Having spent the majority of his childhood in nearby Hudson, Wisc., Cameron Wing was always drawn to Minnesota and its Twin Cities metropolitan area. He attended the University of Minnesota where he earned a degree in biochemistry along with a minor in public health.
Knowing he wanted to do something in the health care field but unsure of what path to choose after graduation, he spent three years working in an emergency department and conducting research at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth.
Wing ultimately decided that pharmacy was what really resonated with him.
“What drove me to pharmacy was the large focus on patient-centered care and finding ways to empower the patients to help them take care of themselves, while also providing the highest level of care available,” Wing said. “The uniqueness of finding the best option for providing care based on patient preferences, beliefs and lifestyle was something that resonated with me and drew me to pharmacy.”
Wing chose to attend the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy because its one of the top-ranked pharmacy schools in the nation.
“Through friends in the program, I knew that the college takes its curriculum very seriously, and is constantly updating and adapting it in order to provide the best education possible,” Wing said. “I also know that the state of Minnesota is one of the leaders in health care in general and pharmacy specifically, and has been leading many of the changes in pharmaceutical practice that are now seen across the country.”
As a pharmacy student, Wing is a member of the Minnesota Pharmacy Student Alliance, which he credits for helping him learn about the many opportunities available to pharmacists and student pharmacists. Wing also volunteers at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic, which is an interprofessional, student-run clinic that provides care and prescriptions to patients for free.
Wing is currently a pharmacy intern at North Memorial Hospital and says it’s been a great experience so far.
“I work most of the time in the emergency department, but also within the central pharmacy of the hospital,” Wing said. “This has been a great chance to learn about hospital pharmacy, which is a complex and interesting area of pharmacy.”
Wing is thankful for how the College of Pharmacy helps its students gain experience outside the classroom.
“Our summer intern rotations at various health sites across the state give us the chance to learn more about areas of pharmacy that we may not have as much experience with,” Wing said. “The College of Pharmacy does a great job of helping all students find internships - there are spreadsheets with the various internship programs in the area, and a career fair in the fall to allow students to actually speak with the individuals running the various intern programs in the area.”
As a member of the Class of 2021, Wing isn’t sure yet what he will do after he receives his pharmacy degree, but he appreciates the fact that there are so many options for a career in the field of pharmacy. He has experienced a lot in his time at the University of Minnesota, but what he enjoys the most is the relationships he was able to make because of the College of Pharmacy.
“One of the things that I have enjoyed the most is the ‘Pharmily’ that we have at the college,” Wing said. “The students all work together a lot and are a great resource for each other when it comes to studying, relaxing or getting involved. Through the smaller size of our class and the amount of interaction that we have as classmates through projects and interactive group work, we become a very close-knit group.”