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Leadership Profile
Meet Tran H. Tran, PharmD, BCPS
What is your current leadership position in ICHP?
I recently joined ICHP after I moved from NYC to Chicago a year and half ago. I am a member of the Marketing Affairs Committee and am taking over the Champions subcommittee.
What benefits do you see in being active in a professional association such as ICHP?
ICHP supports a network of like-minded, ambitious individuals seeking to improve the pharmacy profession and ultimately patient care. We can do much more working as a group than in isolation and ICHP allows for these connections to occur. Group work is supported by evidence. The journal Science featured a study by a Johns Hopkins behavioral neuroscientist that demonstrates that our brains might actually be built to make us stronger together than alone.
What initially motivated you to get involved in ICHP?
I was highly active in the the New York City Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (NYCSHP). The members started out as my colleagues and very quickly became my friends. We supported one another, opened up doors for one another (figuratively and I guess literally too), provided opportunities that would have otherwise not been attainable. It was a fulfilling and gratifying experience that made me a stronger pharmacists, academic, and person and I was looking for a similar experience in IL.
Where did you go to pharmacy school?
I’m a Tarheel! I earned my BS in public health and my PharmD at UNC-Chapel Hill aka Blue Heaven.
Where have you trained or worked?
Duke University, UIC, Evanston Northwestern Hospital (now Northshore), St. John’s University with an affiliated site at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and now Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy with an affiliated site at Loyola University Medical Center.
Is there an individual you admire or look up to, or a mentor that has influenced your career?
There are so many but they all share a “can do” attitude that’s contagious and inspiring. I’m pragmatic enough to be well aware of the obstacles and hurdles that come with any meaningful pursuit but it’s the encouragement and support from visionaries and leaders I surround myself with that keep me motivated and driven. They have a passion and a humility that I appreciate and emulate and it’s important to find people like this in your life and profession.
What pharmacy related issues keep you up at night?
The opioid epidemic. How can we be part of the solution? How do we augment practices, mindsets, and the way we communicate to prevent from contributing to the problem? It’s an ideal niche for us and we can be leaders in this effort by eliminating the stigma and being proactive. We will save lives.
Do you have any special interests or hobbies outside of work?
I love to dance! I love to travel and I love to go dancing where I travel.
Do you have a favorite restaurant or food?
Nothing is more fresh, healthy, or delicious than Vietnamese food. A good bowl of pho is exceptional for the Chicago winter. Banh Mi is perfect for picnics and music festivals around the city. Banh Xeo is so unique and mouth wateringly good. It’s has just enough French influence to make it differ from many other Asian cuisines.
What is your favorite place to vacation?
So far Reykjavik, Iceland but I’m on a continual search to have as many favorites as possible.
What is the most interesting/unique fact about yourself that few people know?
I love to laugh and I strive to find as many opportunities as humanly possible to do so with my friends and family. I hope my son inherits this trait as well.
