The University of Rhode Island holds over 18,000 students who are each on their own journey to success. Each year, approximately 3,500 students walk across a stage, receive their academic honors, and are handed off into the professional world. 

Student Success Stories, a new feature within InsideRec, recognizes students who have graduated from the University of Rhode Island and highlights their accomplishments in their current careers. 

Gabby Lorusso, a URI graduate, received her Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2022. Now in year two of her postgraduate education, Lorusso is a cardiology pharmacy resident at Cleveland Clinic where she will complete her residency training this summer. 

“Throughout pharmacy school, I always had a passion for working in a hospital setting and working in an environment that required critical thinking and teamwork,” Lorusso said. “Given this, I knew early on in pharmacy school that I wanted to pursue postgraduate residency training, but in school, I definitely did not know I would end up specializing in cardiology.”

After graduating, Lorusso became a licensed pharmacist and completed her first year of pharmacy residency where she now works in Cleveland, Ohio. It was at that time she discovered her passion for cardiology and pursued a second year of residency to specialize in the field.

“As a pharmacy resident, I rotate through different service areas of the hospital serving as a pharmacist and learning about a variety of different areas of pharmacy,” Lorusso said. “I also give a variety of different presentations throughout the year and work on research projects with pharmacy preceptors.” 

After Lorusso completes her residency, she hopes to obtain a position as an inpatient cardiology pharmacy specialist. With years of hard work and helpful resources like faculty and mentors at the University of Rhode Island, Lorusso was able to secure a spot at her top-ranked residency before her graduation date. 

But, just like every college student, Lorusso faced challenges as she transitioned from the classroom to professional work. 

“It is one thing to be able to get the answers right on exams, but another thing to apply that knowledge in real life and to real-life patients,” Lorusso started. “One thing that helped me with this transition was having full faith that my education and my professors at URI prepared me to take the next step in my career.”

Oftentimes, as students graduate, there is a goal of being offered a dream job before gaining experience from other opportunities. The internships, smaller jobs, and connections made throughout the job searching process are important steps in creating a career journey that is right for you. 

Reflecting on her time as a student in search of a job, Lorusso suggested being yourself during interviews. Building genuine connections with employers ensures that you will end up in a work environment that works for you professionally and personally. 

As many senior students are in their last semester of college at URI, there is uncertainty about what comes next. Being a senior myself, who is terrified of leaving the comfort of a university I have been at for the past four years, I frequently ask for advice from my peers. After speaking with Gabby Lorusso and learning about her journey, she shared a tip with graduating students, like myself, and her past senior self. 

“The cliche that college goes too fast is not a cliche, it is a fact (and the PharmD program is 6 years at URI and it still was not long enough),” Lorusso said. “Graduation is a rare time in life where the future is completely yours to make. Do not be afraid of where you are going, but don’t forget where you came from. URI shaped me into the person and pharmacist that I am today, and it really is a beautiful place.”