From a chance university open day to becoming a passionate rural pharmacist and diabetes advocate, Chloe Kappel’s journey into pharmacy wasn’t a straight line—but it’s one that’s made a lasting impact. As the 2024 MIMS/College Intern of the Year, Chloe reflects on her experience with the Intern Training Program, life in rural practice, and her hopes for the future.
Congratulations on winning the MIMS/College Intern of the Year award! Can you tell us more about your experience with the College Intern Training Program and how it has helped you develop your skills as a pharmacist?
I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to complete my internship with the College Intern Training Program. The entire team is amazing and truly support you with your journey as an intern. I found that each tutor really takes the time to answer any of your questions, guide you and help you strive towards success. It’s honestly everything an intern could ask for in a training program.
What inspired you to become a pharmacist, and how has your journey led you to where you are today?
If I’m being completely honest, pharmacy was not my first choice when it came to choosing my career path. Like a lot of people, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But I knew that I wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives, even if it was only small. It wasn’t until I went to a James Cook University open day and listened to a talk presented by a pharmacy student that I even began to consider pharmacy! For me, the second year of pharmacy was when everything clicked for me – I was on placement in a small rural town, and I got to see firsthand the important role that pharmacists play in a community. I fell in love with pharmacy, health promotion and rural healthcare. Since then, I have found my passion in diabetes education and awareness, which sparked when my nephew was diagnosed as a diabetic when he was just 6 months old. I hope to educate patients and bring more awareness to how diabetes impacts our community.
As a pharmacist working in a rural area, what unique challenges have you been presented with? How would you overcome these challenges?
Working in a rural area is one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in my career. In Bowen, it’s a 6 week wait to see a GP and the hospital is completely inundated. The pharmacy is literally the first point of call for patients, which gives us the opportunity to see a lot of different things that you might not always see in a metropolitan setting. Knowing this, it’s a great way to expand your depth of knowledge and tailor skills to better serve your community, which feels very rewarding. In Bowen, I have been exposed to various wounds and dermatological conditions, including mango rash (which I had never even heard of before!) – which helped me refine knowledge in an area that I struggled with in university.
What advice would you give to pharmacy students who want to better serve rural communities?
I am a strong believer that every single student should at least do one rural placement. It offers such an exceptional perspective and experience – everyone I know has their own unique rural placement story! People living in rural areas often form a tight knit community, so taking the time to talk to locals and get to know them and their story makes the world of difference by building rapport and trust. Even taking the time to immerse yourself in the community and any local events can be one of the highlights of your experience. It’s honestly like being part of a big family. I truly think that branching out, and completing your internship in a rural community will make you a stronger and more confident pharmacist.
Your career is already off to such an exciting start- we have to ask, what’s next? What are your plans for the future, and how do you hope to continue making a difference in the lives of your patients?
I have so many ideas for the future – and the list just keeps going as I continue to self-reflect and experience new things in my career!
As someone who loves diabetes education and talking to patients in the community, I would love to become an accredited diabetes educator and host community events that raise awareness around diabetes and improve the health literacy of my patients.
I absolutely loved working with JCU as a tutor and seeing the new generation of pharmacists coming through, so I would love to continue to give back and work closely with the university. Maybe even become a lecturer one day.
I would also love the opportunity to work with the College and help interns with their transition from student, to intern, to a fully registered pharmacist.
Finally, do you have any advice for pharmacy students gearing up for intern year?
My greatest piece of advice for students going into their intern year is to find a great support system – whether it be your preceptor or colleagues or other interns. Sometimes you just need a sounding board and someone to guide you through this transition and help you achieve all of your goals.
During my intern year, I found that if you can find what you’re passionate about, it really helps steer the direction of your career and ensures your job satisfaction and motivation.
My final piece of advice is something that no one warned me about before I entered my internship, and that is to invest in comfortable shoes! The first month of your internship is a real eye-opener to how sore your feet get by the end of the day, so having comfortable shoes makes the absolute world of difference.
