Design and layout by Cathy Nguyen, David Chayka, and Morgan Sato

Welcome ,

The Donations and Design Committee of the Medicare

Class of 2016 is proud to present the first issue of the fifth

volume of our class newsletter, The Donut Hole.

In this issue, we will be introducing students in the Medicare

Class of 2016. In addition, we are giving everyone the op-

portunity to better get to know Dr. Valle-Oseguera through

our Faculty Spotlight section. We will also be sharing some

recent events with you including the Roast n’ Toast and Dr.

Patel’s CMS lecture, and much more.

Thank you for your interest in The Donut Hole. We hope

that our newsletter keeps you informed on some of the hap-

penings of our Medicare Part D Class at Pacific. Enjoy this

issue!

Sincerely,

Medicare Donations & Design Committee 2016

IN THIS ISSUE: Click below

Introducing the

What fact about you surprises people most? I was on the trap shooting team in high school. What are two things on your bucket list? Swim with the manatees and go ice fishing.

Amy Blackburn

Auburn UOP

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? Not having as much traffic on the freeway. What are two things on your bucket list? Graduate pharmacy school, and visit every state in the U.S.

Kymberli Buyer

Livermore Pepperdine University

What cheers you up? My dog Savvy, Haribo sour gold-bears, and sleep. What is your nickname, and how did you get it? Polo because it’s way easier to say than Agbonkpolo!

Samuel Agbonkpolo

Chino UC Irvine

What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Became a vegetarian. What fact about you surprises people the most? I danced for 6 years.

Sonia Aujla

Union City UC Davis

What is something that you are saving money for? Panic! At the Disco concert tickets D: <3 What are two things on your bucket list? Learn to sign and learn how to bartend.

Christine Cameros

Buena Park UOP What is the best thing about living in Stockton? Cheap gas. What is your nickname and how did you get it? Coco because Chinese people can’t pronounce “Claire”.

Claire Chang

Chino UOP

MEDICARE CLASS OF 2016

What about you surprises people the most? I have had a pet turtle for 10 years. What are two things on your bucket list? Bake a cake without instant mixes, and to go hang gliding.

Susan Chang

Hacienda Heights UOP

What is something that you are saving money for? To build a room out of electronics to take over the world. What is in your fridge right now? Home cooked food because I’m an adult, and because I possess mini-me’s who hunger frequently.

David Chayka

Sacramento Sierra College

What are two things on your bucket list? Go to my brother’s wedding and to go parasailing. What is in your fridge right now? Too much ice cream. Putting any more food in the freezer is equivalent to playing Tetris.

Matthew Chao

Fremont UOP

What is your nickname and how did you get it? Delicate flower. I gave myself that nickname, and forced people to call me that in high school. What about you surprises people the most? Something bad happens to me every three years.

Mary anne choi

Cerritos UOP

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? I learned to be more aware of my surroundings. What are two things on your bucket list? Sip fancy coffee in a cute little café in a Europe-an country, and go on a road trip in an RV on either the west coast or throughout the US.

Jessay may culilap

Seaside UC Davis What fact about you surprises people most? If you name any Yo Gotti, Future, or A$AP Ferg song, I can probably rap it. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, and traveled around Europe.

Hali Deprima

San Jose University of San Diego

What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? “Stole” a pug. What are two things on your bucket list? Travel all over the world, and eat a burger in every country.

Dorothy Fan

Hewlett, NY New York University

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? The Ghiradelli outlet is nearby! What fact about you surprises people the most? I grew up on a farm.

Raechel Farewell

Dixon UC Davis

What is something you are saving money for? To make it rain like Dr. Patel. What is in your fridge right now? A ton of food since I am a responsible adult, and went shopping.

Anthony Garcia

San Diego UC Davis

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? I have found my love for taco trucks. What about you surprises people the most? I lived in Canada for 6 years.

Jefferson Ha

Orange UOP

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? It’s taught me to perfect my pepper spray skills. What fact about you surprises people the most?

I’m actually pretty domestic, and am semi-good at baking and cooking.

Emily Highsmith

Lodi UC Berkley

What is something you are saving money for? Trips abroad to Hong Kong for summer and Thailand for spring break. What are two things on your bucket list? Go to Greece (Santorini) and zip-lining!

Winnie Ho

San Francisco UC Santa Crus

What is your nickname, and how did you get it? Shotgun, because I sneeze really loudly. What are two things on your bucket list? See the Northern Lights, and get a tattoo.

Stephanie Hong

Milpitas UOP

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? Learning street smarts. What fact about you surprises people the most? My sweet tooth is HUGE.

Bianca Khishaveh

San Jose Santa Clara University

What is your nickname, and how did you get it? Howie, because one day someone called me that and it caught on. What cheers you up? Making others happy, and seeing them smile.

Howard lam

San Jose UOP

What are two things on your bucket list? Skydiving and singing in front of an audience. What is in your fridge right now? Quite a bit of string cheese and greek yogurt. Unfortunately, I’m lactose intolerant.

Sandra lee

Newark UOP

What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Went on a 15 mile hike in Yosemite. What are two things on your bucket list? See the Northern Lights, and go to all 7 wonders of the world.

Jamie Legaspi

San Diego UOP

What is your nickname? Juju; all my social media names are jujubeans, and somehow everybody started calling me Juju. What are two things on your bucket list? Go to Maldives and to go bungee jumping.

Julina Ly

San Jose UOP

What is something you are saving money for? Dinner at House of Prime Rib. What fact about you surprises people the most? I dislike cats.

Vincent Man

San Francisco UC Berkeley

What fact about you surprises people the most? I have six siblings. What are two things on your bucket list? To go to Japan, and adopt a cat.

Traci Mori

Fremont UOP

What cheers you up? Food and videos of cute chubby babies. What fact about you surprises people the most? I can eat a lot in a short period of time. I think I’ve eaten an xl bowl of Pho in under 10 minutes before.

Cathy Nguyen

San Jose UOP What is something you are saving money for? A medical mission trip to Honduras. What fact about you surprises people the most? I am the tallest member of my extended family which includes over 40 aunts and uncles and 50 cousins.

Daniel Nguyen

San Jose UOP

What cheers you up? Hanging out with my best friends, eating tubs of ice cream, and singing to my baby brother. What are two things on your bucket list? Go to Harry Potter World and travel to Paris.

Hong van Nguyen

Stockton UOP What is the best thing about living in Stockton? I get to see trees changing colors, and streets being filled with autumn leaves. Fall foliage in Stockton is amazing! What is something you are saving money for? Traveling.

Nhat-Thanh Nguyen

San Jose UC Berkeley

What is something you are saving money for? Traveling around the world. What fact about you surprises people the most? My love of fruits.

Christina Nyaung

Daly City UOP What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? I went hiking in the middle of the night. What fact about you surprises people the most? I can speak 3 Chinese dialects.

Mandy On

Elk Grove UC Davis

What is something you are saving money for? A fixed price meal at French Laundry. What are two things on your bucket list? Go to Iceland and buy my own house.

Salley Park

Cypress UOP

What is your nickname, and how did you get it? Momo ,because it means peace in Japanese. What are two things on your bucket list? Swim with otters, and see the 7 Wonders of the World.

Morgan Sato

Sacramento UOP

What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Volunteered for a deployment. What are two things on your bucket list? Travel to all 7 continents (currently 4), and to own a corgi.

Winston Shih

Union City Berkeley

What is something you are saving money for? An 18k gold fountain pen. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done?

My friend and I got bored of studying at the library at night, so we snuck into a building on campus to see how spooky it would be.

Annie Tam

Stockton UOP

What is the best thing about living in Stockton? Being away from home, but close enough to go back when I want. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Road trip with my family to Oregon for a pharmacy school interview.

Cerise Tang

San Francisco UC Davis

What cheers you up? Making other people smile cheers me up. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Almost went skydiving. It was an 18th birthday surprise that I wasn’t aware of.

Aileen Thai

San Jose UOP

What are the two thing on your bucket list? Run an ultramarathon, and to be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. What fact about you surprises people the most? I’ve never gone trick-or-treating before. I’ve always had to stay at home to give out candy instead.

Betty Thai

San Francisco UC Berkeley

What is something you are saving money for? Help my parents pay off their house, and buy the new Tesla! What are two things on your bucket list? Travel the world, and to visit all the theme parks in the world.

Lan Tran

San Jose San Jose State University

What are the two things on your bucket list? Be more like Rihanna, and marry Rihanna. What is in your fridge right now? Literally ONE bag of baby carrots. Nothing else. I’m an adult.

Michaela Vachuska

Roseville UC Santa Barbara

What cheers you up? In-N-Out Burger. What is something you are saving money for? A car/life of my own.

Milana Vachuska

Roseville UC Santa Barbara

What is your nickname, and how did you get it? Doah from the last part of my first name. What fact about you surprises people the most? I can write with my left hand upside-down reversed in cursive (I’m right handed).

Shannon Wong

Folsom UOP

What fact about you surprises people the most? I’m from Texas. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? Made a bunch of bets with friends for steaks.

Michael Xu

Union City UOP

What are two things on your bucket list? Travel to Bora Bora, and go sky diving. What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done? I decided to come to UOP for undergrad 5 minutes before the deadline.

Joan Yim

La Canada Flintridge UOP

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Valle-Oseguera

Interview by Joan Yim

Dr. Valle-

Oseguera,

who goes by

“Dr. V”, is not

only an alumni of

UOP, but is also a

former student of

our Medicare class.

During her time as a

Medicare student, she

was part of the Educa-

tion and Translation

committee. Her fluency

in Spanish was an invalua-

ble skill for the Medicare

program. She helped by

translating outreach docu-

ments and by interpreting at

events. Outside of the class-

room, you’ll find her enjoying

the food scene that Stockton

offers, particularly at the sushi

restaurant CoCoro on Miracle Mile.

During her free time, Dr. V submerg-

es herself in the wonders of nature

and goes backpacking. All she carries

with her is a single backpack that con-

tains simple necessities for her trip! Her

simplistic nature is also seen in her plans

for the future...she looks forward to pur-

chasing a “Tiny House” for her family to live

in. The “Tiny House” is a social movement in

which people choose to live in a simple and

smaller house with less clutter. Dr. V advo-

cates this idea of living a simple life and spend-

ing that money on adventure instead. In addi-

tion to her adventurous personality, Dr. V enjoys

listening to modern music, especially Britney

Spears! Now let’s dive a little deeper and get to

know Dr. V through a sit down interview!

The personality changes a little year to

year, but the spirit is always the same.

Hometown: Oakley, California

Alma Mater: UC Davis for undergrad and

majored in Biotechnology, UOP for

pharmacy school.

Past Professional Experience: Rite Aid as

a pharmacy intern. Completed a PGY1 res-

idency & a PGY2 residency in Ambulatory

Care at the VA Medical Center in Idaho.

Hobbies: Backpacking, hanging out with

friends, watching movies and shows on

Netflix.

Favorite quote: “We’re all mad here” by

Lewis Carroll from Alice in Wonderland.

Why did you choose pharmacy?

While studying biotechnology at UC

Davis, I really enjoyed biotechnology

and genetics. I was actually thinking

about pursuing a PhD. At the time, I

had a couple of friends interested in

pharmacy and I started working as a

pharmacy clerk at Kaiser. I got to know

the pharmacist there very well and he

was a really good mentor to me. I was

able to see how the pharmacist works

with patients. The pharmacy team was

also really good at sharing with me

what the pharmacy profession was

really about.

What is your favorite part about being

a member of the Medicare faculty?

I like how close knit it is. Dr. Patel has

been a mentor to me since I was a

student here, so it’s nice to continue to

What led you to become a professor

at Pacific?

When I started residency, I never

thought I would go into academia.

During my first rotation in residency, I

was given a student to precept and I

really liked it. It was nice to be asked

questions from a different perspective

because it made me see things in a

different way. I also did a couple of

academia rotations and I enjoyed it. I

also had a good mentor who was a

professor at a different school. Once I

saw an opening for a position at UOP,

it just made sense because I graduated

from here and I liked it here. I actually

emailed Dr. Patel regarding the job

opening, and he encouraged me to

apply! It was really nice because UOP

was willing to wait for me to finish my

residency too.

work with him. I also enjoy being able

to work with the fellows. It is a pretty

close group.

How has the Medicare class changed

since when you were a student?

The Medicare class spirit is the same. It

is very close knit. The personality

changes a little year to year, but the

spirit is always the same. The class itself

did change a lot in terms of logistics.

Back when I was a student, the course

was only 1 semester but now it’s 2

semesters. We also incorporate MTM

and the size of the class has also

become a lot bigger than the past.

What was your most memorable

outreach experience?

As a student, I remember I helped a

patient save $5,000 in a year. When

you help someone save money, a lot of

times you don’t see how important or

big of an impact it is. It was a really

rewarding experience. Everyone at the

outreach events are very grateful. You

definitely feel appreciated for what

you’re doing. I always see patients

hugging students and thanking them,

and it’s really nice to see that.

Do you have any words of wisdom

for the current Medicare students?

Enjoy it! At the first event, it might be

intimidating because you might feel

like you’re not ready, even though

you really are. Everything will go by

so fast, so just enjoy it.

BY AILEEN THAI

Medicare Students Create a Video Highlighting our MTM Services

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tet2_GImEx4

’The evening of May 19th, 2016 brought together

the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students for a very

joyous occasion - the Medicare “Part-E”. This

event provided us with a chance to say

congrats to the 3rd years/soon to be doctors,

and an excuse to bring everyone together to

roast Dr. Patel - what better way to send off the

3rd years. This year’s Roast n’ Toast was

organized by: Lauren Clark, Sadaf Rashidi, Dilraj

Sohal, Connie Chong, Maegan Wang, Christine

Sun, Monika Wan and Gina Copak.

Upon arriving at Da Club, Gina Copak (event

bouncer) stamped the hands of guests with

“Part-E”. Once inside, Dr. Patel’s hairy side-

burns, gold $ chains, white retro outfit and

white platform shoes struck our attention. Short-

ly after entering guests were directed to grab

dinner, which consisted of street tacos, nachos,

and delicious brownies! Once dinner was done

and guests had time to mingle with their peers,

the graduating Medicare students were recog-

nized one by one.

Each student graciously received a small gift to

recognize their hard work and dedication to

our Medicare program. During this moment I

realized why students come back year after

year. The Medicare students are a family and

we share a unique bond that is only under-

stood by those who have gone through the ex-

perience.

The time finally came for the main event...the

ROAST. Dr. Patel took center stage as 11 former

students (Jenny Balabanian, Hasna Manghi,

Utsav Patel, Kristine Markham, Tiffany Wong,

Patrick Lee, Victoria Nguyen, Tami Ige, Judy Lin,

Maegan Wang, and May Chen) turned up the

heat. Some roasters presented slide shows

while others created their own song. Each had

their own entertaining stories to share. Each

roaster ended with a heart-warming message

to show their appreciation for the ‘Chipotle

lover.’

By Sonia Aujla

“Seeing Dr. Patel in

that outfit made my

eyeballs shrivel up, but

it’s okay.”

- Emily Highsmith

“Watching Patel get

roasted was the

highlight of my day. I

can’t wait until it’s our

turn.”

- Bianca Khishaveh

At the end of the Part-E, the 1st years were thoroughly amused by the roasts, but definitely

felt as though the bar had been set rather high. As guests starting leaving they partook in

the Photo booth. The 2nd year's’ are eagerly await their turn to roast Dr. Patel next year,

and the 1st years got a close glimpse on what our Medicare family is all about.

Here’s what a few students thought about the Part-E:

“I'd like to thank the Part-E planning crew for throwing such an amazing event. I had a lot of

fun coming back, seeing all of my Part D classmates, and meeting the new students! Good

luck to the first years as you go into the Medicare outreach season this fall!” - Dr. Utsav Patel

“Seeing the bond between students, faculty, Dr. Patel, and third years told me that this was

more than just an elective class. It is a pleasure to become part of the growing Medicare

family” - Cerise Tang

Click HERE for more pictures/videos from the event

Our Medicare Part D program officially turns 10 years old this year! Since its inception, pharmacy students and pharmacist preceptors have been able to reach countless beneficiar-ies and make a positive impact on their economic, clinical and humanistic outcomes. Our program has significantly evolved through the years, and the partnership we have been able to forge with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been wonderful. CMS leadership has embraced our program and provided unprecedented support. To this end, they provided us with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to share what we do with a national audience. On May 3rd, Dr. Patel gave a 30-minute presentation through the CMS National Training Program (NTP) webinar on our Mobile Medicare Clinics. Through the NTP, we were able to present our program to a national audience of pharmacists, prescribers, health policy professionals, HICAP/SHIP pro-grams, and other beneficiary advocates.

In his presentation, Dr. Patel first highlighted the disproportionate utilization of prescription medications by older adults. He went on to dis-cuss the potential out-of-pocket savings that beneficiaries could realize through

Centers for Medicare

& Medicaid Services

Training

annual Part D plan reexamination. Next, Dr. Patel provided an overview of our Mobile Medicare Clinics, the services we provide at each clinic, and the importance of community and governmental partnerships in improving beneficiary outcomes. Attendees of the webinar showed great interest in our program and several have reached out to us wondering how they could replicate our model in their communities. We want to acknowledge Dr. Beth Simon of CMS for her instrumental role in providing us the unique opportunity to share our Medicare program with the rest of the country! We are immensely grateful for your sustained belief and support of our program. Thank you!!!

If you would like to listen to the recording, view the slides, and/or read the presentation transcript please click on one of the links found below:

The audio portion of Dr. Patel’s presentation can be found by clicking on the link below. His portion of the presentation begins at 28:45 — HERE

Dr. Patel’s slide set can be accessed by clicking on the link below. In addition, the corresponding transcript of his presentation can be found on the bottom of page 12 — HERE

By: Sandra Lee

On May 21st, 2016, 43 former Medicare students graduated from the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences! We want to thank each of you for your invaluable contributions to our Medicare program during your time as students. We wish you the best of success as you embark on the next chapter of your life and look forward to hearing about your accomplishments! Congratulations to the following Medicare student graduates:

Dr. Faye Araim

Dr. Justin Bachman

Dr. Jenny Balabanian

Dr. Hieu Buu

Dr. Sofia Campos

Dr. Christine Cao

Dr. Ranjeeta Chadha

Dr. Jessica Chang

Dr. Larry Chang

Dr. May Chen

Dr. Sean Chow

Dr. Jonathan Choy

Dr. Kristin Dang

Dr. Amy Dollbaum

Dr. Allison Duong

Dr. Jennifer Fong

Dr. Tamlyn Ige

Dr. Jennifer Im

Dr. Stephanie Kattoula

Dr. Tina Kwan

Dr. Patrick Lee

Dr. Yifeng Li

Dr. Judy Lin

Dr. Tina Liu

Dr. Hasna Manghi

Dr. Kristine Markham

Dr. Greg Matsumura

Dr. Marcus Mellberg

Dr. Nhu Nguyen

Dr. Nicole Nguyen

Dr. Victoria Nguyen

Dr. Daniela Okino

Dr. Utsav Patel

Dr. Jenny Pham

Dr. Alan Phan

Dr. Anthony Quach

Dr. Beckie Siu

Dr. Katy Suko

Dr. Sarah Sung

Dr. Joshua Tai

Dr. Tiffany Truong

Dr. Tiffany Wong

Dr. Alyssa Yasuda

Congratulations to Medicare Student Graduates!

Memories from the

Medicare Class

Graduates

One experience that stood out to me was while I was helping a beneficiary...she started to talk about her

problems and her life story. So, in addition to helping her with Medicare Part D, my partner and I were

able to lend an ear and listen to her talk. She was so genuinely grateful at the end of the intervention that

it made my day.— Dr. Anthony Quach (on right)

My most rewarding experience in Medicare

was making life-long friendships and having

lasting memories.—Dr. Stephanie Kattoula

What was your most rewarding

Medicare experience?

By: Julina Ly & Susan Chang

Being able to help beneficiaries with their medications by performing

MTM; they were REALLY happy that someone was taking the time to

explain each of their medications to them. So, having those experiences

where the beneficiaries proclaim their gratitude towards us and the

program would be my most rewarding experience.—Dr. Utsav Patel

I developed a stronger sense of empathy from

interacting with Medicare beneficiaries and I

learned the importance of not only listening to

beneficiaries’ concerns, but also doing my very

best to meet their needs.— Dr. Yifeng Li

You never get tired of seeing beneficiaries'

faces light up when you tell them you've saved

them thousands of dollars.— Dr. Jenny Pham