Molly's Story

Molly was the first to visit Bethel in May. As she stepped out onto the runway of the tiny airport, she was, much to her surprise, greeted by a strong gust of snow. Soon after arriving, Molly met Dr. Jenkins and set off on a tour of Bethel. They traveled along the main road – the only paved street in town (everything else was dirt and gravel) – while Dr. Jenkins pointed out attractions. The hospital, a quirky compilation of several different, colorful buildings, immediately caught Molly’s eye. It was here where she would be spending the majority of her time learning about the complex relationship between managing chronic pain while preventing dependence and addiction. It was the addiction aspect of the rotation that had initially attracted Molly to Bethel, and she was not disappointed: she got to develop a strong foundation in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) therapy, the pharmacologic core of addiction management. She most familiarized herself with methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, the opioid use disorder components of MAT. Between collaborating in behavioral health team meetings, attending group therapy sessions, monitoring and treating patients in opioid withdrawal, and successfully campaigning to add Sublocade (the long-acting injectable form of buprenorphine) to the hospital’s formulary, Molly strengthened her knowledge and cultivated her passion for helping patients manage and overcome their addictions.

In between working at the hospital, and as spring had just begun when Molly arrived in May, she joined in with the locals on volleyball and softball games when the weather permitted. She also went whale-watching in Juneau.

Starting this June, Molly will begin her PGY1 community pharmacy residency for the Walgreens-Purdue program in Indianapolis, IN. She then plans to pursue a PGY2 in Ambulatory Care with aspirations to specialize in substance use disorder management, teach addiction-focused lectures at Purdue, and consult on pharmacy legislation in the Indiana State House.