Get to Know Tammie Lee Demler

What do you like best about being a professor?
The old adage “to teach is to learn” is core to my teaching philosophy. Throughout my journey in academia, I have learned that my students continuously inspire me to learn new things. This energy, in turn, encourages lifelong learning for all of us!

What is your favorite topic to teach and why?
Although I love psychiatry, my favorite topic to teach is communication and enhancing emotional intelligence (EQ).  As a manager, I have learned the most successful people are aware of the impact of emotions—how to identify and manage their own emotions, as well as those of others, to empathetically guide thinking and behavior to optimize outcomes.

What are the ‘hot topics’ in pharmacy now and why do they interest you?
As past president of Pharmacists Society of the State of New York and the Pharmacists Association of Western New York, I’ve been drawn to the political side of professional issues.  Whether formalizing provider status for pharmacists, or expanding our scope of practice, my hot topic is: How we can collaborate as a unified voice to move our agenda ahead to improve patient safety.  Bottom line—determining the best way to unify pharmacists despite our differences of practice setting and training.

What has been your proudest professional accomplishment?
I have had so many, but the best was watching my son pursue the same career path as I did by becoming a pharmacist.  Even more satisfying is that he found his passion in infectious disease, completing a PGY2 infectious disease pharmacy residency and accepting a position overseeing his own infectious disease clinic. In a recent New York Times article, “The Jobs You’re Most Likely to Inherit from Your Mother and Father,” the author highlights the importance of the “breakfast-table effect,” stating that family conversations strongly influence our children. So do not disregard the impact we have in supporting their career paths!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring only one book, one movie and one record, what would each be and why?
Book: The Bible. I figure I would need all the help I could get and also because I have actually never had time to read the whole thing! I consider myself a spiritual person. Even secular authors encourage us to take the plunge to read this historic classic, acknowledging its relevance beyond just history and art, and exposing paths of practical wisdom and guidance.

Movie: “Cast Away. “ I hope I could learn some survival tips!

Record: Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” (“Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be alright!”).