For Alayna Bellavia, who will graduate from the University of Rhode Island with two advanced degrees—including a Pharm.D. from the College of Pharmacy—some of the most meaningful lessons she learned about pharmacy, healthcare, and life in general happened far beyond the classroom.
During two international medical missions in Ecuador with Clinical Professor Christine Eisenhower, Bellavia helped provide care in underserved communities, working in primary care clinics to dispense medications and counsel patients on inhalers, antibiotics, and other drugs. Communicating with those in her care could be a challenge, especially in remote communities where multiple languages were spoken, but locals showed the visitors what community is all about.
On one trip with, Bellavia traveled with her mom into the Amazon jungle to visit a tribe that was only discovered by the outside world about 50 years ago.
“We didn’t have a translator for their language, so some members of the community would come back to the clinic in the following days when they realized we needed that help,” Bellavia said, noting it reinforced her belief that pharmacy is about far more than medications alone. “The big thing I took from the trips is how people take care of their families and their communities. The care that they have for each other, and the support they give each other is something we are kind of missing at times in our lives here. It was really inspiring to see.”
That focus on patient care, community, and connection is what first drew Bellavia to pharmacy while a student at Narragansett High School. Learning about the combination of chemistry, healthcare, and direct patient interaction at URI College of Pharmacy Exploration Days sparked an early interest that continued to grow. The Pharm.D. pathway at URI—which allows students to complete a Doctor of Pharmacy in six years without needing to reapply to graduate school—combined with URI’s dual-degree opportunities, made the program stand out, Bellavia said. Interested in both clinical care and healthcare business, Bellavia was especially drawn to the ability to pursue a Master of Business Administration alongside the Pharm.D. degree.
“I liked the combination of degrees—not only the Pharm.D., but an MBA. I liked that there were so many options, and even though they were distinct programs, some credits overlapped,” Bellavia said, noting that family proximity and affordability were additional factors in choosing URI, but the welcoming environment left the biggest impression. “Meeting with Denise Gorenski, Dr. Estus, everyone here I met early on were very warm, inviting and supportive. The program and the people kind of made it.”
Throughout her time at URI, Bellavia embraced multiple opportunities in research, clinical practice and community engagement. She took part in summer research programs, worked in the college’s 3D printing lab, and explored a growing interest in health outcomes research and pharmaco-economics through electives taught by professors Stephen Kogut and Xuerong Wen. A Capstone project examining antidepressants and antipsychotics, and whether patients on different medications sought follow-up care at different rates, provided valuable experience in data analysis and research presentation. She also gained hands-on experience at Boston Medical Center, working in inpatient pharmacy operations, and counseling patients on antibiotics, heart medications and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapies.
“I really kind of explored it all,” Bellavia said. “I liked learning everything, and that made me more interested in learning because I figured this is my time to explore everything. I got to meet other students from other pharmacy schools, and it reinforced how great the URI College of Pharmacy is. Their programs were great, but ours is just the best.”
Community service remained central to Bellavia’s college experience. Inspired by a family tradition of volunteering, she joined Southern Rhode Island Volunteers, a nonprofit organization that supports older adults through transportation, grocery assistance and companionship services. “Especially during COVID, when you had older adults isolated, all those services became huge, and just blew up in terms of need. It wasn’t directly focused on pharmacy, but it really kept me involved in the community I live in.”
Bellavia’s diversity of interests will continue after graduation in May when she puts her combination Pharm.D.-MBA degrees to use during a managed care residency with Prime Therapeutics, focusing on specialty medications and pharmacy benefit management.
“I thought it was a great combination of clinical and business,” Bellavia said. “Working on some drugs that might cost $500,000, how do health plans manage those? That’s the type of thing I’m hoping to learn and see what I can do to help.”
Her desire to be help others was fostered by her time at URI, Bellavia said, and the support system that helped shape her experience at the University and in the College of Pharmacy.
“Everyone here was very supportive, and really offered opportunities and help,” Bellavia said. “Whether it was helping design slides, create graphics, or help with research, I feel like that kind of support is what made this program unique and special for me. I definitely would choose URI again.”