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.

Tip #1: Take quality notes during class

Once classes get started, you’ll be thanking me later for telling you that you’re going to need to start taking quality notes. There are a ton of ways for you to take notes during class from using a pen and paper to using a touchscreen device. Whatever works best for you, you’ll want to stick with it over the next few years.

The reason why taking your own notes is super important is because you’re more likely to remember the material when you’re actively participating and making connections in the material during the lecture. It’s called active learning and it really does work! For me, I handwrote all of my notes during class, and I also relistened to the lectures to fill-in any gaps that I might’ve missed.

Tip #2: Organize your calendar for the entire semester

At the beginning of every semester, I highly recommend that you read through every class syllabus and put all of your assignments and exams into a calendar. Then add in any personal events, work schedule, and any other extracurricular activities that you know of at the beginning of the semester. This way you can stay organize and stay on track for any assignments. With the constant influx of projects, assignments, and exams in pharmacy school, it’s super easy to fall behind and to let something fall between the cracks.

I personally use the Recollections planner from Michaels, which is the bomb dot com and has loads of space for everything that you could possibly need in pharmacy school. I also really like the Erin Condren Academic planner, which is more customizable option. But if you prefer a digital calendar, then I know some of my fellow pharmacy students used Google Calendar, which syncs up to all of their devices for easy access. Once you have a complete agenda or calendar, you can finally start blocking off time on a daily basis to study and to complete any upcoming projects. This will greatly help you manage your time appropriately and instill a great study routine.

Tip #3: Learn how you study the best

Learning how you, as an individual, learn the best is easily the best advice that I can give you on how to study in pharmacy school. Everyone is so different in the way that our minds work and how our brains learn things. Some people are visual learners while others are auditory. This just means that the way you have to study is going to be different from your friends in pharmacy school to even your loved ones.

I know this isn’t a quick fix, but in the field of healthcare where the literature is always adapting, it’s super important for you to nail down a study routine that works for you. For me personally once I got into pharmacy school, I had to completely change up the way that I studied in undergrad. It was a completely different ballpark (in terms of workload and the material) that I had to try new techniques and re-learn how to study. Now the best way for me to remember anything is re-read the material multiple times and to make my own color-coded study guides.

Tip #4: Utilize different study techniques

As soon as classes start, go ahead and break down the material into easy bite size pieces that are easier to comprehend and to remember. This may include creating your own study guides, summary sheets on a topic, medication charts, or flashcards. When you’re utilizing different study techniques, you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel and create your own 20-page study guide. Utilize what your teachers give you in class and make adjustments to it such as adding notes and comments to the file or color coding each individual section.

If you do have the time to create your own study materials, then make sure to write them in your own voice. You’ll be surprised how much somethings sticks with you when you can relate to the material or make a personal connection to it. During my second year of pharmacy school, I started making my own study guides including diagrams, color coding, and links to videos, and it made a world of a difference in the grades that I received.

Tip #5: Ask questions and get help from your professors

Let me say this one louder for the students in the back: Professors are your friends and they are there to help you! If you’re ever confused about the course material or have any questions about it, ask questions and get advice from your professors. Don’t forget that they are the experts in this area, and they want to see you succeed in their class.

This will not only help you understand the material better but also allow you to show your professor your willingness to learn and how much you care to do so. I won’t lie I’ve probably seen almost all of my teachers in their office hours one year or another because I found that 1-on-1 time with my teachers really made a difference in my grades. I also continue to have a great relationship with all of those teachers to this day!

Tip #6: Prioritize your material based on difficulty level

Remember when I said that pharmacy school throws a ton of work at you all the time? Yeah well, I wasn’t kidding which is why it’s so important to prioritize your studying based on the difficulty level of the class. Everyone is going to be completely different in this area, but some classes will naturally be easier for you and require less work than others. This is where you have to figure out where you need to prioritize your studying based on your strengths and weaknesses.

Basically, you’ll want to spend more time on the classes that are harder for you to understand and spend less time on classes that are easier. Typically after the first exam of the semester, you’ll have a better understanding of what the different exams are like, the type of exam questions, and what your teacher is looking for you to remember for the next exam.

Tip #7: Don’t cram the night before

I feel like this tip is a given, but I know students in pharmacy school who cram the night before for every exam. Please please don’t do this! If you think pulling an all-nighter for a big exam the is a smart decision, please think again. There are a ton of studies out there about the cons of all-nighters, so I won’t go into much details here. But you can read my tips on what to actually do the night before an exam later (hint: it includes lots of sleep!).

Remember that what you’re learning in pharmacy school is actually important for patient care and everything builds upon each other year after year. This means that it may not seem important right now for this exam, but it’ll come back to bite you later on. It’s better to stay organize and to study a little bit every day, instead of cramming a month worth of lectures into one night. Plus you can relieve a lot of stress if you plan ahead and create a solid study schedule.

Tip #8: Work in a pharmacy during your time in pharmacy school

Besides making a little extra money on the side, working in a pharmacy is a vital asset to any pharmacy student who is looking to get better at studying. Are you a little confused by this? Let me explain. When you work in a pharmacy (regardless of its retail or hospital), you’re going to be exposed to patients, drugs, and the healthcare system. Aka everything that you’re going to be learning in school is happening right before your eyes!

I’ve worked in a retail pharmacy for almost 5 years now, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to work while in pharmacy school. I had the ability to become well-versed in the pharmacy language including drug therapies, drug usages, and mechanism of actions. It became so easy and second nature that by the time that I started pharmacy school, I was already ahead of the game compared to my fellow students. Plus my pharmacists always made it a point to quiz me during the work shift to reinforce the knowledge that I was learning in school.

Take the opportunity right now to get started in the pharmacy field. You’ll be surprised about how much you’ll learn from working part-time somewhere in a pharmacy and how it’ll all connect during your coursework. Plus you’ll meet some pretty cool people that will continue to guide you throughout pharmacy school.

Tip #9: Take time for yourself

Honestly, a good healthy work-life balance is super important if you want to study more effectively. If you study all day and night, you’ll quickly become burned out mentally and physically. Even if you have a ton of work on your hands, you have to give yourself and your brain a break (and this includes sleep!).

Even if you give yourself a 15-minute break while studying, that’s completely fine! Just remember that you don’t have to study every minute of every day to do well in pharmacy school. Take a class, play intramural sports on campus, or whatever it is that makes you happy.

During my P1 year, I was studying every minute of every day, and I quickly burned out in a few months and was miserable in the process. Now that I’m almost done with my P4 year, I finally found a balance that works for me, and I’ve worked two jobs the entire time I’ve been in pharmacy school (which is insanity, I know!).  

Tip #10: Test your knowledge

After you’ve done a big study session, take a few minutes to test your knowledge and to see what you actually remember from your study session. I personally recommend taking a blank sheet of paper and write down anything and everything that you remember from a specific topic that you just studied. This little tip will not only reinforce the material that you just learned but also identify where the gaps are. After you’ve written down everything that you could, identify what areas need improvement and go back to the drawing board.

Another great way for you to quiz yourself is by creating your own exam on Quizlet. It’s super easy to do and is another way for you to study the material.  When I used to make my own exams, I would create questions based off of my notes and what I think will be important for the exam. I have to admit, sometimes I used to make practice exams that were exactly like the real ones, which as you can imagine was pretty dope.

What are your favorite study techniques that have helped you pass a tough semester?

The post 10 Study Tips to Survive Pharmacy School appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

And as the years have truly flown by, I’ve been able to thankfully still enjoy my field and can’t wait to get out into the world as a brand-new pharmacist. In this blog post, we’re going to be talking about how to stay motivated while in pharmacy school and the realization that everyone is going to need a pick-me-up sooner or later.

Tip #1: Remember your purpose

Being in the healthcare field, I’m drawn to helping others and I strive to inspire my community to achieve greatness. Whenever I’m feeling down or that I’m not good enough, I remember why I’m doing this, what my purpose is, and that I’m here in this position for a reason. This really helps me center myself and helps me get back on the beaten path. I highly recommend writing down your purpose and/or goals in your phone or in your journal, somewhere where you’ll see it on a regular basis.

Tip #2: Get involved with campus life

The best part about pharmacy school is the community and union that is built in the program with your fellow students. I guess it’s because you all are going through the same struggles and hardships but regardless, they are some of your best allies when it comes to finding your mojo back. I love being a part of my student organizations on campus, even the non-pharmacy related ones, because they give me an outlet to relieve some of my built-up stress.

I’m currently involved with SNPhA (Student National Pharmaceutical Sciences) and ACCP (American College of Clinical Pharmacy) at my school, both of which allow me to interact with the community and my fellow classmates. Something that I truly value and enjoy.

Tip #3: Learn a new hobby or take an adventure every once in awhile

Growing up as a military child definitely left me feeling a little bit of wanderlust, which basically means that I yearn to travel the world and set out on new adventures. But unfortunately, my college budget and time restrictions don’t allow me much time to travel the way that I want to. No worries though because Titi and I have a few ideas and trips planned for this year that I am super pumped about and Ava, our pit rescue, might be tagging along for some of them.

Back in 2017, I started this blog as a creative outlet and as a new hobby that I wanted to master. This blog has been a great stress-reliever for me and allows me to take a break from my normal packed study days to just simply create and write. Now you may not want to start a blog or travel the world like me, but you can still step out of your comfort zone and take on a new challenge. You could learn a new language, take a boxing class, or take a road trip to see a city nearby. Find something that you enjoy and that allows you to step away from the textbooks and live in the moment. Because that’s what life is about living in the moment and living your best life every single day.

Tip #4: Find your support group that lifts you up

For me, my biggest supporters are my family (aka my mom and dad-shout out to you guys for being the best!) and my boyfriend. Whenever I’m going through a rough time in school or just need some inspiration to keep pushing forward, I can always call them or have a chat with them. They each push me to the best that I can be while giving me the inspirational words and stories that keep me going.

Going through pharmacy school, you need a support group whether that be your parents, your loved ones, or your best friends from high school. Keep the most important people in your life in your corner, close enough to touch, so that you never forget why you’re in pharmacy school and what your purpose is.

Tip #5: Remember this chapter will eventually end.

As anything in life, this chapter (aka your time in pharmacy school) will end. I know that this sounds crazy because it seems like time slows down when you’re in school, but I promise it’ll be over in a blink of an eye.  I love setting a countdown on my phone to remind me that I’m almost to the finish line and that I just have to keep pushing. Trust me, I know pharmacy school is hard and it’s not a lot of fun, but it’s a just chapter in your storybook. Are you ready for the next one?

Even though I wish I could tell you that I’m motivated every single day to study for hours and to work on group projects, it’s really not my reality. I have those weeks where life just really sucks, and I’ve had to learn over the years about how to pick myself back up from those. It’s not about where you begin, but where you end? Am I right?

You may also like: The Subtle Art of Acing Your Pharmacy Rotations From the First Day, What to Do if You Fail a Class in Pharmacy School, and 5 Lessons I Learned in My Third Year in Pharmacy School 

The post 5 Tips to Help You Stay Motivated While in Pharmacy School appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

Currently, I am a pharmacy student based in South Carolina so I’ve been in your shoes before so let’s get started how you are going to do amazing in your interview for either medical or pharmacy school. Hey the process is the same, just not the degree.

Prepare by researching the school

If you’re really serious about applying for pharmacy or medical school, then you need to do your research on each school that you have an interview with. Each school has their own story, achievements, and specialties. So knowing a little more details about the college will definitely give you an advantage over the competition. Pharmacy is all about the small details, and this one of those details you don’t want to skip out on.

Dress for the occasion

Being in a medical profession, it’s highly looked beyond as a serious profession. So coming to your interview in jeans and a tshirt won’t win you any favors and will actually hurt your shot of getting accepted into the program. You’ll want to come dressed for success by wearing either a suit or business clothes. It’s an interview and so you should act like it is. You’ll be so surprised at the amount of people who don’t come dressed for the occasion and who are too causal about the interview.

For men:

• Dark suit
• Tie or bow tie
• Dress shoes

For woman:

• Black slacks or skirt
• Fancy blouse
• Heels or business flats
• Blazer

Arrive on time ready to go

Plan ahead when it comes to transportation and travel to the interview with time to spare. You never know what may happen on the way to the interview so prepare for the worst case scenario. If you’re arriving via airplane, than make sure to your connection flights and landing flight leave enough time for any airway delays and time to arrive at the school. Same goes with driving! You literally never know if there is going to a big crash on the road or something crazy happen.

When I had my interview for pharmacy school, my interview happened a week before a big flood came through the town so interview was pushed back a week as well as the verdict. It was a crazy mess of a time, but I was prepared regardless.

Asks questions to your interviewers

Most people think that an interview is a one-way street, but it’s totally not! Yes, you’ll be asked questions by each person that interviews you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions to them too. I would highly recommend having a list of questions that you might want to ask during the interview. I know for me when I had my first interview I was so nervous that I forgot a lot of the questions that I had, but since I had them written down, I could refer back to my list.

Ask questions to the pharmacy students 

If you get the chance to talk with current pharmacy students, do it! They have such great valuable insight into what the program at their school is truly like and are always willing to answer any questions that you may have. No need to bring any prep questions for current students, but feel free to wiggle your way to the front of the group to get your questions answered. Plus they’ll be the best ones to give tips and advice!

Bring copies of your resume

I carried a small, professional looking folder that held multiple copies of my resume as well as a list of questions that I might want to ask during the interview. It’s just a good practice to do when you’re in an interview setting as well as to have your resume memorized. The interviewers will have looked at your application beforehand so they will know some key details about you, but you need to be able to go more in-depth about each item that you listed on your resume and application.

Practice makes perfect

If you have any friends who are in the program already or know a pharmacists or doctor, then you can see if they would be willing to help you practice for your interview. The more that you can practice with different people and with different questions, the more you’ll feel confident when asked for the real deal.

Once you’ve made it to the interview, you’ve already crossed a big hurdle, which is getting the interview in the first place. Not everyone who applies for pharmacy or medical school will even get picked for an interview, so feel lucky and keep this tips in mind before walking in for your interview. Good luck future students! I wish you the best of luck!

If you enjoyed this post, then please take a moment of your time to share this post across your social media accounts! It really helps me a lot and it only takes a second away from your time.

You may also enjoy: How I Gained Pharmacy Experience as a Freshmen in College, 8 Questions to Ask in Your Pharmacy School Interview, and 3 Study Tips to Ace the PCAT

The post How to Ace Your Pharmacy or Medical School Interview appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.