Captain Joel Engle, PharmD, is a South Dakota native, currently living and working in Sioux Falls. His primary employer for the last decade has been Medvantx, Inc., a leading provider of ecommerce pharmacy and final-mile delivery solutions. His positions with Medvantx have spanned from Staff Pharmacist to his current role as Pharmacist-in-Charge, and despite his busy schedule, Dr. Engle has also maintained a career as a medical officer for the Army National Guard.
A Dual Calling
Patriotism is a core value for Engle, who knew from a young age he wanted to join the armed services. “I’ve always wanted to work in the military. I’ve always had a passion to serve the country,” Engle says.
That passion led Engle to joining the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) while he was in pharmacy school at South Dakota State University. When Engle graduated with his Doctor of Pharmacy, he commissioned as an officer in the Army National Guard and simultaneously started his career at Medvantx. Engle currently serves roughly one weekend a month and two weeks a year with the Guard hopes to promote to Major next year while maintaining his role as a pharmacist.
Parallel Paths
Going back and forth between jobs has often been beneficial to Engle. “I think my roles have been very complimentary. I’ve learned a lot in both jobs,” Engle explains.
He’s found that his experience as an officer has provided great real-world leadership training while working at Medvantx. Perhaps surprisingly, he’s also used his pharmacy experience with the Army National Guard. He’s frequently given examples from his pharmacy experience to help demonstrate processes to his military coworkers. By learning from both roles and sharing his knowledge, Engle is stronger in both.
The Right Corporate Home
Since graduating pharmacy school, Engle has been happy to work for Medvantx, and hasn’t had any desire to leave. “Overall, they’ve been great with flexibility,” he notes. His military service hasn’t impacted his career or ability to grow within the company and he’s felt top-down support
Engle also notes that he’s not the sole military service member on his team. He’s currently backfilling a role for one of his colleagues who is deployed with the Montana Air National Guard.
Medvantx for Veterans
As a company, Medvantx values the expertise and experience of those who serve in the armed forces. Chief Executive Officer Prasanna Parthasarathy says it best: “We are proud to hire veterans who embody the service mindset we aim to demonstrate with the patient populations we care for.”
Medvantx, Inc., a non-commercial pharmacy committed to Advancing Access to Care Every Day.
