And it’s a wrap for Deaf Hub Vital Signs 2024! It was a pleasure to host Dr. Ashley Walker for her presentation describing her academic and professional pathway toward becoming a Black Deaf pharmacist.
The Deaf Hub Vital Signs Lecture Series is an annual event that features a BIPOC or female healthcare professional with hearing loss. We invite these professionals to interact with students and share their academic and professional journeys at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Rochester School for the Deaf (RSD). The guest presenter shares their experiences, from embarking on their academic journey to obtaining a healthcare degree. Dr. Walker is our 2024 Vital Signs presenter, returning to her alma mater, RIT, to impart her wisdom.
As the Vital Signs event came to a close, we asked Dr. Walker to share her experience of her tour at RSD and RIT.
Ashley Walker, PharmD
Dr. Walker is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and an advocate.
Ashley Walker holds a doctor of pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana after graduating from RIT with a bachelor of science in biotechnology. After being a pharmacist for seven years, she became a full-time entrepreneur, which led to the birth of her business, Med Max Consulting, LLC. Her experience in retail pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, home infusion pharmacy, and long-term care pharmacy allows her to advocate for members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community as well as offer medical counseling services in helping this unique community maximize and optimize their medication therapy.
1. Can you share your reflections as a Vital Signs guest presenter?
Being invited to be a Vital Signs guest presenter was really a full circle moment for me. RIT/NTID enriched my life so much during my years here as a student, and had a huge helping hand in preparing me for life beyond college. Being able to come back to the very school I graduated from to share my journey was a sweet way of saying thanks and also provided an opportunity to give back to the RIT/NTID community.
2. What insights, if any, did you gain from your interactions with RSD and NTID individuals during your visit?
The insights I gained from my interactions with the RSD students was really heartwarming. Their curiosity about science in general is exciting. The questions that were asked and the attentiveness that was present during my time with them shows me that children are still hungry for science. It is my hope that they will continue to ask questions as they learn more. Being around NTID students really showed me that support is there. Support to do whatever they want to do. Support to carry out the dreams they want to bring into reality.
2a. You mentioned the curiosity of RSD students about science. Can you share any specific questions they asked that stood out to you, and how did you respond to them?
The questions that stood out the most to me were the questions surrounding the how and why of things science related. For example, one student asked how water can be so dangerous to the body while at the same time it’s something we need to survive. Anything in excess is dangerous to our bodies. Drinking too much water can cause havoc on our body’s homeostatic state such as causing over dilution of electrolytes as well as overwhelming the kidneys.
3. What was the most memorable part of your visit? Why did this movement resonate with you?
The most memorable part for me was really seeing old faces and meeting new faces. Having conversations with the new individuals I met really resonated with me. One in particular is Mariam Paracha. She is actually the only other pharmacist I have met in the physical sense. Hearing her story about her own journey through pharmacy school and post pharmacy school really resonated with me because it is similar to my own. It goes on to show that even though we may not be where we want to be, doors that we never imagined being open to us are opening for the greater good. She’s a beautiful example of that. Also, seeing Deaf Hub in action was mind boggling. The research and the developments that are happening…I wish I could be a part of it because I know it WILL be very impactful to those who use it.
