David Denio '11

David Denio, Class of 2011, Clinical Pharmacist, Salt Lake City VA

Share one of your most powerful memories of ACPHS.
There are so many to choose from. During rotations, I was working in a diabetes clinic, watching a patient going from neuropathic pain and losing their eyesight to getting things under control. It was amazing to see how putting our training into practice can change people’s lives.

Did you have a ‘lightbulb moment’ when you found ACPHS or your course of study? When did you know that this was the right fit for you?
For me, it was on my rotations. I had been working at an independent pharmacy. Then I did a rotation at VA with Jeff Fudin ’81. It was during this time that I decided that this was what I wanted to do.

What surprised you the most when you got into the field (either as a student or after graduation)?
How much more there was to what we had learned. I received a great foundation at ACPHS and learned how to apply that every day in the field. But it wasn’t the same thing as getting out to practice.

What advice would you give your younger self?
I never learned how to learn until I started my residency. We “learn” to study, but not how to study in ways that allowed us take in large quantities of information. Learning how to learn earlier would have increased quality of my experience.

What was the best part of your time at ACPHS? Why?
The community. I can’t point to one specific time but being with faculty and students was engaging and gave me a real sense of community. The school encouraged growth and a growth mindset.

Was there a faculty or staff member who was particularly helpful or supportive when you were at ACPHS? Who was it? What did they do?
Jim Anderson, he was humanities teacher and great speaker. I get anxious just thinking about the debates he would have with us. He encouraged us to think critically, and that’s influenced me ever since.

What is it like to help current students by serving as a preceptor?
It’s a lot of fun. We have a great worksite that does excellent education and training with around 20 or so students per year. It’s a specialized field, so they finish with more than what they came with.

What do you tell others about ACPHS?
The ability to focus on community, the research that’s happening, the engagement with locals and the community. The school has so much to offer. In terms of pharmacy schools, it’s one of the best in the nation. Everyone gets a mentor because that’s something the College encourages and facilitates.

Anything else you would like to add?
Because my dad (former dean, John Denio) worked at ACPHS, I grew up at the college. I remember going there when the groundskeepers lived on site. So my relationship to the school was a little different than most who go there. I’ve watched the school transform in so many good ways over the year. It’s been great to watch it grow. Change is inevitable, but positive change isn’t.