"Both academia and antimicrobial stewardship are fields that are ever-changing..."
Carolina will always be 'home' for alumna Montgomery Williams Green (2009 Pharm.D.), a native of Sumter. Currently an associate professor at Belmont University and pharmacy chair of a nationally-recognized Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Tennessee, she credits the top-tier pharmacy education she received at UofSC with helping her achieve it all.
Tell us about what you do:
I am beginning my twelfth year of teaching pharmacy students at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. My focus areas are internal medicine and antimicrobial stewardship. In the classroom, I teach a portion of the Infectious Disease lectures in Pathophysiology and Therapeutics II and facilitate small groups in our Therapeutics Case Studies course. I also teach electives in Antimicrobial Stewardship and Academia.
My practice site is at Williamson Medical Center which is a medium-sized community hospital south of Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee. At WMC, I work in conjunction with the hospitalist physician group and serve as the pharmacy chair for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. I also serve as a preceptor for APPE students and PGY1 pharmacy residents. Our Antimicrobial Stewardship Program has been nationally recognized for innovative work in a community hospital setting.
How did you originally get interested in your field?
I became interested in Academia during my APPE rotation with Dr. LeAnn Norris ('04). I enjoyed the ability to care for patients and also apply those experiences in patient care while teaching in the classroom. The dynamic nature of the position was so exciting to me. I was originally interested in oncology as a specialty (thanks to Dr. Norris!) but found a passion in internal medicine during my residency. I was always interested in infectious disease but began focusing in it further once I began working at WMC.
In 2010, I asked to join the critical care pharmacist and an ID physician at one of their meetings discussing patients’ antibiotics. From there, our antimicrobial stewardship program was born. I thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative nature of the team and sought further education on the topic of antibiotic stewardship independently and through mentors.
Both academia and antimicrobial stewardship are fields that are ever-changing and require continuous study and adapting, which makes them both exciting and challenging to me!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Meteorologist or a chef. During pharmacy school I spent a summer in Italy at a cooking school and loved every minute. I would never make it as a chef in a professional kitchen (my knife skills aren’t the greatest), but I do love to cook. Meteorology has always fascinated me, and I am a bit of a local news junkie.
Why did you choose the University of South Carolina?
Carolina is home to me. Everyone in my family has a degree from UofSC, and going to college there was on the top of my list since I can remember. I grew up going to Williams Brice and the Coliseum. Being able to stay at UofSC for undergraduate and pharmacy school was the best. The College of Pharmacy made the large university feel small and personal. I know that the pharmacy education that I received at UofSC is a top-tier education and allowed me to achieve all that I have in my career.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Professionally, developing the Middle Tennessee Antimicrobial Stewardship Symposium has been one of my greatest achievements. The Symposium was born out of a desire to gather practitioners in the Middle Tennessee area together to discuss various initiatives and challenges surrounding antimicrobial stewardship and learn from each other about new and innovative ways to meet those challenges. We held our 5th annual symposium this year (virtually due to the pandemic) and have welcomed attendees from across the Southeast and nation. The daylong symposium features speakers on various timely antimicrobial stewardship topics and roundtable sessions in the afternoon where attendees are able to meet together to discuss “boots on the ground” stewardship initiatives.
Teaching pharmacy students is also incredibly rewarding. Seeing students progress from their first year in the program through graduation and often on to residency is fulfilling. I have had the privilege of precepting several Belmont graduates during their residency at WMC.
What do you do to relax?
Hang out with my 9 month old son, Wills, and my husband, Ecton. Watching Wills discover the world around him is so much fun. I also love to cook and take walks around the neighborhood with our two dogs, Dotty and Max. There are so many great restaurants in Nashville and trying new restaurants is always fun!
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Trusting in God and the process and knowing that everything happens for a reason and leads you to where you should be.
Who has been a mentor to you?
Dr. Kristi Kuper has been one of my greatest professional mentors. We met each other when I first began working at Belmont and Williamson Medical Center. She was working at VHA at the time and had a passion for infectious disease and antimicrobial stewardship. Although she was living in Houston and me in Nashville, we connected professionally and personally. She has provided me with invaluable advice throughout the years!
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
My grandfather (who graduated from the UofSC College of Pharmacy in 1943), Ted Lasso, and Hoda Kotb.
What would your superpower be?
Teleporting so I could get to my family and South Carolina (especially Pawleys Island and Carolina games) any time I want!
What is top on your bucket list?
Traveling! It is one of the things I have missed the most during the pandemic. We had a trip scheduled to visit my cousin in Sicily that we had to cancel unfortunately. I am hoping to get that back on the books as soon as possible.
What is your favorite memory from pharmacy school at the University of South Carolina?
I fondly remember walking across campus and grabbing a Daily Gamecock on the way to class each day, but my favorite memory is our graduation party at Jakes where we got to celebrate with several faculty members and the Dean.
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