Welcome back as we journey through these last few months of pharmacy school. As APPE rotations are winding down and graduation is nearing, there is more excitement than I am capable of describing. Close to a decade of college and professional school and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. And let me tell you something, I have never been more excited to wear that poufy, less-than-flattering, graduation cap. However, the stress still seems to be never-ending. 


During my third year of pharmacy school, I decided that I wanted to pursue a residency upon graduation. This means I recently spent a lot of time in the thick of applications, letters of intent, and, fingers crossed, lots of interviews. If you too are in the same boat as I am, you are likely experiencing the same nervousness.


Additionally, in February, I finished my second-to-last rotation at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. There’s a lot going on! 


How many times have you tried to get in touch with a prescriber to sort out an issue regarding a prescription, only to be on the receiving end of the following phrase, “I am paging the physician right now for you?” Does this sound familiar to you? Well, if you are like me, then you would probably dread hearing those words because they usually mean that the issue will not be resolved soon and the patient will have to wait in order to get their medication. 


Although there are times when the prescriber will contact you right away to resolve the issue, more often than not it can take some time before they get back to you. While no one in particular is to blame for the delay, it is still problematic for patients as they transition from one setting to the next. 


March in San Francisco was warmer than I expected, being used to the chill back home in Ohio. As the 2017 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition was nearing its last day, I could feel spring coming and a rejuvenation of our community. As I finished the last line of my speech during the final session of the APhA–ASP House of Delegates, I watched the ripple move over the crowd as my fellow student pharmacists stood. We felt the energy in the room that day and knew that movement would be the spark igniting our passion during this year. 


It has been a year of ups and downs for our community across this country, but I truly believe that this year has been focused on hope: hope for what we can personally become someday and hope for where we will drive the profession in the future.