing
for two years before returning to his alma mater for four more years in the
pharmacy program. He says pharmacists enjoy a unique position in the community
because they are at the juncture of business and health care.
“Generally, when people think of pharmacy, they think of retailers,” says
Leung. “I think pharmacists have been underutilized in the past but that is
changing as people are beginning to realize we have a lot to offer.”
Leung, who graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, is winner of
the faculty’s 1997 Honorary Activities Cup given for leadership, participation,
popularity and academics during four years of study. He says pharmacists are
often characterized as a staid bunch who “count, pour, lick and stick.” According
to Leung, nothing could be further from the truth.
“The faculty is a hoot,” says Leung, who sings and plays piano each year on
Pharmacy Talent Night. “There is an incredible amount of energy and spirit among
all the students, faculty and staff.”
The 500 pharmacy undergraduates get together annually with graduate students
and faculty for a competitive night of skits based on a pharmacy theme. James
Bond, Star Wars and action super heroes have all been used for pharmaceutical
fodder.
One year, Leung’s acting group performed a version of the musical, West Side
Story, complete with original songs and choreography. They even went so far
as to order background music from a distributor in New York City.
Says Leung: “Basically, it’s a chance to show some ingenuity and make fun
of some professors.”
Leung is currently commuting from Kerrisdale to Mission where he’s doing a
month-long clerkship rotation at a local pharmacy. He is also studying for the
provincial and national licensing exams conducted in June.
Leung’s long-range plans are to apply for a 12-month B.C. Hospital Residency
Program to learn more about the clinical roles pharmacists can play in a hospital
setting.
