Written by: Lindsey Welch

Three students in the Pharm.D. Class of 2028 have been selected to participate in the United States Public Health Service’s Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (JRCOSTEP). Leonardo Asihene, Bayleigh Miller-Ulrich, and Yaw Manu will be assigned to a federal government agency, such as the Indian Health Service (IHS), this summer where they will serve as active-duty Commissioned Corps officers. All three PharmDawgs credit their participation in PHRM 3500 Career Opportunities and Development, then co-coordinated by Drs. Lindsey Welch and Trisha Branan, during their P1 year with their decision to apply. Last year, coordinators brought the Federal Bureau of Prison’s Lieutenant Benjamin Perry in as a guest speaker to expose students to opportunities within the U.S. Public Health Service. Subsequently, all three students were able to shadow Dr. Perry at the Federal Correctional Institute in Jesup, GA, which led to their interest in JRCOSTEP. These success stories show the value of early student exposure to career paths for Doctor of Pharmacy students.

Learn more about these outstanding students below:

Leonardo Asihene

Where are you from? 

• I am from College Park, GA, but my family is originally from Accra, Ghana.

What are your current career plans? 

• My plans right now are to either pursue clinical pharmacy in the hospital, Indian Health Service, or ambulatory care setting or to continue my career in community pharmacy. Ultimately, I hope to give back to my community through pharmacy either with my own business or by going into academia.

What led you to apply for the JrCOSTEP program? 

• After taking time to shadow Lt. Perry during the summer, I was able to see a side of pharmacy that I didn’t even know could exist. I continued to do my research into the program, and I decided to apply to gain more experience and see if I am interested in pursuing to the SrCOSTEP program. I am thankful to receive the opportunity to participate in the program and hope to learn more skills that will help me progress in my path in pharmacy.

Bayleigh Miller-Ulrich

Where are you from?

• I am originally from Clermont, Florida, and completed my Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Baylor University before continuing my education at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy.

What are your current career plans?

• My current career goal is to pursue a career in federal pharmacy, with a strong interest in serving underserved populations through agencies such as the Indian Health Service or the U.S. Public Health Service. I am particularly passionate about ambulatory care and substance use disorder advocacy, and I hope to ultimately work within the Bureau of Prisons, specializing in substance use disorder care and expanding access to treatment for this population.

What led you to apply for the JrCOSTEP program?

• My interest in the JrCOSTEP program was largely influenced by my experience in PHRM 3500 and hearing Lt. Benjamin Perry speak about his career. I also had the opportunity to shadow Lt. Perry while he was serving as Chief Pharmacist at the Federal Correctional Institution in Jesup, which further solidified my interest in federal pharmacy and correctional healthcare. Since then, he has continued to mentor me and has connected me with several Bureau of Prisons pharmacy leaders. Additionally, at APhA Annual, I was able to meet and connect with multiple federal pharmacists. These experiences have created meaningful opportunities and reinforced my desire to pursue this path.

Yaw Manu

Where are you from? 

• I am originally from Ghana, but my family and I relocated to Stockbridge, GA, when I was 11 years old.

What are your current career plans? 

• I aim to be an impactful pharmacist in the healthcare field, with a constant focus on potential innovations.

What led you to apply for the JrCOSTEP program?

• My interest in the JrCOSTEP program was sparked by a class that I took during the spring semester (PHRM 3500). Dr. Perry was one of the speakers. Shortly after his presentation, I had the opportunity to shadow him at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This opportunity motivated me to apply for the program.