Since graduating with his Doctor of Pharmacy in 2019, Dr. John Andraos has merged his passions for teaching and patient care. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor at Western University College of Pharmacy, Dr. Andraos was part of the inaugural APEx program before bridging into CUSP for his Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Dr. Andraos initially pursued a career as a pharmacist to help patients, but always admired his mother’s work as a teacher growing up. “Once I started pharmacy school and found out our teachers also had clinic sites, I realized that it was something that I could also do and began working towards that.”

After graduation, he completed residencies at Cedars-Sinai Medical Network/Chapman University School of Pharmacy, completing both PGY1 and PGY2 with a focus on ambulatory care and academia. As he grew further into his career, he earned several recognitions including the CSHP Innovating Pharmacy Practice Award and CUSP Resident Teacher of the Year Award. 

His foundational knowledge and experience built through Chapman University was the key to his early success and provided him with a wide variety of opportunities to get involved in leadership, research, and a variety of educational pursuits. 

Dr. Andraos recalls two notable research projects he participated in during his time at CUSP, one of which studied pharmacists’ perception on social media and the second being an educational review the Shingrix vaccine for pharmacists preparing to give it to patients. “Both of these were smaller projects that I was lucky enough to be a part of, however, they became very beneficial because it allowed me to go through the research process and prepare for bigger projects later.” His advice when it comes to research? “Don’t be picky early on in your research. Gain the experience and you’ll be more valuable in the future.” 

CUSP faculty played a large role in influencing the trajectory of Dr. Andraos’s career by nurturing his interests and providing opportunities for growth. “Dr. Bethishou made a huge influence on me pursuing academia and ambulatory care. I had already known I wanted to pursue it, but she provided me multiple opportunities, from including me on research to allowing me to shadow her. Drs. Fong and Yamaki also did a lot to prepare me during rotations and gave me opportunities to practice my literature analyses and teaching.”

In an unexpected turn, his high-level of involvement as a student brought him close to a fellow student, Alexa. Although they had met briefly during their time at Chapman’s Orange campus, they became close through classes, student organizations, and rotations and began dating. Now married with a newborn, John and Alexa foster a supportive partnership both academically and personally.

“Both of us have a strong work ethic which led to us working very well together during class, during clinical skills competition, and during research endeavors.” “We ask each other work-related questions frequently, and now in marriage and raising a baby. It’s awesome having someone that you can work so well with also doing life with you together.”

Today, Dr. Andraos works with future pharmacists at Western University College of Pharmacy. His journey of mentorship, experiential learning, and the integration of academia with real-world practice laid the groundwork for his achievements in pharmacy education and practice.