In all his roles—teacher, pharmacist, mentor—Rajul Arvind Patel ’01, ’06, PharmD, PhD, professor of pharmacy practice, strives to foster genuine, meaningful interactions.

“Knowledge is only power if you can impart that knowledge and affect change—I think that’s built on trust,” said Dr. Patel.

He is humbled to have been selected by doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) graduates as the 2025 Teacher of the Year.

“For students to recognize me as having played a meaningful role in their educational journey means a lot,” he said.

Dr. Patel has earned a reputation at Pacific as an architect of innovative educational programs. His vision for the Medicare Part D Outreach Clinics has assisted 12,765 beneficiaries since 2007, helping them save an estimated $13.9 million in out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses. His efforts brought to fruition Pacific’s Diabetes Care Clinics, made possible by a partnership with the Abbott Fund’s Future Well™ Communities program. In 2023, he was instrumental in launching Rx for Success, a first-of-its-kind licensure exam preparation program. The immersive program helped the Class of 2023 achieve the highest passage rate in California on the national pharmacist licensure exam.

As an educator, he shares his expectations for his students—and himself. Alumni and students who have interacted with Dr. Patel are familiar with his five pillars of success: hard work, attention to detail, empathy, humility and having fun.

Levity is a key component of the enduring success of the Medicare health care outreach program. For the past twelve years a unique event has brought together three classes of PharmD students who participated in the Medicare elective. Credit for the idea of the Roast n’ Toast belongs to his wife, Annie Patel ’01, ’04, PharmD, PhD. Each year the event features a theme; this year’s theme is summer camp. The Medicare team also host optional social events throughout the year to promote team bonding.

Dr. Patel strategically encourages students to expand their network. At the start of the semester, students are given a “seating passport” containing the names of all the students in the course—the goal is to sit with at least 25 different people over the course of the semester. Further, he pairs students with different peers at Medicare health fairs and during class subcommittees.

Every year during the Medicare open enrollment season, Pacific hosts an average of 12 Medicare Part D Outreach Clinic events throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area. At the events, PharmD students, under the supervision of licensed pharmacists, work in pairs to assess beneficiaries’ medications and help them select an optimal Part D plan.

“They never get to work with same partner twice because I want them to increase their friend circle and make new connections,” Dr. Patel said. “I think if you know the person and respect them, everyone is willing to work a little bit harder or help people who might need support.”

Reflecting on nearly 20 years at Pacific, he shared, “One of my proudest accomplishments is getting to know so many students as more than a face in the crowd and building lasting, meaningful relationships that continue after graduation.”

He is also appreciative of the external funding he has been able to secure and how that allows students experiential opportunities while helping better serve the health care needs of the community. Last fiscal year alone, Pacific received $570,000 to support the Diabetes Care Clinics and over $145,000 to support the Medicare program.