For both Laurajo Ryan (Pharm.D. 2000) and Kyllie Ryan (Pharm.D. 2016), the road to pharmacy was anything but straight.
Laurajo’s father (who is also a pharmacist) taught pharmacology and toxicology when she was a kid, so she spent a lot of time around the lab. This may or may not have been an influence for her to join the U.S. Navy as an antisubmarine warfare specialist. After the Navy, Laurajo wanted to make sure her next career was equally challenging and always evolving. She also wanted to make sure that she never had the same day twice. Pharmacy was the perfect match, so she left Hawaii in pursuit of new adventures.
Laurajo entered the UT College of Pharmacy with Kyllie in tow, so Kyllie was surrounded by pharmacy early on. Since she was 5 when “they” entered pharmacy school, Kyllie basically became the class mascot. She could often be found doing cartwheels in the hallways during evening pharmacy exams.
Laurajo completed her Pharm.D. and headed to Maryland for residency training. After her residency they came home to Texas where Laurajo joined the College of Pharmacy faculty in San Antonio. She continues in that role as an associate professor of pharmacotherapy.
Even though Laurajo bleeds burnt orange, Kyllie went the house-divided route and chose to go to Texas A&M. There, she earned her degree in biomedical science. Her originalplan was to apply to medical school, but the more she was around different healthcare professions, the more she was drawn to pharmacy.
Laurajo and Kyllie at the 2015 ASHP mid-year meeting
Pharmacy school led Kyllie to her burnt orange roots. She will graduate with her Pharm.D. in May 2016. After graduation she will enter PGY1 residency training at University Hospital in San Antonio, and begin to chart her own path in pharmacy