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Gauhar Ali

Gauhar Ali got his first glimpse of what a career in pharmacy might look like by watching his older brother, a pharmacist who completed his studies at the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and graduated in 2019. Ali liked the versatility the field seemed to offer. More important, it would allow him to help people. 

“As a pharmacist, you have an opportunity to make a significant and immediate impact in a patient’s life and on their health,” says Ali. “I’ve always had a desire to support people, particularly vulnerable and marginalized individuals. That’s always been a passion of mine.”

The first time he applied to pharmacy school, he was rejected. Undeterred, he figured he’d simply find another way to improve people’s health and well-being. As an undergraduate student, Ali studied immunology and infection. And since high school, he’d been an inpatient volunteer at the Cross Cancer Institute, a role that involved sitting and visiting with patients to lift their spirits during an incredibly challenging time in their lives. 

His research interests and volunteer experience led him to pursue a master’s degree in oncology. Under the supervision of , his research focused on cachexia — a type of muscle wasting — and chemotherapy toxicity. 

“I was able to look at immune and inflammatory pathways and apply some of that immunology background to cancer research,” says Ali.

The plan was to continue with his research and eventually earn a PhD. But his initial dream of becoming a pharmacist still lingered in the back of his mind. So he decided to follow the adage — if at first you don’t succeed, try again. 

“I hadn’t even mentioned it to my master’s supervisor, but I applied again for pharmacy. I wasn’t hopeful at all. I just thought, OK, let me try one more time.” 

This time he succeeded. And given that Ali was recently selected as a recipient of the , it was clearly the right move. 

Ali called his supervisor, who was presenting at a conference in Portugal at the time. She couldn’t have been more supportive, he says.

“She knew I was wanting something a bit more hands-on and clinical in nature, and she knew I always had that desire to support patients,” says Ali. “I’ve always had a passion for biology and science, but it was really wanting to do something with people that drew me to pharmacy.”

A fruitful detour

Never one to back down from a challenge, Ali ended up defending his master’s thesis during his first semester as a pharmacy student. His determination and desire to help patients fuelled him through the busy stretch as he tied up all the loose ends with his thesis before turning his full attention to pharmacy.

During a summer studentship with the after his first year in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, he realized the detour had been a fruitful way to build his skill set. 

“A lot of the skills I had developed during my master’s — conceptualizing a project, developing it, executing it — were transferable,” says Ali.

“I learned a lot, and got to see behind the scenes of pharmacy practice in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ more on the regulatory side.”

In his second year of pharmacy school, without a thesis taking up a huge portion of his time, Ali decided to become . 

“I had the opportunity to essentially be a liaison between pharmacy students and the faculty, to be the point of contact for course co-ordinators, to advocate for students.” 

The role was a natural fit for Ali. In fact, he represented his classmates so well that they encouraged him to consider the role of president of the . 

“I applied, I campaigned and I really learned about what the needs of students were during that time.” 

As with all the accolades Ali has earned during his studies, he didn’t expect to get it, but he did.

Tackling a rural challenge

The presidency was a one-year term, so in addition to the regular responsibilities, Ali knew he needed to make quick progress on the causes he wanted to champion. At the top of his list was increasing supports for experiential placements in rural settings. 

“It’s become common knowledge over the last several years that there is a gap in rural primary care in ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥,” he explains. However, students looking for rural placements often face barriers from financial considerations to the need to temporarily relocate. So he worked with the faculty to find a solution. Building on initiatives they had in the works, they soon had a plan to provide increased funding opportunities that would support first- and second-year pharmacy students heading into their community and acute care rotations, as well as support for fourth-year pharmacy students who participate in a mix of community and acute care rotations.

As Ali explains, second-year pharmacy students are matched to different sites across the province as part of their hospital rotation, a facet of the robust experiential education placements students receive throughout their degree. Typically, rural sites are the last ones on the list to get matched. 

“For the first time, those were the first to go,” says Ali. “I looked at that as proof of concept. I said to the faculty, this is brilliant, we can appreciate that the financial piece of the puzzle was a barrier and as soon as students are provided with intentional support, we see more of an uptake.

“I was very proud of that.” 

In addition to his presidency and his volunteering at the Cross Cancer Institute — something he’s continued doing, albeit in a reduced capacity with all the other demands on his time — Ali also volunteers with . He recently worked on a project identifying health risks that fluctuating weather patterns associated with climate change pose to people in Ghana, such as increased rates of malaria transmission. The information Ali and other researchers gathered was then shared with hospitals in that region of Ghana. 

“They were able to take that information and integrate it into their policies and a lot of what they’re working on.” 

He also packed his summers full of professional development opportunities. After his second year, he moved to Ottawa for a . 

“This was one of the most incredible experiences during my pharmacy school journey and gave me invaluable insights into regulatory practice at the national level.” 

Ali will be graduating next year, and he’s hoping that one of his fourth-year experiential education placements will help solidify his career plans. In a fitting move for someone who prioritized bridging the gap in rural health care during his presidency, Ali plans to take his skills and expertise to a rural community, and hopes a rural placement will give him a peek at what that might look like. 

But just as the versatility in pharmacy was one of the things that initially drew him to the field, he knows his career will likely be a journey with a few more detours — and he can’t wait. 

“What I think is brilliant is that at every step along the way, with any shift in your career, it’s a continuation,” says Ali. “It’s not that you’re starting over, but rather that your experiences as a pharmacist are building upon one another.”