Whether you’re a student or a teacher, learning new skills takes practice. Donald Miller, professor of pharmacy practice in NDSU’s College of Health Professions, says his experience in competitive ballroom dancing helps him better understand what pharmacy students experience as they try to learn new and unfamiliar skills. 

Miller is featured in “Dancing Helps Improve Pharmacist’s Teaching Skills,” published in The Rheumatologist. He says competitive ballroom dancing has helped him become a better teacher—since building new skills takes practice and commitment—qualities students also need to succeed in a clinical environment. 

Dr. Miller and his wife, Joan, earned a spot to compete in the USA Dance National amateur ballroom dancing championships in Baltimore in April. Miller also serves as advisor to students in NDSU’s Ballroom Dance Club. 

Miller says he wasn’t a natural on the dance floor when he began taking lessons shortly after he began teaching at NDSU in 1979.  He entered his first dance competition in 1983, and made the commitment to polish his skills through weekly dance lessons in Minneapolis. The ballroom also gave him an opportunity to meet his wife, Joan, who is his competitive ballroom dance partner and previously served as a chief master sergeant (ret.) in the Air National Guard. 

Competitive dancing involves attention to detail, years of practice, a high level of performance and communication. 

As quoted in The Rheumatologist, “Dr. Miller says ballroom dancing has helped him become a better teacher by reminding him how hard it is to learn a new skill. Whether that skill involves medicine, pharmacy or dancing, he says he realizes how much practice all new skills require, especially for students in a clinical environment.” 

Some of Miller’s students who participate in ballroom dance competitions agree. Tam Phan is a second year pharmacy student at NDSU from Vietnam. Phan also has taken rheumatology and drug literature classes from Dr. Miller. 

As a student, Phan sees similarities between the disciplines, explaining that some of the core principles of competing in ballroom—which include partnership, leadership, kindness and respect—are useful in his future career. 

“All are very important principles,” says Phan. “They also apply to working with patients and coworkers. It takes skill, passion, patience, and the ability to lead and to follow to have a good pharmacy practice—or to have a good dance performance.” 

Phan notes that Dr. Miller is dedicated in his advising role to students in the NDSU Ballroom Dance Club, creating voluntary dance events at nursing homes, festivals, and teaching them how to perform in front of large groups. 

In addition, Miller serves as a leader in his field, as well as to students. He recently was appointed to the Committee on Rheumatologic Care of the American College of Rheumatology. Miller is the first pharmacist appointed to serve on the committee.

He also was appointed to the 2016 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Clinical Pharmacy Challenge Item Author Panel. 

Whether helping students in pursuit of their future careers, or competing on the dance floor, Professor Miller remains in step. 

Nicole Spanier, first year pharmacy student from Fargo and secretary of the Ballroom Dance Club at NDSU noticed Professor Miller’s commitment to students. 

“He always has great ideas on how to improve the club and events,” she says. “He doesn’t want to settle with mediocre, but is always looking at ways to improve our experiences with dance. And his love for ballroom dance is inspiring. “

While Spanier says she learned the basics of ballroom dance, there is something else. “I’ve learned creativity, dedication, perseverance, and teamwork. I have learned to trust my partner, and how to know when I should lead and when I should follow. 

“Things I’ve learned from ballroom dance are life skills. Dedication, perseverance and teamwork are all important in the field of pharmacy,” says Spanier. “I think that while pharmacy is a tough major and career, it is important to enjoy your job. Whether it’s pharmacy or dancing, life is not complete without a little fun.”