Countdown to Commencement 2021: Albania Mitchell

Soon-to-be Dr. Albania Mitchell, a P4 student in the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, is the next member of the Class of 2021 to be featured in the “Countdown to Commencement” series. Mitchell was nominated by two faculty members in the School of Pharmacy; Dr. Amy Parkhill and Dr. Mindy Lull.

Mitchell enrolled in the School of Pharmacy after completing her undergraduate studies at Fisher, choosing to stay because of Fisher’s “strong support system and sense of community.”

As a graduate pharmacy student, she is co-president of the P4 class, and a member of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, Peer Mentor Team, School of Pharmacy Diversity Committee, and Phi Lambda Sigma. During her time in pharmacy school, she has completed six poster presentations and one manuscript on type 2 diabetes. Mitchell has also had the opportunity to travel to Blackfeet Reservation in Montana for a service trip and to Coba, Mexico for a research trip.

Lull refers to Mitchell as a “needle mover,” a credit to her initiative and take-charge mentality.

“She is the type of person who sees a challenge and jumps right in – whether that is students who are struggling, a problem in the program, a research question itching to be answered, or an opportunity she wants to have,” said Lull.

Parkhill agreed – calling Mitchell a “passionate and extremely knowledgeable advocate for cultural competency and health care inequities,” recalling her work in the Student National Pharmaceutical Association and the School’s Diversity Committee.

“She has led many initiatives to promote health care equity and has invited speakers on Black maternal health and the LatinX community in Rochester to events,” said Parkhill. “She also gave a presentation on the social determinants of health at her rotation site and given the strength of that presentation, that blossomed into her giving presentations at other hospitals and pharmacy schools.”

Mitchell’s advice for incoming students is to “say yes” to the opportunities that present themselves while at Fisher.

“My Fisher experience was rewarding, it was memorable, and it was challenging, but in the best way. Throughout my time in undergrad and in pharmacy school, there were a lot of opportunities that presented themselves. And I think I had such a great time at Fisher and such a rewarding time at Fisher because I found myself saying yes to a lot of them that I could. Just say yes and go for it,” said Mitchell.