Dao brings passion for people, pharmacy to residency

When Lucas Dao arrived in South Dakota for his pharmacy residency, he brought more than a desire to grow his skills with him. He also brought a lifelong love of connecting with people, a passion for community pharmacy, a gaming setup and a newly adopted cat.

Dao joined the SDSU Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program in June, shortly after earning his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. Originally from Rockford, Illinois, he completed his undergraduate studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville before returning home to attend pharmacy school at UIC's Rockford campus.

Dao's interest in pharmacy was spurred by his uncle during a conversation they had while Dao was in high school. 

While visiting family in Kansas, his uncle asked what he wanted to do after school. Dao knew he was interested in science but was still exploring his options. His uncle suggested looking into pharmacy and connected him with family members who were pharmacists. After speaking with his aunt about the profession, Dao decided to pursue pharmacy and never looked back.

Although he entered pharmacy school knowing he wanted to be a pharmacist, it took time to discover exactly what kind of pharmacist he wanted to become.

"Honestly, I didn't really know what I wanted to do until my P4 year," he said, referring to the year he did his clinical rotation. An ambulatory care rotation helped him realize his true interests lay elsewhere.

"After the end of my ambulatory rotation, I realized I really like community care," he said. " I like having face-to-face interactions because you really get to know your patients after seeing them and getting to know their life stories."

That realization led him to SDSU. During the residency "scramble" process, he was contacted by residency program director Jodi Heins, who encouraged him to learn more about SDSU's residency opportunity. After exploring the opportunity, he found the program aligned closely with his personal and professional interests.

As a resident, Dao expects to spend most of his time in community pharmacy practice while also gaining experience in academia through teaching and clinic activities. Looking ahead, he hopes the residency will help him develop into the kind of pharmacist patients actively seek out and trust.

Dao describes himself as someone who genuinely enjoys meeting and talking with people.

"I really like talking to people, especially new people," he said. "If you have the chance to talk to me, just please send me a message, or just come say hi."

He also enjoys video games and describes himself as "kind of a nerd," playing a wide variety of games rather than focusing on a single genre. And then there is his newest companion: a recently adopted cat. Growing up, Dao always wanted a pet. After moving out on his own, he finally decided it was time.

As he settles into residency life in Sioux Falls and begins teaching and clinical experiences in Brookings, Dao is looking forward to learning, growing and building connections across the SDSU community.

For those who have not met him yet, his invitation is simple: stop by and say hello. Chances are he will be happy to start a conversation.