Meet Giae Derisse | Clinical Pharmacist, Public Health Advocate, Foodie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Giae Dérissé, PharmD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Intro

Thank you for having me Voyage Denver! I am Dr. Giae Dérissé, and I am from southern New Jersey from town called Willingboro that’s about 30 minutes out of Philadelphia. I grew up in a Haitian household which very much shaped who I am and how I see the world at large. My parents were very intentional about putting me in diverse circles, keeping me grounded in my roots, and showing me that I was capable of anything. 

I was born and raised in New Jersey, lived in Georgia for high school, and then came back to the Northeast! For my undergraduate education, I went to Rutgers University and then went on to get my Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at Ernest Mario School of pharmacy (Go RU!) Afterward, I moved down to Baltimore Maryland to complete training within the Johns Hopkins Medicine Hospitals and then went on to start my career as a clinical pharmacist. 

It took almost 10 years of school and training to get to this point and I am incredibly grateful God has seen me through. Those were tough years filled with sleepless nights and wondering if this was the right path for me. I overcame it through the support of my family, friends, and my faith in God. Taking breaks and trying to see the bigger picture in life was one of the few reasons I kept going. In fact, when I told a college “advisor” that I wanted to become a pharmacist at a particular program, she told me that I wasn’t competitive enough. However, I went on to not only get into that program but graduate among the top of my class and now I am in the field I have worked hard to be in.

Fortunately, I am in an interesting place right now to discuss work/life balance. I graduated from a rigorous four-year doctorate program in 2020 to obtain my Doctorate degree. I then went on to complete a challenging postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy practice residency where 80+ hour work weeks are the norm. I completed that program in 2021 and then went into the professional world. In the beginning, I was finding my footing, getting down some new routines, and figuring out what to do with all the extra time that I had. You would think with extra time in a “normal” young professional’s work life, that it wouldn’t take long to get used to and achieve the “work-life balance” everyone talks about. But I did not. Throughout all these years, I have come to the conclusion (for myself) that I am not entirely sure there is something called work/life balance. Striving for balance made me feel inadequate because I was never able to achieve that. 

Personally, I think that life has seasons, and depending on the season we are in at that moment, we may be doing more work than doing more “life” and that’s OK. Sometimes you’ll be “living your life” more than being occupied by work and that is OK too! We don’t need to wait as we grow more in our careers to enjoy life. I think what IS important is being very intentional about having boundaries in work and in life, establishing your values, and determining if what you are doing at the moment aligns with that. So to sum it all up, there are seasons, the ‘busyness’ of life and ‘busyness’ of work come in ebbs and flows and the scale of “balance” may never be level. Embrace that. Figure out what your priorities are in that season and continue to evaluate if what you are doing aligns. 

Professionally, I keep pretty busy! Currently, I am a clinical pharmacist that works inpatient (in a hospital), have a Blog and Instagram (@GDPharmD) where I share my life and my pharmacy journey, and I am involved in a couple of professional organizations that aim to advocate for pharmacy but also actively create and change policies and regulations to move not only the profession of pharmacy forward, but also health care to increase patient access. 

In my current role as a clinical pharmacist, I help advise health care practitioners on the best medication choice for patients. I also teach patients about their complex medication regimens, disease states, and help to eliminate any barriers they have to medication access. As science changes daily, I also make sure I keep up with changes by seeking out continuing education. I am fortunate that most of what I am involved in reflects what I value. I absolutely love teaching, public health, policy, and health equity and THAT is what gets me excited about being a pharmacist and having that health care knowledge. Let’s face it, almost all ailments are treated with medications so being a medication expert puts me in a great position to be well versed in health care and recognize areas to improve the gaps with policy.

With my Instagram (@GDpharmD) and blog, I started it right before I relocated to Maryland to complete my PGY-1 residency. I am so grateful for the small corner of the internet that I have. I never imagined how rewarding it would be to meet people in my field not only across the country but across the world. I often give and share advice on my journey to help those that follow along. I think that is why social media is a great resource for people in this day and age. You can actually see a career you are debating on or working towards in real-time. Your career isn’t just something you see on a poster board at a high-school job fair anymore. It is a person that you can “see” and experience their day-to-day lives as a professional and as a person and it’s amazing! 

On my page, I often share about pharmacy, ups and downs in careers, and that you don’t have to follow the path that you’ve seen everyone else go on. I share often that things may be challenging now, the waters may seem murky, and the path ahead may not be paved, but trouble does not last always. Seasons change, we change, and we must be sensitive to move forward with that change. I of course share fun stuff too as of late like what I’m eating (true foodie at heart), recent travels, and taking care of my body and mind. 

Visiting Denver, Colorado with my friends was one of my favorite trips! I even have a couple of ‘Reels’ on my Instagram page (@GDPharmD) with an itinerary and the amazing train ride we took through the snowy mountains! I would start by staying at the Maven Hotel – it’s a boutique hotel that offers a great experience! After checking in, explore downtown Denver and all the sights it has to offer (the snow-capped mountain view from the city is unmatched!). For food (arguably my favorite part of any trip), check out Ultreia for some Spanish tapas, ChoLon Downtown Denver for their spiced doughnuts, dumplings, and Bao Buns, Cantina Loca for their unique menu, Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar for the incredible service and fresh seafood, and of course the food places and cafes at the Maven Hotel and Milk Market.

For things to do, I would take a day trip to Red Rocks Amphitheater and to Winter Park (during ski season). If you venture out to winter park, be sure to take the Amtrak train because it is such a beautiful scenic train ride!

If you want a getaway, a road-trip drive to Glenwood Hot Springs is a great trip as well!

I honestly cannot wait to make it back to Colorado!

I would dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They immigrated to the United States from Haiti to a country that they didn’t know, that spoke a language they barely knew, and didn’t have many financial means. Despite that, they came here, worked faithfully, served the Lord, and created a life for myself and my siblings that some can only dream of. I can never re-pay them for all the sacrifices that they have had to make in the name of their family. I love them dearly and just know if you ever see me standing high, know that I am standing on their shoulders.

Thank you for having me Voyage Denver and for anyone who is interested, please find my contact and socials below!