Susan S. Vos, PharmD, BCPS, clinical associate professor and director of the Professional Experience Program, was recognized as the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy Collegiate Teacher of the Year for the 2013-2014 academic year.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 2003, Dr. Vos completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency in Memphis, Tenn. and a Pediatric Specialty Residency in Charleston, S.C. before joining the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.
“I was inspired to teach because of the wonderful faculty at the University of Tennessee and the Pediatric Residency Preceptors at the Medical University of South Carolina,” Dr. Vos said. “Seeing faculty run around the classroom to get students’ attention, witnessing the devotion of the preceptors who stayed after hours at the hospital because a patient needed them, or hearing the personal stories of patients from faculty who knew them well – these are some of the fond memories that made it easy to decide to become a faculty member.”
Dr. Vos has held leadership roles with the American Pharmacists Association, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the Iowa Pharmacy Association, as well as being a member of the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group and maintaining board certification in pharmacotherapy. As the APhA-ASP chapter advisor, she works hands-on to mentor students and foster leadership skills. “The ability to leave a legacy to student pharmacists is what continues to make the most tremendous impact on my life as a teacher,” she said.
Dr. Vos focuses her classroom teaching on pediatrics and pharmacy practice. She co-coordinates a pediatrics elective course and the first module in a series of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and teaches in various therapeutics modules related to pediatrics. She serves as a preceptor for students and residents in the Pediatric Pulmonary & Allergy Clinic at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and for a global health experience in Punta Gorda, Belize.
“I teach students to always seek to improve themselves,” she said. “I think students also need to find time to do what they love – whether it is spending time with family and friends, involvement in sports, traveling, or volunteerism. My goal is to help students succeed in the classroom and in the careers, but most importantly, in life.”
The following preceptors were recognized for excellence in the 2013-2014 academic year.
Preceptor Excellence Awards
- IPPC Preceptor - Craig Clark, Clark's Health Mart Pharmacy, Cedar Rapids
- APPE Preceptor - Matt Porepp, UIHC
- Faculty Preceptor - Mike Farley, Mercy Hospital, Iowa City