Renee Rizzo Fleming, '83

Consultant, Managed Care
President
PRN Managed Care Consulting Services, LLC
East Amherst, NY

Fleming.

"When you spend three years or more of your college life with the same classmates, a closeness forms since you have gone through so much together in the process of becoming pharmacists. That bond will never go away."

I am a Class of 1983 graduate of UB’s prestigious PharmD program. There is a lot to look forward to and, based on my personal experience, here are three distinctive aspects of UB’s program that have allowed me to be happy at UB and successful as an alumnus:

  1. Classmates who became friends for life: Our class was smaller than most and we spent a lot of time together in lectures, studying and at social functions. Through this experience, we built strong bonds that have lasted throughout the years. I cannot tell you how many of my classmates I am still in contact with in one way or another. If I ever need anything and reach out to them, they are there in a minute to help. When you spend three years or more of your college life with the same classmates, a closeness forms since you have gone through so much together in the process of becoming pharmacists. That bond will never go away.
  2. Built strong relationships with our professors: The professors in the SPPS truly wanted to see the students succeed. They made themselves accessible beyond office hours and did whatever they could to help support us so we could meet and exceed our educational goals. I felt a connection with many of them and after graduating - they became mentors and professional friends.
  3. Got involved in many SPPS activities: I was fortunate enough to be Secretary/Treasurer for my class so I was always interacting with my classmates when it came to planning social activities. I also was editor of the pharmacy yearbook and was very involved in the various student pharmacy organizations. Our classes were very challenging but we always found a way to balance that with social activities so it was not all work and no fun. There were many, many ways to get involved if you wanted to and I am so glad that I took advantage of many of them so I had a more rounded, positive experience.