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Pharmacy Practice in Focus: Oncology
August 2025Volume7 Issue 6
A Season of Growth: Reflecting on Summer, Connection, and the Power of Mentorship
Key Takeaways
- August is a significant time for oncology pharmacy, involving transitions, celebrations, and new beginnings, with activities like onboarding and implementing clinical updates.
- The OPC conference in Austin offered learning, networking, and skill-building opportunities, featuring workshops on pharmacogenomics and cellular therapies.
August is always an inflection point in our professional calendar. It lands squarely between seasons—summer still in full swing, yet hints of fall creeping into our schedules. The days remain long and hot, and our calendars are packed. For many of us in oncology pharmacy, this time of year represents a convergence of transition, celebration, and new beginnings.
Image Credit: Dolan | stock.adobe.com
This summer has been no exception. Although summer may evoke images of beaches, barbecues, and breaks, for those of us embedded in health care, it’s also one of our busiest times. The heat outside is rivaled only by the hustle inside our clinics, offices, and training programs.
It’s the season of onboarding new hires, preparing for audit cycles, implementing the latest clinical updates from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and launching strategic initiatives that have waited patiently since spring. For pharmacy leaders and preceptors, it’s also an emotionally full time—a moment of reflection, as we say goodbye to our outgoing residents and welcome in a new class.
There’s something uniquely bittersweet about watching residents graduate. We see them take flight, moving into clinical roles, fellowships, faculty positions, and sometimes even back home, where they’ll continue building their careers and impacting patients in new ways. The pride is immense, and the sense of legacy—of having played even a small part in shaping the next generation—is deeply fulfilling.
Yet the farewell is also a reminder: although our job may be done with one class, the journey begins again with another. This cyclical nature of pharmacy education and mentorship is what keeps our field vibrant, dynamic, and future-focused.
Amid all this movement, many of us gathered in Austin, Texas, this June for the 2025 Oncology Pharmacist Connect (OPC) conference—a much-needed moment to pause, recharge, and be inspired. Held in one of the most energetic cities in the country, this year’s OPC was packed with learning, dialogue, and the kind of real-world problem-solving that defines oncology pharmacy. Timed perfectly after ASCO, the content was rich with fresh clinical data and critical implementation strategies.
Yet the magic of OPC went far beyond the agenda. For many, the true highlight was the opportunity to reconnect—with colleagues, mentors, coauthors, and former residents now practicing across the country. These connections remind us that we are part of a profession that values not only expertise but camaraderie.
This year, OPC introduced 2 interactive, skills-based workshops—one on pharmacogenomics and one on cellular therapies—that elevated the conference experience even further. The pharmacogenomics workshop helped frame how to take genotype-guided decisions from bench to bedside, particularly in solid tumors and targeted therapies. As precision medicine expands, pharmacists will continue to lead the way in translating complexity into action.
I had the honor of moderating the cellular therapy workshop; in that room, pharmacists from every corner of the country came together—not just to listen, but to talk, collaborate, and solve. We shared experiences on managing these complex therapies, debated criteria for patient selection and toxicity management, exchanged resources on nursing education and team communication, and even swapped contact information to keep learning beyond the session. Some institutions had mature programs; others were just starting. But everyone came with openness, humility, and a fierce commitment to patient care.
One of the most exciting additions to this year’s OPC was the first-ever research poster session. For the first time, pharmacists were invited to submit and present their original research, and the response was inspiring. This poster session represented more than a milestone for the conference; it was a celebration of the intellectual engine of our profession. Pharmacists are not just implementers of change, they are drivers of it, using data, innovation, and collaboration to improve care. We’re excited to see this component expand even further next year. If you didn’t submit a poster this time, I encourage you to consider sharing your work in 2026. Whether it’s a clinical initiative, a workflow improvement, a safety intervention, or educational innovation, your efforts are worth highlighting.
As we say goodbye to graduating residents and fellows, we also welcome new colleagues—PGY-2s, new practitioners, and lateral hires joining our teams. These transitions are energizing. Fresh perspectives enter the room. New questions are asked. Excitement is palpable, but joining a new team can also feel daunting. Systems are complex. Relationships take time to build. Expectations—especially for new grads—can feel high.
As seasoned professionals and leaders, we must take active responsibility in supporting these transitions. That support doesn’t have to be grand; often, it’s the small things that matter most, such as the following:
• A genuine welcome during a team meeting
• An open-door policy that means something
• A check-in after a tough day
• An invitation to join a workgroup or a case discussion
These early moments shape not only how someone integrates into the team, but how they see their value. Remember that mentorship doesn’t end with residency—it is a lifelong endeavor, and we all have something to give.
And although we rightfully celebrate our new team members, let us not overlook the unwavering efforts of our preceptors—the unsung heroes of every successful residency year. These individuals teach, challenge, nurture, and sometimes rescue our learners when imposter syndrome, fatigue, or real-world chaos sets in. If you’ve ever precepted a rotation, stayed late to review a care plan, coached a resident through a tough feedback conversation, or simply reminded them that they can do this, you know the emotional labor that comes with the role. Let’s continue advocating for the time, resources, and recognition our educators deserve. Teaching is not a side gig—it’s a professional commitment, and one of the most important things we do.
To our Preceptors of the Year: Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. You exemplify what it means to lead with both head and heart. And to all our preceptors—whether seasoned mentors or first-timers—thank you. Your impact is immeasurable.
This summer has been hot—in temperature, tempo, and transition. It’s been a season of conferences, graduations, new beginnings, new therapies, and, let’s be honest, more than a few fire drills. But it’s also been full of joy, growth, and reconnection.
As we prepare to enter the fall—still managing full clinics, packed infusion centers, and evolving research landscapes—I encourage you to carry some of summer’s energy with you. Reach out to a former resident. Submit to present at an annual conference. Nominate a colleague for recognition. Ask for help when you need it. Offer support even when it’s not requested.
We are a field built on excellence, yes, but also on people: The patients we serve, the learners we guide, the colleagues we lean on. Thank you for being part of this incredible community. Here’s to a strong finish to summer—and a purposeful, connected start to the season ahead.
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