After 6 years of striving for my goal of being a pharmacist, I can officially say that I’m officially done with pharmacy school and have finally graduated with my PharmD degree!
While I definitely had some challenges along the way, the memories and adventures that I’ve gained these last 4 years are undeniable. Looking back, I’m glad that my 18 year old self choose the program that I did because I not only gained an incredible partner, life-long friends, but also a program that allowed me to grow. I’ve learned so much for my professional and creative career that I can’t wait to see what I’m headed. In this blog post, I wanted to share a few lessons that I’ve learned from my time in pharmacy school.
4 Lessons I Learned Pursuing My Doctorate of Pharmacy
1. I learned that my capacity for stress and work was bigger than I expected
When I first started pharmacy school, I was full of self-doubt and worried about whether or not I was going to be able to pass my classes. My story in pharmacy school isn’t like everyone else, which is something that I am proud of. I worked two jobs for most of my time in school, had multiple side hustles (one of which is this blog), and was always volunteering whenever I could on top of balancing my schoolwork and my relationship.
During my first two years of school, I went on a journey of finding myself, developing my passions, and learning how to manage my time. I quickly learned that the more I had to do, the more productive I got with the little time that I did have. So between long hours of studying, working between classes, and staying up late to work on my blog, I made it happen! And I’m very happy with the results!
2. There are a ton of career options within pharmacy to choose from (No, I still don’t know what I want to do!)
One thing that you have to know about pharmacy is that it’s not just retail vs hospital pharmacy. There are so many career paths within pharmacy that it’s definitely hard to pick just one to pursue. Before going on rotations, I definitely thought that I wanted to go into compounding and independent pharmacy, but now that I’ve completed my final year, I’m even more lost than before. I truly like so many aspects of pharmacy that it’s very hard to pick just one path to go down.
If you’re like me and you are still undecided, then just know that you are not alone, and it is totally okay to be indecisive! We are at the beginning of our career and can easily switch lanes if you find a different passion later on. Right now, I’m going with the flow and seeing where life takes me, which honestly with COVID-19, it could be anywhere at this point!
3. Through pharmacy school, I found my passion for blogging and photography.
When I first started my blog, I had this goal to make a platform where I could document my journey through pharmacy school and help other students in the process. I wanted it to be a place where I could be creative and inspiring to others. While it’s definitely morphed into more than just a pharmacy blog, it truly has opened up so many doors for me. I get to create content for my readers, work with amazing brands that I love, and help others through my writing.
Whether it be about a post about my college experience or a fashion outfit post, I get the opportunity to improve and grow my little corner of the internet through your support of my content! It truly does mean the world to me!
4. Talking to patient is truly an art form that I’m learning to master
This past year, I’ve been through multiple rotations where patient care was at the center focus of the work that pharmacist do, and it truly is an art form! Between sitting down with patients to do a comprehensive medication review or talking about a new medication that’s going to be added, I’ve learned how to talk to a patient in a way that makes sense to them.
Talking to patients means finding not only a way to communicate with them but to inspire them to make changes in their lives. As a healthcare professional, it’s so important and rewarding to be able to connect with your patients on a personal level. It can make a world of a difference, and I’m so proud that I’m in a profession that can make a huge impact! As I continue on my journey, I’m sure I will continue to improve and perfect the art that is patient care.
It honestly feels so surreal to be graduating with my PharmD! Since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist so now that is actually happening, it’s a pretty crazy feeling. Even though COVID-19 came and ruined graduation, it’s definitely not stopping the accomplishment that I worked so hard for. And this goes out for all of the 2020 grads! We still made it! I also want to say thank you each and every one of you that support my blog and read my content! Cheers to the next adventure!
