Joseph Saseen, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS

Associate Professor, Clinical Pharmacy and Family Medicine
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

Faculty member in both the School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine. Within the School of Pharmacy, primary responsibilities are related to education and research. These include teaching various pharmacotherapy and case based topics within the curriculum, serving on various committees (e.g., chairing the curriculum committee) that support the mission of the school, and collaborating with other faculty members to conduct research related to clinical services, health outcomes, and pharmacotherapy. Additional responsibilities are serving as the director and preceptor of a PGY-2 Ambulatory Care/Family Medicine Pharmacy Residency. For the School of Medicine, responsibilities include the provision of clinical pharmacy services and medical student and resident education. Clinical services are provided at the University of Colorado’s family medicine service. This interdisciplinary service provides care to many patients, and clinical pharmacists are involved in patient care and group classes. Teaching responsibilities within the School of Medicine include teaching third year medical students during their adult medicine clerkship regarding cardio-metabolic (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes) pharmacotherapy, and educating University of Colorado family medicine residents regarding a broad array of primary care topics.

How They Got There

After receiving my B.S. in Pharmacy from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1992, I was not sure what my next steps were. After applying to Doctor of Pharmacy programs, I second guessed myself and decided to seek employment as a pharmacist in my home town and withdrew my applications to Pharm.D. school. However, prior to graduation, I was asked to interview for a residency position that was unfilled after the match in March. I interviewed and decided I really wanted the position, but it was given to another applicant that had earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. After reflecting back on why I wanted the position it was clear to me what I needed to do… I needed to go to Pharm.D. school. Fortunately, my application was reactivated and I stated the Pharm.D. program soon after graduation

I earned my Doctor of Pharmacy from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1994. During this program I had decided that I wanted additional clinical and research experiences so decided to pursue fellowship training. Because I was not sure where to focus, I interviewed for fellowships in the areas of Ambulatory Care, Critical Care/Infectious Diseases, and Pharmacokinetics at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Clearly, I was casting a wide net, and was not sure where to focus my attention. I had experiences as pharmacist at a staff model HMO, and I really liked the continuity of care aspect of clinical pharmacy, but most of my Pharm.D. rotations and my research project were in other areas of clinical pharmacy (pharmacokinetics, infectious diseases, critical care). However, at the ASHP meeting, I met Dr. Barry Carter. My interactions with him changed my life. He invited me to interview in Chicago for his Ambulatory Care Fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After this visit, my decision was made. I was offered the position and accepted. I trained with pharmacists who provided direct patient care in numerous ambulatory care sites, conducted various clinical research projects, and had the opportunity to teach students. I learned so much under the mentorship of Dr. Carter that I even decided to finish my fellowship under his preceptorship when he accepted a position at the University of Colorado in Denver. I competed my two year program, accepted a regular full-time faculty position at the University of Colorado, and started my academic career.

Other Professional Activities

• Member of ASHP, ACCP, APhA and the National Lipid Association
• Regent of the ACCP Board of Regents
• Inaugural member of the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology Board of Governors
• Board Member of the Southwest Lipid Association Board of Directors
• Former member and Chair of the ASHP Commission on Therapeutics (2001-2005)
• Former member and Chair of the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties Specialty Council on Pharmacotherapy (1998-2003)

Advanced Training

• Completed a two year Ambulatory Care Research Fellowship in 1996: first year with the University of Illinois at Chicago and second year with the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
• Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (with Added Qualifications in Cardiology) in 1995 and recertified in 2002
• Certified Lipid Specialist (by the Accreditation Council of Clinical Lipidology) in 2007

Advice

• Always be willing to go outside of your comfort level, within reason, to challenge yourself and to expand your horizons
• Try to keep the big picture in mind and not get bogged down by details that may stifle your forward progress
• Work with a sense of dignity, respect and professionalism
• An opinion unshared is not an option, it is a frustration
• You alone are responsible for your own personal happiness
• Never forget, that being a pharmacist is a profession that requires professional dedication and diligence; we do not work for the sole purpose of personal fulfillment, we are accountable to the profession at large, to the public, and to the patients we care for