The Center for Interprofessional Education (C-IPE) works with undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all ten health science schools across the University of Michigan. Get to know the remarkable students who are learning to work in interprofessional teams while earning their Michigan degree.
Natalya S. Salganik (she/her) earned her Pharm.D. from the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy as a member of the Class of 2024. She has served as a Center for IPE Student Advisory Committee (SAC) co-chair for the past two years and has been a driving force in a variety of C-IPE initiatives during that time. Learn how Nat’s experience immigrating from Russia has shaped her passion for IPE, public health and pharmacy.
What drew you to your field of study?
My decision to pursue a career in pharmacy and public health is motivated by my desire to make a positive impact on vulnerable and underserved populations. My family and I immigrated from Russia to Brooklyn, NY. Growing up, people within my life often did not have reliable access to health care services or medications.
When I was training as a pharmacy technician in Brooklyn, one pharmacy stood out as a safe place for patients that were often unable to afford medications or who did not speak English as their first language, much like the people in my life. The staff demonstrated tremendous kindness, compassion and ultimately facilitated better medication access to patients. This was one of the turning points in my life. I understood that becoming a pharmacist was an opportunity to care for my community.
Through a combination of mentorship, professional leadership roles and research projects, I understood that the next step in my pharmacy career was a public health focus. So, as I wrap up my pharmacy education, I look forward to taking the first steps towards this trajectory as a Ph.D. candidate in health outcomes at the University of Rhode Island. My goal is to translate the skills I gained through my training as a pharmacist to expand the impact, avenue and reach through which I can positively impact vulnerable and underserved populations.
Please describe your involvement in the Center for IPE.
I wanted to get involved with the C-IPE in order to learn from people across different spaces, to serve as a mentor, and to understand my role as a student in improving the integration and delivery of IPE within U-M. Furthermore, I felt that exploring interprofessional collaboration beyond the curriculum would improve my knowledge of health care system delivery and public health.
During my time at U-M, I’ve served for two years as a SAC co-chair representing pharmacy. In collaboration with the SAC co-chair team and the C-IPE, we aimed to continuously improve the student experience within IPE at U-M. We also supported students and a multitude of IPE organizations through mentorship and event planning. My individual working collaborations as a co-chair were primarily research-based efforts, and I’ve served as an author on various projects and presentations that explore student-led IPE processes and initiatives.
A highlight of my work involves my participation within the Introduction to IPE module revision as part of the Curriculum Committee. Collaborating with faculty members, I directly participated in the survey design, data analyses, intentional student integration and ultimately the development of the module. I was also a student instructor! It was such an awesome experience as it helped to expand my research skills, foster working relationships with an incredible faculty team and grow as a person. Our team was able to demonstrate our work at several conferences, including Teaching for Transformation (TforT) and Health Professions Education (HPE) Day 2024.
Additionally, I served as a student liaison within the Interprofessional Community Health Collaborative (ICHC). Through this position, I have assisted with event planning and patient education material development. I also supported the translation of patient education materials into Russian. I am grateful to be able to have an opportunity to positively impact community members in this way. In addition, the opportunities provided through the ICHC by my mentors Drs. Vordenberg, Pardee and Ferguson allow me to grow my public health skills. Our team was able to present our work on a national scale at the National Academies of Practice Annual Meeting and Forum (NAP) and as a lightning talk at HPE Day 2024.
Why is interprofessional education important to you?
I believe that interprofessional education facilitates a space for everyone at the table. There is a place here for you. IPE has allowed me to understand how I can better meet the needs of patients through an interdisciplinary team and lens. Furthermore, because of the broad range of disciplines that interdisciplinary collaboration offers, you realize how much stronger your care plan becomes when you create new ideas together. I think these are the things that I reflect strongly upon throughout my journey with IPE: the collaboration and innovation factors.
One experience that highlights these factors within an interprofessional setting is my international rotation in Kenya. During this rotation, I was able to collaborate with dental students to improve the oral health of local communities. Watching the dental students in action allowed me to better understand my role in collaborating with this profession. Furthermore, the opportunity to work together and innovate as two different disciplines helped me see the power of interprofessional collaboration in action.
How have you grown since becoming involved with the Center for IPE?
Through my collaborations with C-IPE, I have been fortunate to work with and learn from faculty experts across many disciplines. That was one of the best opportunities for my professional and personal growth because it expanded my way of thinking and perspectives on the health care system. Furthermore, given that many of our faculty are conducting research directly within surrounding communities, I felt that I was granted a real-time perspective. Ultimately, it allowed me to be better prepared for the next steps in my career.
Who or what has inspired you on your educational journey?
My parents. I would not have completed my Pharm.D. without their example of resiliency to guide me on my path. Their ability to keep going despite the challenging circumstances is something that has carried me through adversities in my life. I hope that the impact I leave on my community can be reflective of their sacrifices.
What is your ultimate career goal after graduation?
I have always been interested in entrepreneurship. So I would have to say it would be successfully managing a collaborative practice, a non-profit organization or a technological innovation with positive, research-driven public health impact for vulnerable and underserved populations.
What is your favorite spot on campus or place in Ann Arbor?
It would have to be the fields of the Arb. It is my slice of home away from home; my meditative space to reflect on where I am going, where I have been. The biggest challenge of being born in Russia and raised in America is that you are never wholly part of either culture. However, I think within that duality also comes the beauty of it. But being in the middle has challenged me to grow more, to find my path and to build resiliency. So whenever I feel myself getting lost, I will sit on a bench and watch the wind gently weave through the tall grass, imagining I am back home.
