Dominique Quiroz ’25
Doctor of Pharmacy Graduate
Berne, Indiana

Dominique Quiroz ’25, a first-generation PharmD graduate from Berne, IN, was thrilled to match with a residency in Illinois this summer. She credits Butler’s Pharmacy program for the wealth of professional experience she gained, which helped her stand out and land multiple interviews for residencies that aligned with her career goals.

“The more drug-specific classes I took, rotations I had, and real experience I received in the profession, the more I became sure that pharmacy was what I wanted to do,” Dominique says. “Now that I’ve graduated, going into residency is so exciting—it’s kind of the dream.”

Butler’s four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program equips students to become licensed pharmacy practitioners in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. In her final year, Dominique completed ten one-month rotations and several extended placements in a variety of settings, each one refining her vision for her future in pharmacy.

Those rotations and research opportunities strengthened her skills as a healthcare professional, teaching her how to balance a demanding workload, network effectively, and present research with confidence. Along the way, she discovered her passion for critical care, inpatient care, cardiology, and infectious diseases—work she hopes to continue pursuing in hospital networks.

“I really enjoyed all of my rotations and building confidence as I stepped into the role of a pharmacist practicing with an interdisciplinary team,” Dominique says. “I also really like how data-driven pharmacy is, so we can find guidelines to support the decisions and recommendations we make for patients. I look forward to stepping into my role as the medication expert on an interprofessional team where I will be able to help keep my peers up to date on guideline updates and new studies.”

One standout experience was a six-month block rotation at IU Methodist Hospital, where Dominique researched dual antiplatelet therapy—studying certain heart procedures and strategies to reduce stroke risk. She reviewed more than 80 patient charts to assess discharge medications and therapies, then shared her findings in a research poster at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting. It was one of several presentations she delivered at events throughout the US during her time at Butler.

In addition to her research achievements, Dominique served as VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for Butler’s American Pharmacists Association- Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) chapter and assisted in hosting campus events with  Students of Color Allied in Healthcare (SOCAH)—leadership opportunities her professors encouraged her to pursue.

“I really appreciated how invested all of the Pharmacy professors are in your learning and progression,” Dominique says. “If a student has a specific interest in any kind of area, they can reach out to their Academic Advisor or any of their professors and they’ll be more than happy to get that student connected to the right people, look for opportunities for them, or guide them to areas to search for and give them advice.”

As a first-generation college student and commuter, Dominique says she’s always felt embraced by Butler’s faculty and community and help was always nearby if she ever needed it.

“The Office of Student Experience and Engagement reached out to first-generation students to give us graduation stoles to wear at graduation that said ‘first generation graduate’ on it,” Dominique said. “I felt really seen and recognized as someone who didn’t experience college in the same way other students had whose parents had both gone to college.”

Her final rotation took place on Butler’s campus, a fitting conclusion to a journey that, she says, has shaped her both personally and professionally. While the Pharmacy program’s excellent NAPLEX pass rates first drew her to the University, it was the community feel that led to her choosing Butler for her undergraduate in Pre-Pharmacy and her Doctor of Pharmacy program.

“I’ve always felt really supported by all the faculty and staff at Butler and the campus in general,” she says. “I really like the atmosphere. Because coming from a smaller town, it feels very much like home.”