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By Jeff Malet, Writer/Photographer learn at WesternU College of Pharmacy is how to teach
themselves.”
College of Pharmacy Associate Professor of Pharmacy
Practice and Administration Donald Hsu, PharmD ’03, Hsu teaches about various bacterial infectious diseases
began at Western University of Health Sciences in 1999 and fungal infectious diseases, and teaches and co-
as a student pharmacist. An alumnus from the Class of facilitates an integrative course that incorporates material
2003, Hsu came back to WesternU in 2005 to teach after taught throughout the students’ didactic career,
he completed residencies in pharmacy practice and preparing them for rotations that begin in the second
infectious diseases. semester of their third year. He also is a co-facilitator for
Objective Structure Clinical Exams (OSCE).
Hsu admits teaching was the last thing on his mind until
he had a teaching rotation during his fourth year, helping Hsu precepts third- and fourth-year WesternU student
third-year student pharmacists understand concepts. It pharmacists during rotations, providing an antimicrobial
was at that point he realized academia might be a stewardship service at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange,
potential career path. California.
“I got a spark to teach, thanks to the many mentors I “My rotation exposes the students to general hospital
had in the College of Pharmacy,” Hsu said. “I didn’t practice, and the practice of antimicrobial stewardship:
know it at the time, but Dr. Eunice Chung and the appropriate use of antibiotics. Part of the student
Dr. Siu-fun Wong were already ‘brain washing pharmacists’ daily activities include evaluation of select
me,’ as they said, to pursue a career in patients with various infectious syndromes, and
academia during my time spent with them on optimizing their antimicrobial pharmacotherapy,” Hsu
rotations. They exposed me to advanced said. “From an administrative standpoint, we develop
clinical pharmacy practice and teaching.” various protocols, guidelines, and order sets in relation to
antimicrobial pharmacotherapy.”
Hsu finished his rotations with
Dr. Annie Wong-Beringer, who showed Hsu feels that through the integration block, OSCEs, and
him what it was like to be an his classroom teaching, the student pharmacists become
academician and to gain that delicate better prepared for their rotations. Hsu uses both what
balance between being a he learned as a student and what he continues to learn as
scientist/researcher, teacher, a a faculty member and practitioner, to help shape the
clinician, and an expert in the area future of his students.
of infectious diseases. Hsu said he enjoys the balance between teaching in the
“In my first few years as faculty, I classroom, practicing in a clinical environment, and
realized my mentors did not teach mentoring student pharmacists who go through his
me everything that I needed to rotations. He’s also very appreciative that he was able to
know to be successful in practice,” attend WesternU as a student pharmacist, believing that
Hsu said. “Rather, the single he would not have thrived or matured as much at a
most important thing they taught different university.
me was how to be a lifelong “I had a lot of opportunities here,” Hsu said. “It was a
learner, go after what it is that I very close-knit environment, which fostered my learning,
need to know, continue to teach personal growth, and gave me a lot of opportunities such
myself to stay up to date, and as involvement in student organizations. I was very
thrive to be an expert in my area grateful, and still am, for the opportunity to come back
of practice.” and contribute to the College as a faculty member. When
“This is the same approach that I I started my employment in 2005, many of my professors
take with the students now. I cannot were still here, and they continued to mentor me. I was
teach them everything they need to very fortunate to have so many colleagues guide me and
know. Pharmacy practice is dynamic, help me grow. Even now, 10-plus years into my academic
always changing. The single most career, I am still well looked after.” n
important thing student pharmacists can Inset: Way back when, Don Hsu, PharmD ’03 at Poster Day!
WesternU, College of Pharmacy 11
themselves.”
College of Pharmacy Associate Professor of Pharmacy
Practice and Administration Donald Hsu, PharmD ’03, Hsu teaches about various bacterial infectious diseases
began at Western University of Health Sciences in 1999 and fungal infectious diseases, and teaches and co-
as a student pharmacist. An alumnus from the Class of facilitates an integrative course that incorporates material
2003, Hsu came back to WesternU in 2005 to teach after taught throughout the students’ didactic career,
he completed residencies in pharmacy practice and preparing them for rotations that begin in the second
infectious diseases. semester of their third year. He also is a co-facilitator for
Objective Structure Clinical Exams (OSCE).
Hsu admits teaching was the last thing on his mind until
he had a teaching rotation during his fourth year, helping Hsu precepts third- and fourth-year WesternU student
third-year student pharmacists understand concepts. It pharmacists during rotations, providing an antimicrobial
was at that point he realized academia might be a stewardship service at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange,
potential career path. California.
“I got a spark to teach, thanks to the many mentors I “My rotation exposes the students to general hospital
had in the College of Pharmacy,” Hsu said. “I didn’t practice, and the practice of antimicrobial stewardship:
know it at the time, but Dr. Eunice Chung and the appropriate use of antibiotics. Part of the student
Dr. Siu-fun Wong were already ‘brain washing pharmacists’ daily activities include evaluation of select
me,’ as they said, to pursue a career in patients with various infectious syndromes, and
academia during my time spent with them on optimizing their antimicrobial pharmacotherapy,” Hsu
rotations. They exposed me to advanced said. “From an administrative standpoint, we develop
clinical pharmacy practice and teaching.” various protocols, guidelines, and order sets in relation to
antimicrobial pharmacotherapy.”
Hsu finished his rotations with
Dr. Annie Wong-Beringer, who showed Hsu feels that through the integration block, OSCEs, and
him what it was like to be an his classroom teaching, the student pharmacists become
academician and to gain that delicate better prepared for their rotations. Hsu uses both what
balance between being a he learned as a student and what he continues to learn as
scientist/researcher, teacher, a a faculty member and practitioner, to help shape the
clinician, and an expert in the area future of his students.
of infectious diseases. Hsu said he enjoys the balance between teaching in the
“In my first few years as faculty, I classroom, practicing in a clinical environment, and
realized my mentors did not teach mentoring student pharmacists who go through his
me everything that I needed to rotations. He’s also very appreciative that he was able to
know to be successful in practice,” attend WesternU as a student pharmacist, believing that
Hsu said. “Rather, the single he would not have thrived or matured as much at a
most important thing they taught different university.
me was how to be a lifelong “I had a lot of opportunities here,” Hsu said. “It was a
learner, go after what it is that I very close-knit environment, which fostered my learning,
need to know, continue to teach personal growth, and gave me a lot of opportunities such
myself to stay up to date, and as involvement in student organizations. I was very
thrive to be an expert in my area grateful, and still am, for the opportunity to come back
of practice.” and contribute to the College as a faculty member. When
“This is the same approach that I I started my employment in 2005, many of my professors
take with the students now. I cannot were still here, and they continued to mentor me. I was
teach them everything they need to very fortunate to have so many colleagues guide me and
know. Pharmacy practice is dynamic, help me grow. Even now, 10-plus years into my academic
always changing. The single most career, I am still well looked after.” n
important thing student pharmacists can Inset: Way back when, Don Hsu, PharmD ’03 at Poster Day!
WesternU, College of Pharmacy 11
