A fan favorite is leaving our midst, but won’t soon be forgotten – especially since he worked at the College of Pharmacy on two separate occasions!
Dr. Larry Aull, a Clinical Instructor in the CAP Department, has retired after teaching at the College from 2001-2007, and again from 2018-2022. In between his two tours of PharmDawg duty, Larry served in an adjunct capacity. One thing was consistent, however; during both stints, he was a beloved instructor, a nurturing mentor, and a valued colleague.
In a brief interview, Dr. Aull offered a retrospective of his career, reflections of his time at the College, and his plans for retirement.
Briefly describe your background and career path.
I am from West Columbia, SC, and I finished pharmacy school in 1981 at the University of South Carolina, back in the days before the changeover to the current all-PharmD curricula. So, originally, I earned a B.S. in Pharmacy. Following my graduation, I worked as a hospital pharmacist for a year-and-a-half before starting the PharmD program at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. When I graduated, I became a pharmacist in the surgical area at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. Later, I was named a Senior Pharmacy Specialist at a hospital group purchasing organization called SunHealth in Charlotte, NC. Then, I became a Medical Science Liaison with Glaxo-Wellcome. I joined the UGA College of Pharmacy for seven year (2000-2007) before starting a clinical research business. After 11 years, I returned to CoP in 2018.
Why were you interested in becoming a part of the College – twice?
I feel like my varied experiences in the pharmacy profession have given me a broad range of talents that I was excited to share with students. I really enjoy teaching, and I feel like I can share some real-world experience from all of the different positions I’ve held. I really enjoy connecting with students. They keep me striving to be the best I can be, and that’s what they deserve.
What were various roles and responsibilities?
During my first round at CoP, I didn’t coordinate any courses, but helped in a lot of different ones. I was one of the faculty involved when we first started teaching immunizations. I helped teach labs, and my lectures were mainly focused on the respiratory area, because that was what I specialized in as an MSL (COPD, asthma, allergic rhinitis, smoking cessation). I also helped set up the original Pharmacy Care Clinic at a local primary care office. I started as a Clinical Assistant Professor and ended as Clinical Associate Professor. I came back for my second term as Clinical Instructor and have coordinated Physical Assessment along with Drug Interactions and Adverse Drug Reactions. In addition, I’ve helped out in labs, IPE, immunizations, and lectured in several courses.
Who was a mentor or special person for you at the CoP and in life?
I learned a lot from Matt Perri (now retired), and he helped me navigate the College quite a bit. The late Henry Cobb also was a great mentor in the way he interacted with students. And who can forget the now retired George Francisco for serving as a role model for excellence in instruction? No one, including me!
What was your most indelible memory of the CoP?
Probably initiating the Pharmacy Care Clinic, because it was a new venture that had a great impact on patients. I even got on a local radio station to discuss it, because one of the clients was a show host at the time.
What was your favorite part of the job?
Interacting with the students in class and in labs.
What do you want to be remembered for?
When students tell me that they used what I taught them in class at work or during APPEs to impact patient care, that has affirmed that what I have done has been valuable. I believe everyone should pursue excellence in the job, no matter what that job is. That’s what I’ve tried to do my entire career. I hope students remember me as an excellent instructor.
What will you miss the most?
I’ll miss interacting with students the most.
What do you plan to do in retirement?
Since I enjoy teaching so much, I want to continue teaching something on a flexible schedule and outside of pharmacy to try something new. So, I am going to teach drivers education at a driving school in Loganville a couple of days a week! I also have a blog idea that I intend to pursue. Check out aullaboutsc.com in the near future to learn all kinds of neat things about my home state of South Carolina. I’ll also spend a lot of time at our townhome in Pawleys Island, SC, and that’s where I’ll relocate to in about a year or two.
