Zachary Abe makes quick switch from California to Binghamton

For someone who had planned to attend a pharmacy school close to home — in California — it’s surprising to find Zachary Abe in his first year as a student at Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

But Abe’s false start in California, though no fault of his own, has been Binghamton’s gain.

After working in a retail pharmacy for several years and becoming a Certified Pharmacy Technician, Abe spent two years working in the pharmacy at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, while earning his undergraduate degree in chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry from California State University, Bakersfield.

“I always wanted to pharmacy school since was about 5,” he said. “I have family members in pharmacy, they’re well-respected in their community and financially stable. It wasn’t until I actually got a job that opened my eyes and let me see what they actually did in their care for patients and their knowledge.”

So Abe applied to a number of pharmacy schools, including Binghamton, but he declined Binghamton’s interview and chose instead to enroll at Clovis Pharmacy School, California Health Sciences University, which opened in 2014 and is only two hours from his home. His plans were set.

Then, during his P1 orientation, he and 43 other incoming students learned that Clovis had failed to meet its accreditation requirements and would not be allowed to enroll new students.

He was at a loss.

“I didn’t know what to do,” he said, “so I reached out to Rachael [Perry] and explained my circumstances, telling her I wanted to see if I can get into this year’s cohort. She got right back to me and set up an interview for Friday that same week.

“It was a good interview,” Abe said. “It gave me a lot of information about the school and it set me at ease and I knew God had a plan. It was such a seamless transition from being kicked out of my school and being accepted. It worked perfectly.”

But Abe still had to wait over a weekend to learn whether he could be part of Binghamton’s Doctor of Pharmacy Class of 2024. “Those three days were really stressful, but I got the email and was so ecstatic that I got accepted,” Abe said. “Rachael said to get here as fast as you can, so I talked to my parents and they said it’s the ‘best option and you have to go,’ so I packed up my carry-on and backpack and got here Aug. 21!”

Abe made it to Binghamton in time for the White Coat Ceremony, but was still quarantining in his apartment since California is a quarantine-restricted state. He watched the livestreamed ceremony — as did his parents — and heard his name announced, then donned his coat himself with the help of a P2 student.

“At the pharmacy school we have big sibs, and mine [Joe D’Antonio] actually lives in the same building as me,” Abe said. “He went to the school and grabbed my white coat and handed it to me and said congratulations, and I read the oath and we lit candles.”

Being so far from home is different, Abe said. He misses his family, but knows this is the best opportunity for him, his career and for him to explore living on his own as he determines which pharmacy career path to follow.