Alum Leads the Future of Pharmacy with CVS Internship Program

The School of Pharmacy—Boston at MCPHS is featured in a CVS Health blog about its internship training program for pharmacy students.

Several Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) Community members are featured in a CVS Health blog and video about the company’s internship program, including Associate Provost for Pharmacy Education Dr. Robert DiCenzo, two alumni, and a student.

Alex McDonald, PharmD ’16, is District Leader for Metro Boston at CVS. Her career with the company began as an intern while she was a student at MCPHS. In addition to overseeing pharmacies across the Boston area, she also supports dozens of interns every year. CVS called her an “instrumental” part of the program.

“The things I want to teach my interns are to be patient-centered, to give great customer service, to be professional, and to be kind,” she said.

Dr. McDonald’s work is closely connected to MCPHS. Many of her interns are MCPHS students who are interested in community pharmacy. Janki Patel is a sixth-year pharmacy student who went through the program this year.

“This internship is very demanding,” Patel said in the video. “It’s also very rewarding.”

Zilong Yuan, PharmD ’22, first worked at CVS as a pharmacy technician. He also completed the internship program before being hired as a pharmacist. Now, he’s the Pharmacy Manager at the CVS in Chinatown in Boston.

“Improving patient outcomes interests me a lot,” Dr. Yuan said. “I want to be part of something that can really make a difference.”

MCPHS has a longstanding partnership with CVS to develop future pharmacy leaders. Many alumni have built successful careers in community pharmacy at CVS, including District Leader Muhammad Elsweesy, PharmD, MBA, and entrepreneur Sue Carr, RPh. The University also received a grant from CVS that is funding a training initiative for international students.