Today, not only have they found their professional direction as students at Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) but both have been inducted into the Rho Chi Society, the international honor society for pharmaceutical sciences. Their selection to the Rho Chi Society, which recognizes students in the top 20% of their class, reflects not only academic achievement but also the journeys that led them to TCOP and helped shape their goals.

Academic Excellence Recognized

For both students, induction into Rho Chi represents a meaningful milestone and validation of their hard work. “It’s definitely very exciting,” Koyfman said. “It’s a very prestigious honor in the pharmacy world.”

Ballen agreed, noting that many members share similar qualities beyond strong grades. “You can see that the people who get involved, ask questions and take leadership roles are the ones who excel,” she said.

A Shift to Pharmacy

Ballen’s path to pharmacy began in an entirely different field. Initially pursuing computer programming at Lander College of Arts & Sciences — Touro’s Flatbush campus, she interned as a data analyst at a pharmaceutical research company where her interests began to shift.

“I always thought a pharmacy career meant working in retail drug stores,” Ballen said. “But being at the pharmaceutical company opened my eyes to a whole other side of pharmacy, that it’s a field with diverse options like developing drugs and being part of a hospital medical team versus just counting out pills. That’s when I decided to change what I was going for.”

After completing prerequisite science courses, Ballen applied to various pharmacy schools, ultimately deciding on TCOP for several practical reasons, including its in-person format and a schedule that aligned with her observance of the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays. She was also impressed by TCOP students’ performance on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). “The strong NAPLEX scores made me enthusiastic about continuing there,” she said.

A Clear Direction

A graduate of Touro University’s Lander College for Women, Koyfman was searching for a career in medicine, but didn’t know which area. She settled on TCOP after learning how clinical pharmacists are part of the medical team in hospitals.

“You’re known as the medication expert among the medical team,” she said. “The doctors are looking at the overall medical condition of the patient while the pharmacist focuses on specific details in order to recommend the safest, most effective treatment and doses.”

Koyfman was also drawn to TCOP because it provides an additional semester of rotations beyond what other pharmacy schools offer. “That extra semester gives us so much more experience and lets us explore what we enjoy,” she said.

Rigorous, Supportive Program

Both students credited TCOP’s curriculum with helping prepare them for both professional success and the Rho Chi recognition. The program’s structure, which revisits topics across multiple courses, reinforces learning and builds long-term understanding.

“We learn a topic in pathophysiology, then again in pharmacology, then again in therapeutics,” Koyfman said. “By the end, you’ve seen it multiple times and really know it.”

Ballen pointed to the accessibility of the faculty. “You can always reach out to teachers, and we’re still connected to them during rotations,” she said.

From unexpected beginnings to academic recognition, Ballen and Koyfman’s journeys reflect how finding the right program can transform uncertainty into purpose, and achievement into opportunity.