By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager
BALTIMORE – Dr. Nephthalee Edmond Tefera D’13 took a leap of faith when she enrolled as a student in the inaugural Class of 2013 for Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Pharm.D. program.
That decision would pay off for her and many of her other classmates who are now excelling in the profession. Dr. Tefera currently serves as MedStar Montgomery Medical Center’s pharmacy operations supervisor, earning a promotion to that leadership position in November 2018. She is also a current board member of the Maryland Society of Health-System Pharmacy, and she serves as a preceptor for several schools in the area, including NDMU.
Dr. Tefera, who credits Notre Dame’s emphasis on leadership and professionalism with assisting in her upward career trajectory, will be back on campus this September, as the School of Pharmacy celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its inaugural graduates during Alumnae and Alumni Weekend on September 22-24. A reception highlighting everything that the school and its alumni have achieved since the program’s inception will be held in Knott Science Center on Saturday, September 23.
Registration for Alumnae and Alumni Weekend will open on Wednesday, July 5. Learn more about Dr. Tefera’s journey as a pharmacist:
How has your career progressed in the years following your graduation from NDMU?
I started in retail after graduation. That was a great experience because it taught me the importance of leadership early in my career. Being able to navigate managing professionals who were older and more seasoned than me emphasized how it takes more than simply knowing information to lead a team.
I knew that I didn’t want to work in retail long term, so I went on to do a residency at Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Virginia. It was challenging but equipped me with the skills I needed to enter the clinical pharmacy space. After completing my residency, I returned to the area and began working at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
I started as a clinical pharmacist, obtained board pharmacy specialty certification, then asked myself what direction to go. I had already planted my roots there and had a good idea of the landscape. The one thing that I was most confident in was my desire to be a leader. I applied for the pharmacy operations supervisor position open then and have been in that role ever since.
Seeing the impact of leadership and the skillsets I’ve acquired over the years has been gratifying. It’s been a rewarding journey, especially during the pandemic’s peak, where I could support and lead a team during uncharted times.
What are some of the primary responsibilities associated with your current position?
I oversee operations for the pharmacy. My primary role is to make sure that everything flows properly. Connecting all the dots from the most minor tasks to the largest ones. Ensuring synchronicity and harmony with all the operations, from medication shortages to staff talent development to regulatory affairs. It’s a role that requires much flexibility but also a clear direction. I’m fortunate that’s what I’m able to do.
There are a lot of different job opportunities out there for pharmacists – is this the path you expected to end up on? Did you know early on that you wanted to work towards a leadership position in the field?
Yes, I knew this was my path. I think a lot about the common themes that have always come up in my life: service, collaboration, safe space for people, and conflict resolution. Those things were further nurtured and cultivated in pharmacy school, but I had some of them beforehand. Notre Dame helped complement those skills, so I was prepared for the journey ahead.
When did you realize that you wanted to become a pharmacist?
I had that reckoning in high school. My high school required us to pick a community service initiative. I debated getting involved in law or healthcare at the time, and the local hospital just happened to get back to me sooner. That was the beginning of my pharmacy journey. What stuck with me was when someone said it’s a way to be in the healthcare field where you touch people without having to touch people. Hearing that and knowing I had reservations about blood stuck with me. The pharmacy director where I was working was also a very dynamic woman! I was curious, inspired and wondered how she got to her position. That experience had a significant impact on me.
What inspired you to start your journey towards becoming a pharmacist at the new program which was just getting underway here at Notre Dame?
I attended the University of Connecticut for my undergrad studies and knew I wanted to return home to the area after graduation. Notre Dame was a new pharmacy school that seemed fresh. It felt like a new beginning, and when I visited campus to interview, it seemed engaging and diverse. We hear a lot now about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, but when I reflect, those elements were already here at Notre Dame. Dr. Anne Lin (founding dean of the School of Pharmacy) was a woman of Asian descent and led an inclusive and diverse team. That was very progressive and reflective of the evolution of pharmacy. With that spirit, it made it easier for me to take a chance at a new school.
How did your time at Notre Dame help set you up for success in the profession? Did you hold any leadership positions as a student?
Notre Dame focused greatly on professionalism and compassion in service, which undergirded my leadership journey. Leadership development, professionalism, and community outreach come to mind when I think about my experience at Notre Dame.
While on campus, I served as public relations liaison for our American Pharmacists Association student chapter. I supported the inaugural chartering of that organization. I also served on the newsletter committee as one of the editors, worked as a student ambassador, and was a member of Phi Lambda Sigma. I was involved in various activities, but what always resonated deeply was the School of Pharmacy’s emphasis on professionalism and being a lifelong learner.
What has your experience been like as a preceptor for the School of Pharmacy?
It’s been enriching. I was once in their shoes, and I humbly believe that where the student is today doesn’t determine where they are tomorrow. Sometimes the student becomes the boss! I treat the students with the utmost respect and give them my undivided attention. I pour into them as much as possible because I know firsthand the power that awakens when one is valued, heard, and understood. I hope that through their experience with me – beyond the clinical and operational knowledge they gain and apply – they can better understand themselves and their leadership potential.
Would you like to discuss any other initiatives that you’re involved in?
During the pandemic’s peak, I developed a keen interest in organizational change management and leadership coaching, so I studied and became a certified executive leadership coach. The International Coaching Federation recently awarded me recognition as an accredited coach. Coaching is a significant component of leadership, so having that credential means a lot to me. Wherever I go in the future, whether I continue to climb the ladder of pharmacy leadership or open my coaching consulting firm, I believe that coaching is a critical way to move our leaders and profession forward. That’s what I’m working on in my free time.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
