Students and faculty in the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy had the undivided attention of the head of a leading national advocacy group for the pharmacy profession.
Dr. Scott Knoer, CEO and executive vice president of the American Pharmacists Association, exchanged ideas Thursday with a group that included top GSOP students, faculty and supporters. The group, which included Atlantis Pharmacy Manager Dr. Damien Simmons, discussed how to address challenges pharmacists are facing, advance the profession and fix healthcare disparities.
From 2011 to 2020, Knoer was chief pharmacy officer at the Cleveland Clinic, where he led an international pharmacy enterprise with a $1.4 billion drug budget and 18 hospitals with facilities in the U.S., Canada, England and the United Arab Emirates.
Knoer earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Creighton University and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nebraska. He completed a two-year residency with a concurrent Master of Science degree in hospital pharmacy from the University of Kansas.
During a lunch and learn, Knoer encouraged students to network, pursue residencies and “have a bias for saying yes” to attract more opportunities. He described residencies as “yearlong job interviews.”
One student sought advice to overcome doubts about whether she is qualified for the competitive opportunities she is pursuing.
“You’re qualified for residency anywhere,” Knoer said. “You’ve got great experiences. No one is any better than you are.”
