Alumni Spotlight: Kaitlin Larson, PharmD ‘25, Pediatric Pharmacist
After completing her residency with Children’s Wisconsin in June 2026, Kaitlin Larson, PharmD ‘25 has accepted a full-time role as a pediatric pharmacist on the overnight shift. She says this practice setting, in which she will staff both the pediatric ICU and emergency departments, became her career goal due to the urgent need and various conditions that are seen – from ingestion or breathing emergencies, to motor vehicle crash injuries or gunshot wounds.
“I really love the rush of adrenaline when I’m preparing emergency medications,” said Dr. Larson. “It’s exciting for me to be able to contribute positively with medications, whether that’s taking a child out of their seizure, helping with their breathing or whatever the case may be.”
Dr. Larson completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in December 2021 and was part of the pre-pharmacy club. She said she chose to pursue her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin due to the small class sizes, where she could build one-on-one connections with professors and build closer relationships with classmates.
As her career goals evolved and focused on pediatric pharmacy, she realized the value of MCW’s close partnership with Children’s Wisconsin, including its adjacent location (and skywalk connection), plus having a practicing pediatric pharmacist on MCW’s faculty.
Participating in the Longitudinal Advanced Pharmacy Practices (LAPPE) program allowed Dr. Larson to spend 70 percent of her third-year clinical rotations at Children’s Wisconsin and to get involved with research there.
“The kids are resilient – they're fighters,” said Dr. Larson. “It brings me so much joy to interact with them and see them progress from the ICU to acute care and eventually going home. To me, that is everything.”
As a student, Dr. Larson worked with Jesse Cramer, PharmD, BCPPS, a dual-appointed MCW clinical assistant professor and clinical pharmacy manager at Children’s, to review the efficacy and implementation of the sedation weaning process for children who were exposed to scheduled medications for at least five days. Drs. Larson and Cramer investigated safely weaning children off these medications – which are harmful for neurodevelopment – while minimizing withdrawal symptoms.
“Learning to care for children is such a small part of the pharmacy curriculum, so MCW sharing a campus with Children’s Wisconsin – the only standalone children’s hospital in the state – opens a lot of doors,” says Dr. Larson. “Being able to learn directly from a practicing pediatric pharmacist, who happens to work in a building connected to your school where you can see patients and easily shadow them, is a great opportunity.”
Upon earning her PharmD from MCW in May 2025, Dr. Larson became a resident pharmacist at Children’s Wisconsin. During the second half of her residency, she prepared to transition to the overnight pharmacist role, where there are two pharmacists covering the whole hospital.
For those considering whether pediatric pharmacy may be the right fit for them, Dr. Larson recommended it to anyone who enjoys the constant pursuit of knowledge.
“You’re reading primary literature and going through a scientific trial-and-error process to deliver the best possible care to the child,” explained Dr. Larson. “You’re operating in the art of science, where fewer guidelines exist for pediatric patients, compared to the adult practice setting where the science is more black-and-white.”
Second, she advised that choosing a pharmacy career path involves knowing your own limits.
“I don’t have a lot of extended family left anymore, so I knew working with sick adults would weigh heavily on me mentally,” explained Dr. Larson. “The resiliency of kids makes me excited to work in the pediatric ICU. I know I’m making a positive impact, and that helps me avoid getting caught up in feeling sad about the circumstances patients are in.”
Finally, a major benefit leading Dr. Larson to endorse a pharmacy career in general is the pharmacist’s autonomy to make medication recommendations that are valued by the rest of the healthcare team. “A lot of times, the provider may go with my recommendation for the drug or dose – or we’ll communicate about why a compromise is needed. That’s a unique privilege, especially for inpatient pharmacy.”