You Should Not Go to Pharmacy School if...
- You are not fascinated by how a human body works. This is the basis for healthcare. From physiology, to pathophysiology, to pharmacology… it’s about the human body!
- You hate chemistry. By the time I graduate, I will have taken at least 32 credits of chemistry courses/chemistry labs. Many drugs are chemical compounds, so learning how they work is a big part of the curriculum. There is no way around it.
- You are not willing to sacrifice. You’re putting in at least 6-8 years of hard work before you can actually start your career. Talk about delayed gratification! If you’re the kid who would take one marshmallow immediately instead of 2 marshmallows later, pharmacy might drive you crazy. I think the secret is accepting that the journey is the reward (which seems bizarre because it’s a hard journey). But there’s a sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment that can only come from hard work and perseverance.
- You do not like people. Your patients are people. Your healthcare colleagues are people.
- You give up easily. Pharmacy school is all about resilience. Even if you’re studying for 10-12 hours a day for multiple days, you can still do very poorly on an exam. And you have to accept it, pick your ego back up, and just try to improve on the next one. Hard work does not always equate to success; and that’s okay! Next time! It’s one out of many, and you’ll win in the long run.
Changes
After six weeks in Hawaii, I have returned to the mainland. I’ve swapped the humid air and beautiful beaches for oven degree weather, traffic, and lots of smog. Don’t get me wrong, I love California, but after spending over a month in paradise it’s hard to come back to reality.
The blazing sun wasn’t the only thing that greeted me when I got back. Instead I’ve realized how much I have to do before graduation in less than 2 weeks. It wouldn’t be so bad if all I had to do was graduate, but instead I have a million papers to sign, I have to pay over $1,000 to take my boards and apply for a pharmacist license, I have student loans that will start to be due, I need to find a job, I have to get ready to host my entire family for a week…and to top it all off, I have to pack my entire house into a truck in a few weeks.
Several months ago, Sugar Daddy got the opportunity of a lifetime in Denver and we didn’t think twice about accepting the offer. We are certain that God is leading us to Colorado and He has great things in store for both of us.
So what does that mean? It means no more beautiful California sunshine. No more palm trees or warm weather. No more friends that I’ve known since college, no more familiarity. And sometimes I’m not so sure I can handle all of this change.
I’m receiving my doctorate degree in 11 days, I’m moving in 21 days, and I’m planning to take the hardest exam of my life in 90.
I just wish I could freeze 1 day.
