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An interview with Dr. Jake Thiessen part two
Another distinctive feature of the school will be its Medicine Garden. Tell us about that.
Dr. Thiessen: “Our facility will be developed in a number of phases. One of our later phases, a stunning glass atrium, will feature the Medicine Garden. The idea for the garden came while brainstorming about our new building’s design with the architects. I mentioned that more than 50% of modern medicines have their origin in the natural (plant) world, and the idea was born and grew from there. We thought, why not bring a transformative image of healing to this site, formerly a warehouse district occupied by businesses such as a tire and rubber company. In addition to giving an image of life and healing, we might even cultivate some of the important medicinal plants. It could become a wonderful way for students to research the plants first hand. Also, if shaped the right way, it could be an attraction for the community, and become an educational tool for children – our future Pharmacists -- who want to learn more about the field. As conceived, we feel this Medicine Garden will become a signature feature of the School, and we’re very excited about it.”
Why do you feel the time is right for a Pharmacy school like this?
Dr. Thiessen: “Pharmacy faces a significant manpower shortage, even though it continues to gain prominence as a profession. One might even think that it is really coming into its own. Many cities and universities are investing heavily in Pharmacy education; drugs represent an ever-growing portion of health care costs in Canada – currently about 17%. There is no question in my mind that well-trained Pharmacists can help manage these drugs more effectively, whether you’re talking about controlling costs, finding new and better drugs, or simply giving superior patient care. I have often proposed that Pharmacists can be the “chemical quarterbacks” in health care – the individuals who orchestrate and optimize therapy on the real playing field. The world is crying out for people who understand and can make sound decisions in the midst of biology, the role of disease, consumer choices, medicines, etc. And the need for such a person can hardly be denied. In the United States alone, problems with pharmaceuticals -- adverse drug reactions, the use of inappropriate meds, etc. -- cost up to $100 billion a year. It’s not that the medicines are bad, it’s that we need better-trained people to manage them. It’s like a car; cars are good, but when people don’t know how to operate them properly you have problems. And with an aging population these medicines will be even more in demand in the future.”
I’ve heard you say that the philosophy of the school will be “of the community.” Can you expand on that theme?
Dr. Thiessen: “This School will not have a moat around it. It’s really an inherent value or attitude, undoubtedly shaped by its beginning, including the role played by the people of Kitchener. Fundamentally, whether we are dealing with research, innovations, or our students, we will be engaged with people, business, systems and governments. As an illustration, we are bringing Community Service learning into our program, to help our students see the real world, to experience the trauma and difficulties people face in the community. In Europe there is a program where students are put into teams and sent out to places like prisons and halfway houses to investigate food quality, inmate care, etc. We’re making community service an integral part of our program. The heartbeat of the community is becoming the heartbeat of the school. The community is the fabric of this place.”
Many academic facilities consider business to be a dirty word. You don’t see it that way, do you?
Dr. Thiessen: “Look, Waterloo University was founded by entrepreneurs, by business people. It’s one of the few places where discoveries are owned by the investigators – the university owns nothing. UW is very keen to see people take any discoveries they make and translate them into business. So when I hire faculty they will know that we will support them in going out and commercializing their discoveries. We embrace business. Practically, this will also include Pharmacy’s business.”