Originally from Cuba, Malcom Lafita moved to the United States in 1994 at age 17. He attended Miami Dade College, and was completing his last undergraduate requirement, organic chemistry, when he heard some of his classmates discussing Palm Beach Atlantic, a newer college he was not familiar with.
“Right after class, I got in my car and drove to West Palm Beach,” he laughed. “When I got there, it was the last day to submit the application for the Gregory School of Pharmacy. I picked up an application and completed it in the same day. A month later I was approved, and that is how my PBA journey began.”
Dr. Malcom Lafita has always had a heart for helping others, and he said he was always inclined to pursue a career in health care. However, his desire for pharmacy stemmed while he was working as a bank teller in Florida while finishing his undergraduate requirements.
“I became friends with a pharmacy owner, and he encouraged me to work for him,” Dr. Malcom Lafita explained. “When I started working there, I fell in love with pharmacy.”
A Family Atmosphere: Dr. Lafita’s PBA Experience
19 years after graduating from the Gregory School of Pharmacy (GSOP), Dr. Lafita reflected on his experience at PBA and how much he valued the small class size at PBA and spoke of the impact that each of his professors had on him – they felt like family, he explained.
“PBA has such a family atmosphere, and the small class size allows you to develop close relationships with your professors. The school has grown and developed tremendously since I graduated in 2005, but I can see from my daughters’ experiences that in that way, it has remained the same,” he said. “PBA gave me the knowledge, the confidence and the ability to care for others on a daily basis, and I am so grateful.”
Paving the Way for Melanie and Michelle
The influence PBA had on Dr. Lafita led him to encourage his daughters, Melanie and Michelle, to follow in his footsteps. They will both graduate from GSOP in 2027.
“Our goal is to continue our family’s legacy of excellence in the field of pharmacy,” Melanie Lafita shared. “I am passionate about making a positive impact in patient care.”
Dr. Lafita leads by example in every aspect of his life, instilling the profession’s values of dedication, compassion and helping others in his daughters. Six years ago, he opened his own pharmacy in Miami, Florida, and Melanie and Michelle started working for him. They learned the profession and became pharmacy technicians, and that is when their passion for pharmacy began, Dr. Lafita explained.
“I am proud that my daughters decided to follow in my footsteps,” he said. “PBA taught me to care for my patients, and I think that needs to be instilled in everybody, especially today. It’s not about becoming a doctor, it’s not about making money, it’s about helping others. That is what gives me true satisfaction.”
Melanie and Michelle are grateful for their father’s example and the role model that he has been for them throughout their lives.
“Following in our dad’s footsteps at the Gregory School of Pharmacy is an incredibly special and meaningful experience,” Melanie said. “Our father’s dedication to the pharmacy profession and his commitment to providing exceptional patient care has always been an inspiration to us. Attending the same pharmacy school where he started his journey not only honors his legacy, but it also strengthens the bond we share as a family.”
The GSOP provides a unique, holistic learning experience with expansive opportunities for training both here and abroad with concepts of faith interwoven throughout the curriculum. To learn more, click here.
