Pharmacy Perspectives - Graduation 2018 - 2

Graduation :

MILITARY
MUSICIAN HITS
HIGH NOTE IN
PHARMACY

or seven years, Dan Galipeau served in
the US Army as a military musician,
playing saxophone and sometimes
piano. Performing for deployed troops,
their families at home, international
audiences and dignitaries including
the President of the United States offered Galipeau a
window to the world. "My military career took me to
more than 15 countries representing the US Army and
NATO," says Galipeau.
In addition to performing, he also had other duties
which at times included being a sound reinforcement
specialist, librarian, HR specialist, operation and
logistics coordinator, music arranger and hazardous
materials duty driver! "There wasn't a dull moment.
I even had the opportunity to perform on the same
stage as musical groups such as Earth, Wind and Fire
and Tower of Power," recalls Galipeau.

Piper, Cyndi, Killian and Charles

DR. MOM
2

But when the music stopped and his career in
the military was over, Galipeau found himself at
a loss. "I really didn't have an exact idea of what
I wanted to do," says Galipeau. After auditioning
and being accepted at several colleges of music, he
decided that, "I wanted to do something more than
music. And after my experiences in the military
traveling around the world and seeing the desperate
need for healthcare, I wanted to pursue that interest and help address that need." While working on
his Bachelor's degree, he worked as a phlebotomist,
shadowed PAs, trained as an EMT - all before he
stumbled on pharmacy and began volunteering in
a hospital pharmacy.
While volunteering, he discovered the concept of
'pharmily' - the strong support system within pharmacy. "It was during my volunteering experience that
I realized that I didn't see myself doing anything else
besides pursuing a career in pharmacy. From there,
I worked as a pharmacy technician for a year before
starting pharmacy school and here I am!"
You may think that being a professional musician
and being a pharmacist are opposites, but Galipeau
says there are similarities. "Musicians don't just aim
to hit the correct note. They also want to do so at the
right time with appropriate intonation, attack, volume, quality and duration," says Galipeau. Pharmacy

s a former special education
teacher with a Master's degree
in Elementary Education, Cyndi
Dumont spent 10 years in the
field - teaching other people's
children as well as her own. "I remember when
the topic of pharmacy as a profession came
up. I was homeschooling our eldest daughter,
Killian, at the time," recalls Dumont. They were
looking at potential careers and discussing the
pros and cons.
"Pharmacy didn't appeal to my 7th grader, but
it stood out to me." So, Dumont began investigating what it would take to become a pharmacist
and began taking pre-requisite classes at her
local community college.
Dumont's family has always been her number
one priority. Her mantra of "family first" has been
evident since day 1 of the PharmD program. "I
was fortunate enough to work part-time and stay
at home with my kids when they were young.
Then when I decided to pursue pharmacy, I really
wanted to remain present. I wasn't going to be

CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dan Galipeau shows off his saxophone skills during a concert.

also requires strong attention to detail to make sure
the right medication is given to the right patient, at
the right dose, with the right route at the right time.
According to Galipeau, success in either profession depends on a high level of attention to detail,
as well as teamwork. "As a musician, you have a sense
of what other musicians are doing, and what they
are going to do, to make music that is in sync," says
Galipeau. Pharmacy also involves working as part of
team, "ensuring that we are all doing what's in the
best interest of the patient."
Galipeau's next adventure is at Houston
Methodist Hospital where he is sure to hit all the
right notes as a PGY-1 resident.

a part-time mom just because I was going to
school to pursue another career," says Dumont.
Instead, she set limits. She got up early to study.
She made sure that dinner was on the table every
night and that she, her husband and daughters sat
down for a meal together. Then after dinner, she
would go back to her studies. "I buckled down. I
wasn't on Facebook or Snapchat. I knew where to
draw the line." Admitting that she missed out a little
on the extracurricular activities, Dumont says that in
a way it was easier. "I knew if I wanted to get through
the program, I couldn't afford any distractions.
Knowing my priorities made it easier."
During the four years that Dumont was
completing the pharmacy program, her teenage
daughters - Killian and Piper - were facing the same
types of issues as their mom, including taking college
entrance exams, planning for futures, and school/
peer pressure. "Dealing with similar concerns, brought
us together," says Dumont.
Post-graduation, Dumont will be staying in
Colorado as she has accepted a PGY-1 Community
Pharmacy residency with King Soopers.

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