Pharmacy graduates step into health-care roles in Manitoba

By Danica Hidalgo Cherewyk

Natalya Reimer once thought a pharmacy career was limited to working in retail pharmacies.

“I didn’t realize all the avenues you could take,” she said.

In her first year in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ College of Pharmacy, a career fair hosted by the college helped shape her path.

“There was a recruiting officer from the Canadian Armed Forces there and he talked about what joining the military as a pharmacist would look like,” she said.  

Reimer applied for a pharmacy officer role and was offered the position before her second year. She has since worked at the 17 Wing Winnipeg clinic and participated in military training each summer.

She is one of 52 PharmD students who graduated at the University of Manitoba’s June 1 convocation on the Fort Garry campus.  

Earlier that day, a Welcome to the Profession ceremony on the Bannatyne campus saw graduates receive mortars and pestles — a historic symbol of the pharmacy profession.  

“The future will present both opportunities and challenges, and we are confident that you are well prepared to meet them,” said Dr. Hope Anderson, dean of the College of Pharmacy, addressing the graduates. “Today’s ceremony is about recognizing this moment of transition and celebrating the accomplishments that have brought you here, as well as the potential that lies ahead.”

Pharmacy in uniform

Reimer will begin a six-month residency in fall 2026 — training required for military pharmacists. Afterward, she’ll work at a military clinic, providing pharmaceutical care to other Canadian Armed Forces members.

“It could be anywhere in Canada,” she said. “Pharmacy officers have many roles, including managing medical supplies and supporting military missions in field hospitals.”  

She said military pharmacists can also be deployed on operations overseas.  

“I would love to join the Disaster Assistance Response Team in the future,” she said. “After emergencies, the team helps provide medical care around the world.”

Reflecting on her training, she said: “Using the skills I've learned in school, my confidence and independence grew from year one to four. Watching my classmates go through that same growth and find where they want to practice makes me most proud.” 

An evolving pharmacy profession

Sam Rubin said pharmacists are the most accessible health-care professionals.

“Throughout the pharmacy program, I've been able to see how much a pharmacist can make an impact on patients,” he said.

When Rubin started the PharmD program, he said pharmacists’ roles were expanding to include administering vaccines — something they couldn't do before.  

"As I progress through pharmacy school, we've seen other provinces able to prescribe for many conditions in the community and even do lab tests to monitor medications — something we’re not yet able to do in Manitoba,” he said.  

“Being part of that change has been exciting — helping push the profession forward, strengthen our role on the health-care team and expand our scope in Manitoba.”

Rubin received the Frank Edick Memorial Prize for academic excellence and the College of Pharmacy Silver Medal — two of 13 student awards presented at the Welcome to the Profession ceremony.

In high school, Rubin attended Discovery Day hosted by the Rady Faculty. He learned about different careers in health care, including rehabilitation sciences, medicine and nursing, through hands-on activities.  

“I learned about the PharmD program,” he said. “It piqued my interest because I love chemistry and biology.”

One of his highlights was a rotation at the Northern Connections Medical Centre in Seven Oaks Hospital.

“We served Indigenous populations,” he said. “The impact we made and the connections I built with my patients — helping them manage diabetes and control their blood sugars — was very meaningful.”

Rubin received multiple job offers before convocation and has started a position in the intensive care unit at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg. 

Giving back to Thompson

Brandi Jenkins, who was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., moved to Thompson, Man., with her family in high school — a city approximately eight hours north of Winnipeg.

She said the college has supported her in many ways.

“Lots of the professors are open to having you stop by their office and chat, even if it's not directly about their class.” 

One of her PharmD rotations was at the Thompson General Hospital, where she accepted an offer as a hospital pharmacist intern, which she’ll start after convocation. 

“There's such a great need up here,” she said. “Of course, pharmacy services are necessary everywhere, but in rural areas there's greater need.”

Jenkins said working in a rural area requires creative solutions.

“There's limited access to services that would be easy to access in Winnipeg,” she said. “For example, for certain types of lab tests or scans, patients may have to travel great distances. We need to make sure what we're doing is necessary and, if not, finding different ways to provide the same level of care.”