Expect the unexpected and roll with the punches

As you may imagine with the COVID-19 outbreak and just in general in life, you have to expect the unexpected and just roll with the punches. Pharmacy school can be pretty stressful, and you don’t need to make it worst by being rigid. Go with the flow, take a breath every now and again, and remember why you started pharmacy school in the first place. I promise it gets better with time, especially when you walk across the stage to get your degree.

Get involved in 1 or 2 organizations

Before you dive into every organization on campus, take a few weeks to test trial a few clubs that you think you may be interested in joining. You do not want to pay dues for every club at your pharmacy school just because you want to beef up your resume. It’s going to do the total opposite effect of what you were looking for. Most employers and residency directors would rather see you very involved in a handful of organizations rather you be a member of everything under the sun. You also don’t want to get overwhelmed by trying to be super involved in school that you let your grades slip.  Join 1 or 2 that you enjoy and get super involved in those!

Create a study schedule that works for you

Once classes get started, go ahead and create a study schedule that works for you and your lifestyle. Grab your agenda and set a schedule that is flexible and manageable to get through all of your assignments and allows for enough time to prep for your exams. I just started using the Cloth and Paper planner and so far I’m loving it; it’s literally perfect for college students or busy millennials looking to organize their lives. The entire aesthetic/mood is a total vibe and I’m obsessed! But definitely use whatever planner works best for you, digital or paper.

Be flexible and moldable when it comes to studying and learning

I’ll be the first one to say that once I started pharmacy school, I had to completely change the way that I studied for exams and assignments. Undergrad and pharmacy school are not the same beast and require you to re-learn how you study best. It may not be the same for you but go into your program with an open mind and the willingness to change if you have to.

Stay open-minded about the different pharmacy career paths

You may start pharmacy school with a clear-cut idea of what kind of pharmacist that you want to be and what you don’t, but alas your mind will probably change a few times during pharmacy school. I swore up and down that I would never go into hospital pharmacy, but after a few rotations in a hospital system, I fell in loves with topics that I thought I would never like. I still like my original vision, but now my eyes have been opened to other career paths that I also enjoy.

All that I’m saying is to keep an open mind to different paths within the world of pharmacy and see where you land up at the end. When you land an opportunity or rotation, go into it whole-hearted and make the most out of the experience. You may learn more about your likes and dislikes that will help you decide your career path later on.

Work in a pharmacy if you haven’t started already

If you haven’t already started working in a pharmacy yet, then I highly recommend that you start during your first year in pharmacy school, even the summer before. This way you can get accustom to what it’s actually like working in a pharmacy, and you can start memorizing the most common drugs dispensed in your area. Plus you’ll get the opportunity to learn about how insurance works, how to talk to patients, and so much better that you will eventually be tested on in school.

During my four years of pharmacy school, I worked two jobs (one in pharmacy and one at my apartment complex) anywhere from 20 to 30 hours a week. So if you’re thinking that there’s no way that you can manage school and a part time job, you most definitely can! It just requires a little more time management and scheduling to make it work. 

Start networking with other pharmacy students and pharmacists

Pharmacy is a small world, which I’m sure you are tired of hearing me say that on the blog, but it’s honestly so true. During your first year in pharmacy school, it’s super important to lay the groundwork down and get comfortable networking in the field of pharmacy. Go to conferences, meetings, and just put yourself out there. At first networking can feel pretty uncomfortable and awkward, but with time and practice, it does become easier and more natural feeling.

Keep an eye out for unique opportunities

Your school and organizations will typically send you emails about any cool opportunities that are upcoming or things that you can apply for. If you’re even a little bit interested in doing something, do it! You literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain by participating in an opportunity that comes your way. Sometimes you can find out about cool research projects you can join, scholarships you can apply for, and even competitions you can compete in even as a P1 student. These types of events and opportunities will not only beef up your resume but also allow you the chance to learn about your likes and dislikes in pharmacy.

If your school doesn’t have something that you would like to know more about, search online for pharmacy organizations in the field that you are interested and get involved that way. There’s literally a world of opportunities, but you may have to go searching for them yourself.

Keep a running CV

This tip is a definite must-do if you don’t follow any of my tips in this post! Even if you don’t have a resume or CV right now, go ahead and start one that you can add to throughout the next few years. By the way, I have a great CV template up on my website that will quickly help you get started! After you participate in an activity, such as volunteering or participating in a clinical challenge, make sure to write it down in your CV for later. You can add things like presentations, research projects, scholarships that you’ve won, and conferences that you’ve attended to your running CV.

I promise you that when it’s time to make a professional CV, you’ll be thanking me later for suggesting that you write everything down as soon as it happens. That way you won’t forget everything you’ve done, including the dates and places.

Believe it or not, the next four years will definitely fly by, so you’ll want to make the most out of your time and experiences in pharmacy school. Hopefully these tips will give you some insight on what to expect and what to prepare for your first year in pharmacy school.

The post Advice for Your First Year in Pharmacy School appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

There are 5 main ways to gain the experience that you need that also allows you to network, which is always a key concept. Those 5 ways are working, volunteering, interviewing, jobshadowing, and attending meetings or pharmacy-related conferences.

Become a Pharmacy Technician

There are two types of pharmacy technicians: registered and certified. Registered is exactly what it sounds like. Being a registered pharmacy technician means that you went into your local board of pharmacy office, signed a few papers, and now are able to work in a pharmacy legally. This type doesn’t have any formal training besides the one that is learned on the job. Certified pharmacy technician is when you actually go to school to become a certified and take a national test called the PTCB. Depending on your state, some states allows you to work in pharmacy with only being registered while others require you to be certified.

I actually have a cool story to tell you all! So the high school that I graduated from had a technical school close by that they allowed high school students to take classes there. I ended up taking the pharmacy technician course, taking the PTCB, and becoming certified right after high school.

But regardless of what you get being able to work in a pharmacy is the best way to gain pharmacy experience and get paid for it.

Volunteer

Volunteering is also a great way to gain pharmacy experience as well as network with some really awesome people. Some of your local hospitals and the free medical clinic will gladly take on volunteers and teach you the ropes around the pharmacy. You just have to ask and you shall receive for this kind of experience.

Be sure though when you are volunteering to document your hours and any important people you might’ve met while volunteering. These will be really important for when you apply for pharmacy school and you need documentation or recommendation letters.

Jobshadow

It’s very similar to volunteering except you’re an observer and you’re only there for the day. The great part of jobshadowing a local pharmacist or a specialty pharmacy is that you get to experience different types of pharmacy and ask as many questions as you can think of. A lot of people don’t know all of the different fields that pharmacists can go into, such as nuclear pharmacy, veterinary pharmacy, compounding, infectious diseases, board of pharmacy, and so many more.

Conduct an Interview

An interview is when you get the chance to ask more in-depth questions as well as make a real connection with a pharmacy teacher or pharmacists. It sounds like a scary experience, but it’s really not. You get the chance to speak to someone who’s been there done that and is willing to help you learn everything you want to. Take that advantage and get your notepad out. It’s also a great way to network, the thing that everyone keep saying throughout your career. Have a set of questions ready for the interview then tailor any further questions based off of their responses to the previous questions.

[bctt tweet=”Conducting an interview is like interviewing your future job. So ask away!” username=”uniquelymickie”]

Attend a pharmacy-related conference or pharmacy meeting

If you have a pharmacy program nearby, then some of the pharmacy school clubs allow pre-pharmacy students to participate in meetings as well as volunteer with the group. This is a great way to gain pharmacy experience as well as get the chance to meet pharmacy students in the program. You’ll also get to learn more about pharmacy as a profession and nitty-gritty of what a PharmD degree can do for your career.

What is your favorite way to gain pharmacy experience or funny story that you have working with a pharmacist?

You may also enjoy: How to Ace Your Pharmacy or Medical School Interview, 8 Questions to Ask During Your Pharmacy School Interview, and 3 Study Tips to Ace the PCAT

The post Pharmacy School Advice: How I Gained Pharmacy Experience as a Freshmen in College appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.