Henry DiPaolo has his eye on the finish line, and he鈥檚 not afraid of hard work. Not only is he training for the Pittsburgh Marathon, he鈥檚 set to graduate from Duquesne鈥檚 School of Pharmacy a few days later.
Growing up in San Diego, Ca., Henry learned about Duquesne through relatives who reside
in nearby Aliquippa, Pa. His passion for the medical field and chemistry combined
with a tour of campus solidified his decision to head across the country to attend
pharmacy school.
鈥淚 fell in love with campus, the people and the city,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew pharmacy was
for me because I love the impact pharmacists have in their communities.鈥�
Henry has served others through various rotations in the Pittsburgh region in hospital
and pharmacy settings, using compassion and empathy to walk alongside neighbors and
break down health care barriers. He鈥檚 also participated in community health events
by conducting blood pressure and blood glucose screenings.
鈥淭here are a lot of people who don鈥檛 have health care resources,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hrough
these events we can spread as much knowledge as possible and get people thinking about
their health.鈥�
Henry enjoys sharing knowledge and providing support. 鈥淧harmacies are accessible,鈥�
he said. 鈥淵ou can walk in and bounce questions off the pharmacist; they are a frontline
resource for people to get accurate health information.鈥�
These interactions also empower individuals to manage their health and advocate for
themselves, according to Henry. He prides himself on providing others with the knowledge
needed to understand symptoms or changes they may experience. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e able to report
to their doctors or pharmacists and have a greater sense of self-empowerment related
to what medications they鈥檙e taking and what鈥檚 going on with their body,鈥� he said.
Through Henry鈥檚 studies in the School of Pharmacy, he has learned to value the relationship
between physician and pharmacist, and he realizes how these fields connect in meaningful,
productive ways. Thinking across disciplines enables students in health care fields
to connect ideas and reach beyond what鈥檚 familiar.
鈥淭he opening of Duquesne鈥檚 College of Osteopathic Medicine is a great opportunity
for collaboration,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淧harmacy students can hear different patient cases
and collaborate with a team of medical students, nursing students and pharmacy students鈥搄ust
like in the hospital setting.鈥�
Henry also recognizes that this type of collaboration will lead to greater professional
understanding, as physicians and pharmacists can become more aware of their peers鈥�
training, clinical work and treatment approaches. This is the perspective Henry needs
to make an even bigger impact on his profession and on the people he serves.
The West Coast native is proud to learn these lessons at Duquesne. 鈥淧ittsburgh is
a health care city,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great place to study the history of health care,
and it鈥檚 a very welcoming community in general.鈥�
Following graduation, Henry plans to pursue a fellowship in the pharmaceutical industry.
Whether he鈥檚 running a race or meeting academic and professional goals, Henry is prepared
for anything as he pushes toward the finish line without narrowing his ambitions.
鈥淭raining for the Pittsburgh Marathon is something I've always wanted to do, and I
decided this year is going to be the year I do it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm also going to finish
pharmacy school off strong and not take my foot off the gas until I'm done.鈥�
News Information
New Medical School, Fresh Perspectives
Students from across campus will connect in meaningful, productive ways.
Rose Trimpey-Warhaftig
There's a huge need for primary care physicians who speak Spanish. I want to use these skills in my daily work to help eliminate barriers.
Jacob Dimenbort
There will be a lot of opportunities for interprofessional work, particularly in the state-of-the-art simulation suites. This is where students start to understand the roles and responsibilities of their colleagues in different simulations such as the emergency room, birthing suite and more.
Rachel Anderson
I prioritize a holistic health approach in my own practice and consider physical, emotional and social wellbeing. It's really exciting that Duquesne is expanding and working to train new professionals in these resources.
Kyla Covato
With the medical students we can look at issues they might have and help them discover what we can do about them. I'm excited to collaborate and solve more health issues.
Iv谩n Del Toro Hern谩ndez
Sometimes [doctors] say they have patients who would benefit from occupational therapy, and it helps to start that dialogue from the beginning in school鈥搉ot just during clinical field work.
Cassidy Camp
I feel like the school and faculty will guide medical students and get them on the same positive path faculty have sent me on in the nursing field.
Kirstin Franklin
The new college will allow school psychology students to interact with medical students and learn how those teams work, while medical students get to learn how school systems work. It's important to have these multidisciplinary teams working together so their patients鈥搊ur students鈥揷an benefit.
Amelia Trello
Duquesne students in the health profession programs are already contributing to the wellbeing of our communities. Now we are putting forth more professionals in the health sphere, and that's a great thing.
Fayla Junior
Since being here at Duquesne, one of the things that people tell others about Pittsburgh is that it's one of the places where health care thrives.