Katherine Felix

Katherine Felix hails from the small town of Guayama in Puerto Rico, and came to Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences because she could tell it was a special place.

“I decided to come to Binghamton because it was different when I came to interview,” she said. “I felt the people I met were more empathetic and willing to help me with my transition. They were very focused on the curriculum and focused in general on me as a person instead of my financial status.”

Felix finished her undergraduate degree in biology and chemistry in Puerto Rico, and has served in the military there for 18 years. “My service has been as a pharmacy technician and as an EMT (since 2012), so it’s mainly been pharmacy,” she said. “Most of my deployments have been as a pharmacist supervised by a surgeon.

“Right now, I am in the National Guard, but my unit is deployed in Poland,” she said. “I’m getting ready to retire from the military and looking for a career, and my commander has authorized my being here. I go to Puerto Rico for all of my breaks and participate in all of the required drills to catch up.”

The transition hasn’t always been easy for Felix, but she feels supported at Binghamton. Family is important to her. Her mother and father still live in Puerto Rico, but she has a sister, aunt and grandmother much closer, in Manhattan. “My family was hit hard by the hurricane and the support from the faculty here and the entire school was wonderful,” she said. “We actually did an activity to join Gov. Cuomo and get some donations and it was really touching.

But, at the age of 35, Felix sees differences between her and many of her fellow students. “The maturity level is different. It’s different to come to graduate school with 20-year-olds,” she said. “I’m not the oldest student here, but I am the first in my family who is actually in a graduate program.”

In addition to her family, Felix relies on her advisor, Sarah Spencer, coordinator of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE). “She’s my backbone. During Hurricane Maria and when my mother was ill, she stood by me and supported me the entire way,” Felix said. “I wouldn’t be here without her. She is always there for me and her other students and the entire staff is really supportive.

Before Felix enrolled at Binghamton, all of her experience was clinical and that’s what drew her attention, but she hasn’t determined what career path she will follow. “This is the first time I’ve been exposed to community pharmacy and now, knowing there are so many different pathways to go, I’m not quite sure where want to focus my career.

“I feel like I learn every day, so even with my experiences as a pharmacy tech and running the pharmacy on my own in the military, here at Binghamton they’re molding my acquired knowledge,” she said.

“I want to participate in research activities and have a broad experience and the opportunity to experience all the different ways that I can be of help in my community as a pharmacist,” she said.

Felix doesn’t, however, expect to return to Puerto Rico after earning her PharmD. “I really want to do a residency once I graduate,” she said. “They can be one- or two-year residencies, and they give you a background and a better experience in the field without having the full responsibility of being a pharmacist yet,” she said. “And it can also open a lot of doors. It will part of my CV and once I apply for jobs it will expand my opportunities.”

She’s also looking forward to the institutional rotation she’ll complete next semester. “I’m looking forward to putting my experience into play and having real patient contact,” she said. “I did well in the community rotation, but this will be in a hospital setting.”