PharmD student Rayna Cortina turns laboratory experience into path to patient care
Rayna Cortina is a UNT Health PharmD student.
Before Rayna Cortina ever put on a pharmacy student’s white coat, she spent nearly five years working behind the scenes to help ensure medications were safe, effective and consistent.
As a laboratory technician and later a chemist at a contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organization, Cortina tested everything from commonly prescribed medications to controlled substances. The work gave her a deep appreciation for the science behind every pill — but it also helped her realize that she wanted to take that knowledge beyond the laboratory and use it to help patients directly.
This fall, Cortina is taking the next step toward that goal as an incoming Doctor of Pharmacy student at UNT Health Fort Worth.
“As much as I love the science and working in the lab, I realized I wanted to bring that knowledge to the front line and help patients directly,” Cortina said. “I want to answer their questions and guide them while fully understanding what went into making their medications safe.”
Rayna Cortina in a hazmat suit while working in the lab
Discovering a new path through pharmaceutical science
Cortina did not always plan to become a pharmacist. Her interest in math and science initially led her to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from UNT Health. After graduating, she advanced from laboratory technician to Chemist I in a pharmaceutical quality-control laboratory.
Working under strict U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration guidelines, Cortina tested pharmaceutical ingredients, raw materials and finished products. Her work included UV-visible and infrared spectroscopy, dissolution testing, pH measurement, refractive index, viscosity and identification assays. Each test helped confirm that a product met precise safety and quality standards before reaching consumers.
One assignment in particular changed the direction of her career.
During dissolution testing, medications are placed in controlled fluid environments designed to mimic conditions in the human digestive system. The test measures how quickly and effectively a solid medication dissolves. Learning how the process related to pharmacokinetics — the way the body absorbs and processes medications — sparked Cortina’s interest in pharmacy.
Her work also revealed how much care goes into details patients may rarely consider, including a medication’s expiration date. Cortina supported stability testing by retrieving samples stored in specialized chambers at intervals of three, six, nine or 12 months. Those samples were then tested to confirm that the medications remained safe, effective and consistent throughout their shelf life.
“Patients might not always realize it, but an incredible amount of care and precision goes into every single detail behind their medications,” she said.
Although Cortina enjoyed the science, she missed interacting with people. Before beginning her laboratory career, she had worked in customer-service roles as a server, bartender and guest advocate. Pharmacy offered the combination she was looking for: technical knowledge, scientific discovery and the opportunity to support people face-to-face.
“There’s a special kind of reward in helping someone directly,” Cortina said. “I want to bring that same level of care and service into healthcare.”
Building on her UNT Health experience
Cortina first discovered UNT Health after moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and searching for a program that aligned with her career goals. She was drawn to the university’s welcoming environment, flexibility and interprofessional approach to health education.
“Having various health professions learning and collaborating on the same campus seemed invaluable,” she said. “UNT Health offered something other schools at the time didn’t have — real-world team dynamics that would help prepare students for modern practice.”
Her positive experience in the biomedical sciences program made returning for pharmacy school feel like a natural next step. Before beginning the PharmD program, she attended a UNT Health Pharmacy Preview Day and completed the university’s Pharmacy Technician Preparation Course.
The course introduced her to pharmacology, pharmacy law and pharmacy workflows while preparing her to earn her pharmacy technician license. It also connected her with Dr. Jennifer Fix, a faculty member she will encounter again in the PharmD program. Cortina hopes the credential will allow her to work part time or as needed during pharmacy school, helping support her education while gaining experience outside the classroom.
As she begins the program, Cortina is especially looking forward to clinical shadowing, collaborating with students in other health professions and meeting her classmates. Her long-term goal is to combine her laboratory background with clinical care through clinical research and drug development while continuing to work directly with patients.
“I want to be someone patients feel comfortable coming to for clear, honest advice and affordable treatment options,” she said.
A father’s encouragement
Cortina credits her father, Robert Cortina, with helping her recognize that pharmacy could bring together her scientific experience and desire to serve patients.
“I saw how much Rayna enjoyed working in the pharmaceutical lab and how strongly she wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” Robert said. “I encouraged her to learn more about clinical pharmacy and explained how the work she was already doing could help prepare her for the field. I told her to research UNT Health’s pharmacy program and apply if she felt it was the right path. She took my advice, and I’m incredibly proud to see her begin this journey as a pharmacy student.”
He was navigating his own UNT Health application at the time. Cortina’s father was accepted into the MSN in Nursing Practice Innovation program in summer 2025 and began taking classes part time that fall. With Robert graduating in 2028 and Rayne expected to graduate in 2030, UNT Health has become part of a journey that now both father and daughter share.
“More than anything, he has always made it clear to me that he believes in me,” Cortina said. “For that, I am extremely grateful.”
Her father was among those she thought of as she received her white coat and formally began her pharmacy education. For Cortina, the ceremony represented more than an academic milestone.
“To me, it feels like a promise — a promise to myself, my family and the patients I’m going to care for,” she said. “It’s a commitment to pour everything I have into the next four years so that I can truly make a difference in health care when I walk out. It’s also a moment to pause and be proud of the path I took that got me here.”