Drawing from his Samoan roots, Romafou Bates has brought Fa’a Samoa — the Samoan way — into health care, grounding his approach to patient care in the same values that have long shaped his identity and sense of service.
This commitment to caring for others was also shaped by his own family experience. With his mother and grandmother having asthma, health care became a familiar part of Bates’ life from an early age and sparked his desire to help others facing illness.
Finding His Calling
Alongside his undergraduate degree in biochemistry and work experience in a hospital pathology lab, Bates said his Samoan heritage played a central role in shaping how he approached patient care as entered the University of Houston College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program. Rooted in values of respect and hospitality, Bates said he works to connect with patients on a deeper level, treating everyone as if they were his own family.
During his ambulatory care rotation at Harris Health Smith Clinic, Bates worked closely with anticoagulation patients and those living with diabetes. During one visit, a middle-aged man with type 2 diabetes arrived with his family for a routine appointment. While reviewing the patient’s chart and glucose monitoring data, Bates noticed that his blood sugar readings were consistently running low. Recognizing that low glucose levels can be more immediately dangerous than high blood sugar, Bates recommended reducing the patient’s nightly insulin dose to prevent overnight hypoglycemia. The patient and his family were deeply appreciative, and watching the way they supported one another struck a personal chord for Bates.
“The best part was watching his wife’s reaction because she was the one who took care of all his medications,” Bates said. “Seeing that family support reminded me of my own.”
The experience reinforced the impact pharmacists can have and strengthened his commitment to attentive, patient-centered care.
From Follower to Leader
Leadership never came naturally to Bates, but that was something he wanted to change in pharmacy school. Describing himself as an introvert, he intentionally sought opportunities to develop his leadership skills through student organizations.
He became involved with Phi Lambda Sigma (PLS), where he won the PLS P1 Leadership Award in 2023 and PLS Member of the Year Award 2025, as well as taking on leadership positions within Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International, Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity Inc. and the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists.
Leading from behind earned Bates’ recognition from his peers and led the Hispanic Pharmacy Student Association (HPSA), in which he was an officer, to nominate him for the PLS P1 Leadership Award.
“The HPSA president at the time, Hunter Adam, Pharm.D. (‘25), said I always showed up when it mattered, smile on my face, supporting my colleagues,” Bates recalled when asking Adam why he was chosen for the award.
Like many pharmacy students, Bates said he faced challenges early in the Pharm.D. program. As he worked to build better study habits and overcome imposter syndrome, steady practice helped him find his footing.
“Don’t try to compare yourself to others,” Bates said. “Everyone learns differently.”
Success in Community
Graduating in May, Bates said he plans to pursue his postgraduate year one residency and continue into a PGY2 specializing in infectious disease or ambulatory care. After completing his residencies, Bates said he hopes to own his own practice providing direct patient care as well as having pharmacists be a part of the health care decision-making team.