I believe that God does not always lead us on the most direct path in life. He does this to prepare us to do His work. It sure feels that way sometimes with me.
I am a veteran of two wars. First, I was a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy stationed with the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War; and, second I was a pharmacist in the U.S. Air Force during Desert Shield/Storm. (By the way, it was during my deployment I met my wife, Mary Ann, who was a nurse in the U.S. Air Force.) As a Lieutenant Colonel, I most recently served as a U.S. Air Force reserve officer attached to the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, until my honorable retirement from the military.
I have taught numerous pharmacy administration courses and also provided advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) for Doctor of Pharmacy students. The APPEs have focused on innovative research involving medication safety and the optimization of medication therapies. I’ve been very fortunate to have co-authored a textbook published by CRC Press entitled “PharmacoEthics A Problem Based Approach.”
My wife and I are blessed with a young teenage boy. Most of my spare time is spent with family activities that in turn revolve around what my son is doing. So, there are a fair amount of Boy Scout activities, a lot of sports (most notably baseball and soccer,) and weekly church-related activities (e.g., Confirmation.) I also really enjoy being the leader of the Health and Wellness Ministry at our local church and working with good people both in our own church and other churches to improve the mind, body, and spirit of our communities here in western New York.
David Gettman, PhD
Professor; Director of Assessment
D'Youville College School of Pharmacy