Alumnus Sam J. Abid III ’16, PharmD, BAAS has maintained strong ties to Pacific. He was named the 2019 Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) Preceptor of the Year for health care outreach, recognizing his support of students at health care outreach events and significant contributions to the experiential program.
“Dr. Abid has been a dedicated preceptor since his graduation” said Allison Nhi Mac ’19, PharmD who served as co-chair of the Vietnamese Cancer Awareness Research Education Society (VN CARES) committee. “He asks for health fair dates in advance so that he can keep those days free to precept us. After moving to Southern California, Dr. Abid still made the long drive to precept at one of the VN CARES health fairs. Besides his outstanding commitment, he is also a wonderful mentor to students and always a pleasure to work with.”
Dr. Abid is currently an emergency medicine pharmacist at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster. He sees precepting as a way of giving back and an opportunity to mold students into critical thinkers. “Everyone had their moment as a student where everything was new and unfamiliar; if they were fortunate, they had preceptors to help guide them and show them the ropes,” said Dr. Abid. “My great joy as a preceptor is watching my students progress and grow throughout their schooling, and thereafter, hearing about their success and achievements as pharmacists.”
As a student at Pacific, he completed the immunizations and travel health specialty track. After graduating he completed a post-graduate year one residency at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. His advice for current students is to be open-minded and willing to explore, which could lead to discovering a unique area of pharmacy practice one may not have previously considered.
By Kate M. O’Dell, PharmD, BCPS
