Patrick Ladapo

Patrick Ladapo is an accomplished critical care pharmacist with an impressive list of accolades and experience. He attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, earning his undergraduate degree in chemistry. He was a part of several honor societies due to his high academic standing in his undergraduate studies.

Ladapo took a brief break from his academic studies to pursue his outside interests, including modeling and personal training. However, he later returned to St. Louis College of Pharmacy, where he graduated from their pharmacy program with some of the program’s highest honors. He became the valedictorian, as he had the highest grade point average in his class.

During his time at school, Ladapo earned several coveted awards and scholarships, including:

Pieper Academic Excellence Scholarship (August 2019-July 2020)
Nathan Radar ’24 Scholarship (August 2019-July 2020)
Alumni Award (August 2017-July 2020)
Dean’s List (July 2017-July 2020)
Anna J. Cloughly Memorial Scholarship (August 2018-July 2019)
Robert Hunstock High Proficiency Scholarship (August 2018-July 2019)
Highest Proficiency Scholarship (August 2017-July 2018)
President Merit Award (August 2016-July 2018)

He worked hard in school to maintain these honors and achievements, carrying many of them for several consecutive years.

He was also a member of the Rho Chi Society, a prestigious honor awarded to students in the top 20 percent of their class. Patrick was actively involved in the community during his time in school, participating in many volunteer activities within his field of expertise.

Most recently, he served as a vaccinator and helped prepare COVID vaccines for the community at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy’s UHSP COVID Vaccination Clinic (June-July 2021).

He also acted as a preceptor to P3 students, providing medication recommendations to providers and medication reconciliation to patients at the St. Louis University Health Resource Center Adult Clinic in November 2020 and March 2021.

Other volunteer work he participated in included:

Screening health fair attendees for high blood pressure and educating them on prevention
Providing diet assessments and healthy eating options
Providing education on risk factors and management of prediabetes and diabetes
Educating the community on the importance of medication adherence

He volunteered his services at the Affinia Health Fair (October 2019, November 2019), Outreach and Advocacy Health Fair (November 2018, March 2019), the COGIC Health Fair (November 2018), and S.T.L.C.O.P. Cares (December 2017).

Upon completing his studies, Patrick took a one-year residency program at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, where he put his skills to the test.

In addition to his laudable critical care pharmacy experience, Ladapo is an accomplished track star. He ran the 100m, 200m, and 4 x 100m dash while on the track team at Wake Forest University. He also earned the 60m dash record at the school. He also once won a student talent contest for his presentation in kung fu form.

Patrick is currently available for work for critical care pharmacies in the Springfield area.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

As a chemistry major, I was always fascinated in understanding how things work. As a track athlete, I loved how the human body worked as a functional unit while sprinting. Combining these two passions led me to become a personal trainer after college. I loved working with clients, helping them reach their fitness goals, and explaining how we would challenge the body to reach those endpoints.

While working as a trainer and getting to know my clients, I found myself constantly discussing their fitness health status and pharmaceutical management as it related to our workouts. This triggered much of the love for chemistry I had while in undergrad. I researched these topics on my own and decided to explore this area further. I volunteered at a free clinic in the pharmacy department several weekends. Because I loved this experience, particularly interacting with patients and acquiring pharmaceutical knowledge, I decided to pursue a degree in pharmacy.

Because I’d been out of the classroom for several years, I was concerned I may have forgotten a lot of content. To make up for this, I prioritized my learning and using my resources. I think this also led to my passion for teaching. I was lead tutor for three years in pharmacy school. Since I was on the receiving end of help when I began, I made sure to carry that forward and help others, creating helpful mnemonics and study tips for my classmates. This dedication also helped me receive the excellence scholarship, an award given to the student with the highest grade-point average in their final year.

I wanted to dive deeper into the pharmacy practice after school and chose to do a residency. Immediately drawn to the detailed nature of infectious disease and the life-saving impact critical care has on patients, I specialized in both of these topics. I was fortunate enough to have amazing infectious diseases and critical care rotations, where I saw how these fields incorporated so many other specialties to positively impact patient care. Whether I was recommending to expand coverage on an antibiotic or change the dose on an anticoagulant, I appreciated the ability to contribute to my patient’s care and my team in the such a profound way. That led me to work as a critical care pharmacist and hold a special interest in infectious diseases as well.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day begins with reviewing patient profiles to determine if their medications need to be modified. This may include alternating dosage, changing therapy, or discontinuing a treatment regimen. I frequently perform pharmacokinetic calculations or request blood samples to help make these decisions. Afterward, I round with the medical team to discuss patients and make recommendations based on what I reviewed that morning. The rest of my day consists of putting everything I determined from my reviews and discussions into action. I follow up with the medical team and patient to ensure the treatment plan is put into practice safely and effectively. I’ve found the key to making it productive is keeping an organized to-do list and modifying it constantly to reflect changes and completed projects. I also prioritize crucial tasks to guarantee their completion and constantly check my list to ensure nothing is forgotten.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I don’t know if I have a great answer here, but my practice is trial and error. I have always been fairly creative, but my ideas frequently require testing to come to fruition. This is where trial and error is key. Perhaps the most helpful thing is to not give up. After one iteration of an idea/project/regimen faces a setback, I reanalyze and try to work on ideas that can help it reach the desired outcome.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I’m not sure if this would qualify, but I like intermittent fasting a lot. It’s a simple yet effective way of maintaining your diet, even with a busy lifestyle. The goal of intermittent fasting is to limit your eating during a narrow window during the day. This, in turn, helps lower your baseline insulin levels and causes other metabolic changes that better manage weight and even promote muscle growth.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

One habit that makes me more productive is making and keeping a list. Lists are a great way to stay focused on tasks. They also help me finish assignments that have multiple components. I’ve found the most complicated projects can become much simpler when broken into several parts.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to keep challenging myself. There are multiple times in life when I have allowed myself to become comfortable and complacent, especially if I felt I was good at something or doing well. I would tell my younger self to push even harder during those times and to venture into uncomfortable grounds to help myself grow.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Eating the same thing every day can be delicious! I have a very plain palette and I can eat the same thing over and over without getting tired of it. I don’t if anyone else relates, but once I find a healthy food I love, I’ll eat it every day for years!

What is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

No matter what I’m working on, I find time to stay fit. I think this is the secret to staying healthy, feeling youthful, and avoiding joint pain. It doesn’t have to be extensive; it just needs to be something consistent. I would recommend this to everyone.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your career?

One strategy that has helped me grow my career is always striving to learn more. In my field, there are always new studies coming out and new treatments available for chronic conditions. The only way to stay up to date is to never stop learning and never stop reading. This has helped me expand my career and inspire others to discuss new literature. One of my favorite preceptors once said, “readers are leaders,” and I’ve never forgotten that.

What is one failure you had in your career, and how did you overcome it?

This wasn’t necessarily a failure, but returning to school after a long absence was by far one of the greatest challenges I’ve had to overcome. There was so much information I knew I had forgotten and I hadn’t been in an academic setting for quite some time. To make up for this, I focused intensely on my academics and spent countless hours in the library. This helped a lot. I also utilized tutors and any academic help available. I made the most of the opportunities available and put as much time as possible into catching up. These were the ways I overcame this obstacle.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

One idea would be for an online service for study partners throughout the pandemic. I remember studying for my pharmacy boards during the pandemic and not being able to go to the library. Instead I would have loved if there was an online business allowing you to pair up with people and help hold each other accountable when studying at home.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

The best $100 I recently spent was for an indoor movie projector. It’s fun projecting movies at home and watching them whenever I want. It just makes my apartment feel more fun and welcoming!

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I keep it pretty simple. The only software I use to stay productive is the notepad on my phone. It’s easily accessible and very straightforward.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I would recommend Stephen R. Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” His message isn’t just for success, its for meaning in one’s life. He presents a paradigm shift, one that encompasses time management, proactivity, positive thinking, spiritual life, communication, and many other principles deeply rooted in self-discovery.

What is your favorite quote?

One of my favorite quotes is “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” I’m not sure where it originated, but I like how it places an emphasis on maintaining a sense of virtue in an ever-changing world. There are so many influences trying to sway our thoughts and opinions. Not all are negative, but having a firm sense of what you believe is crucial for seeing clearly and making decisions that align with the virtues you hold dear. I believe we have values we’re willing to stand for. Finding them and holding them dear is the core of this quote.

Key Learnings:

• Lists are a great way to stay focused on tasks. They also help you finish assignments that have multiple components. Often, the most complicated projects can become much simpler when broken into several parts.
• Keep challenging yourself. Don’t allow yourself to become too comfortable and complacent. Instead, venture into uncomfortable grounds to help you grow.
• No matter what you’re working on, find time to stay fit. This is the secret to staying healthy, feeling youthful, and avoiding joint pain. It doesn’t have to be extensive; it just needs to be something consistent.