A Passion for Solving Problems

By Meredith Lidard Kleeman, as published in Capsule, Spring 2026

Yogitha Pazhani, PharmD ’19, a clinical pharmacy specialist at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital (MGSH) and a preceptor for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (UMSOP), is an innovative problem-solver.

She sharpened those skills as a student at UMSOP.

In her first year of pharmacy school, Pazhani was helping to plan a roundtable event hosted by the School’s student chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP).

The event “is basically a large networking opportunity,” Pazhani says. “I felt I was very underprepared for it.” Pazhani remembers being told by professors how important networking skills are. “Being an introvert, talking to people I don’t know at large networking events is difficult for me,” she says. “One of my professors mentioned during a lecture that he also struggles with this at conferences and learned ways over the years to help him out.”

Pazhani imagined that other students might feel the same way. “I got the idea to create a workshop for networking to help everyone out,” she says. Pazhani reached out to that professor to organize a workshop to help students prepare for the upcoming roundtable. The workshop had simulated activities that would help students learn the small, yet critical skills necessary to successfully network, such as how to politely enter a group of people chatting and how to politely exit that group.

Pazhani brings that same innovative, problem-solving spirit to her work as a preceptor at MGSH. After her first year as a preceptor where experienced professionals oversee PharmD students on their rotations, Pazhani noticed there were limited resources for new preceptors on how to build a student rotation experience with standardized learning experiences at the site.

“I started putting together a manual, which became the basis for the student curriculum at MGSH,” Pazhani says. “It started as a set of standards, to ensure every student who comes through is getting similar rotation experiences and learning opportunities.”

MGSH students select an interesting patient case or journal club, and give an oral presentation on it. “The fourth year of pharmacy school is a good opportunity to master and develop analytical and critical thinking skills,” Pazhani says. Preceptors also host weekly North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination topic discussions and can participate in a preceptor development series.

Allison Chilipko, PharmD ’09, BCPS, BCGP, director of clinical pharmacy services at MGSH, was one of Pazhani’s former preceptors and is now her supervisor. “I precepted Yogitha on a pharmacy administration rotation and hired her at MGSH,” Chilipko says. “It has been a pleasure to see her grow and come full circle from student to preceptor to student curriculum developer to enhance our experiential learning program.”

As a preceptor for the acute care general medicine advanced pharmacy practice experience, Pazhani helps students “bridge their didactic knowledge with real-world patient care applications,” says Tuan Huynh, PharmD ’11, AAHIVP, HIVPCP, assistant director of UMSOP’s Experiential Learning Program. “She focuses on supporting students’ learning while inspiring them to be their best selves during rotations. Yogitha is consistently available to answer questions and provides timely, constructive feedback to foster growth, both clinically and professionally.”

Pazhani’s dedication and enthusiasm as a preceptor earns her high praise from students. Huynh reports that one student called her “the best preceptor I’ve had during my pharmacy career.” Another shared that “Dr. Pazhani displayed skills as a first-year preceptor that I would expect from a lifelong preceptor.”

But Pazhani is quick to credit others, including her fellow students at UMSOP and her colleagues at MGSH.

“A lot of the ideas come from me pushing this through and orchestrating parts of it,” she acknowledges. “But the student curriculum has only been running and has had success because other preceptors here have been open to it.”