by Jennifer Cole, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, FCCP, FCCM
BPS Pharmacotherapy Specialty Council Member
As I think about great leaders within our profession, there is a small, albeit essential, common denominator among them: They all said “yes” to the opportunities put before them. This sounds like a simplistic mantra, but it has served me well in my 20+ year career. If I have achieved any success, it can often be tracked back to a small moment of saying “yes” that led to a new career trajectory. My journey with the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) has been no exception.
Years ago, I received an email prior to the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s annual Critical Care Congress, inviting me, a board-certified critical care pharmacist, to serve as an item writer for BPS. While I had never written items for a certification examination before, I said “yes” to the invitation. This experience introduced me to the world of psychometrics and a new appreciation for BPS. The following year, I saw a call for applications to serve on the BPS Critical Care Pharmacy Specialty Council; “Why, yes – of course!” The decision to apply was one of the best in my career. Serving on the specialty council not only led to a wonderful networking opportunity with critical care pharmacists throughout the country, but it opened my eyes to the incredible work that goes into the certification process. Seeing first-hand what BPS pours into the profession and their collaboration with the pharmacy community at large helped me develop a deeper sense of respect and gratitude for trailblazers in the pharmacy profession.
Service on BPS standard setting panels and in job analyses further increased my exposure to psychometrics. Later on, I said “yes” to additional BPS opportunities that have yielded even bigger rewards. Saying “yes” to specialty council leadership opportunities prompted further pursuit of professional involvement and leadership at the national level, which encouraged me to pursue my current Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP) and Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM) designations. BPS Specialty Council leadership led to an invitation to attend a BPS Board of Directors meeting, which provided an invaluable experience to witness board-level governance activities in real time and to “be in the room where it happens.”
I strongly encourage my colleagues certified in other specialties to become involved with BPS when opportunities arise. In my experience with other healthcare societies, it may take several years to forge a path to a point where you finally feel like you are making an impact. BPS is unique in this regard: you are immediately engaged and making meaningful decisions. Involvement with BPS feels close knit while also providing excellent communication, resources, and transparency of larger organizations.
I look forward to continuing my journey with BPS as a member of the pharmacotherapy specialty council and saying ‘Yes!’ to the opportunities ahead!