Two new School of Pharmacy students will have no trouble getting around the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Erie campus now that classes have begun. Matt Madurski and Geri Clark are first-year pharmacy students, but arguably know the school better than any of their classmates. That’s because Madurski and Clark are former LECOM employees who decided to go to LECOM and become pharmacists.

Madurski spent three years at LECOM working in the Communications and Marketing Department. He had a fulfilling career working for newspapers, magazines, and at LECOM, but decided to switch gears. “I felt like I was ready for the next step,” he explained. “Something new. Something challenging. Health care runs in my family.” Madurski’s wife is an optometrist and his mother is a registered nurse.

First-year LECOM School of Pharmacy students Matthew Madurski and Geri Clark used to be LECOM employees.

Madurski said he met many students and faculty members from the pharmacy school during his time at LECOM and asked lots of questions. “They were very encouraging of people who might be looking to experience new things and go into a different direction with their career,” he explained. Following a short break with his family after leaving LECOM in June, Madurski is now ready to take on pharmacy school.

Geri Clark worked at LECOM for six and-a-half years as an administrative assistant for LECOM’s Provost and Senior Vice President, Silvia Ferretti, DO. “She was my primary inspiration,” Clark said on her decision to go back to school. “I had never gone to college before working here. Dr. Silvia made it easy for me to continue working while I completed my undergraduate credits so I could attend pharmacy school.” Clark worked full-time at LECOM while attending Edinboro and Gannon Universities part-time. It took her four years to earn the 60 credits she needed to get into the LECOM School of Pharmacy.

Clark looked around the campus and received additional inspiration from the young pharmacy students in the hallways, classrooms, and laboratories. “I thought to myself, if they can do it, I know I can do it.”

Clark is upbeat about starting school. She’s passed the half-way point of achieving her goal of becoming a pharmacist. She has an 11-year-old son and believes making sacrifices now will be worth it in the future. “Missing a couple of football games or practices now will pay off later,” Clark said. “When he’s a teenager, and I think it’s more important that a parent be there, I’ll be able to work part-time.”

Christ United Methodist Church at West 32nd Street and Zuck Road posted this message to LECOM students. Pastor Michelle Wobrak said about a half-dozen LECOM students regularly attend their services. She believes others may be looking for a congregation like hers. “Just to have a welcoming place,” Wobrak said. “A place where they can have their spirits refreshed and know that they have a supportive community. A home away from home.”

The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and LECOM School of Pharmacy offer innovative and affordable education in osteopathic medicine and pharmacy. From campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, Greensburg, Pennsylvania and Bradenton, Florida, LECOM provides student-centered pathways to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals. Prepare yourself for medicine as your life’s profession.