An educator, facilitator, volunteer and clinical pharmacist, faculty member Tara Leslie brings clinical expertise in oncology to students in the classroom.
Faculty member Tara Leslie was recently recognized for her contributions to oncology pharmacy in Canada.
Leslie received the Larry Broadfield Distinguished Service Award for her long standing contributions to oncology pharmacy and the Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO).
"I was surprised when they announced my name and I was completely flattered and humbled that I won," says Leslie, who has led the education committee for CAPhO since 2011. She says the award is special because it's named after a colleague, Larry Broadfield, who recently passed away from cancer. The award was given at the association's annual conference in Banff on April 20.
"It was emotional to talk about because Larry just passed away this past fall," she says. "This conference was the first one that he was not at." She also won best research poster at the conference.
Leslie was nominated by a colleague at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary where she works as a clinical pharmacist two days a week in the lymphoma clinic and cancer centre pharmacy. She helps cancer patients manage their side effects and teaches them about chemotherapy regimens to treat lymphoma.
"I'm usually the initial prescriber for patients to get their supportive care medications such as antinauseants,' says Leslie, who has worked at the centre since 2014.
She says her clinic work is very rewarding and is just happy to help people through a difficult time in their lives. "I feel like I really make a difference for people," she says. "A lot of people with lymphoma end up doing well. You help them through a difficult time but after they're done their treatment, they often go on to live wonderful lives.
The rest of the work week, Leslie provides preceptor and experiential education support, oncology education to students working with the Experiential Education and PharmD programs. "I guest teach in the oncology courses in the undergraduate and PharmD program," says Leslie, who has been working in the field of oncology pharmacy for 11 years. "I'm the course co-ordinator for Pharm 515 (specialty elective experiential education course) and I also help facilitate the PharmD seminars in Calgary."
"Tara has been an excellent addition to the faculty," says Ann Thompson, director of experiential Education with the faculty. "In addition to her role in experiential education, she brings clinical expertise in oncology by teaching our students in both the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists and B.Sc. Pharm programs. Her commitment to excellence in clinical practice as both a faculty member and preceptor facilitates and complements her work with preceptors as she can authentically relate to the opportunities and challenges of preceptorship. The faculty is thrilled to have Tara educating the pharmacists of today and tomorrow within our programs."
Leslie also serves as the faculty liaison for the Primary Care Networks in the province and helps facilitate preceptor workshops and other preceptor development initiatives. She says her role grew over time after initially filling in for a colleague on a maternity leave. "I was offered to stay on part time and took on some other responsibilities and they put together a role for me and so it just all came together," she says.
Leslie says her knowledge in hemotology and oncology is valued by her faculty colleagues. "It really just fell into place," she says of her faculty role. "I feel very lucky to be teaching here." Leslie believes she has a future as an educator and wants to learn more about adult education. "I love it so much that last fall, I started working on my master's of education in health sciences education at UAlberta," she says. "I want to learn more about adult education."
A University of Saskatchewan alumnus, Leslie has also worked at the Calgary Foothills Hospital, the Peter Lougheed Centre and the Alberta Children's Hospital.