When Jenny Magana Figueroa graduates from Ohio Northern University’s Raabe College of Pharmacy in May 2029, she’ll already have six years of service at OhioHealth.
She’ll likely fully appreciate the career head start when she approaches retirement. Right now, she’s just focused on growing in a profession she loves.
Jenny’s interest in healthcare began in childhood when she translated for her Spanish-speaking parents at doctor appointments. Encouraged by compliments on her translation skills, she trained to become a certified pharmacy technician during high school at the South Western Career Academy in Grove City, Ohio.
During her senior year, she participated in an innovative work-study program at OhioHealth’s Grove City Methodist Hospital.
“In addition to training with the pharmacy techs, I had the opportunity to job shadow the pharmacists,” she said. “I liked how the profession is a balance between providing direct patient care and also supporting patients behind the scenes.”
With encouragement from ONU pharmacy alumni who work at Grove City Methodist Hospital, and also from ONU Pharmacy Dean Stuart Beatty, PharmD ’03, who presented at her career technical school, Jenny enrolled at ONU.
Last spring, she got accepted into the new OhioHealth/ONU intern program. She interns at Doctors Hospital in Columbus in the summer and every other weekend, and also works remotely on campus doing medication reconciliation for OhioHealth locations.
Her extensive hands-on experience gives her an edge in her classes. “I see that advantage when studying with friends, because I’ve seen a lot in practice,” she explained.
Jenny hopes to secure a PGY1 residency and full-time employment at OhioHealth after graduation.
Inspired by her faith, she’s committed to being a kind, knowledge pharmacist who uses her fluency in Spanish to provide translation and build trusting relationships with patients.
“Faith is important to me and it will inform my work as a pharmacist,” she said.