Being a student pharmacist can be a rewarding but stressful journey. Forming bonds with classmates and gaining new experiences through student organizations and internships is life-changing. However, prioritizing self-care is crucial for success. With your busy schedule, it’s easy to forget to set aside time for yourself.

To us, running is not about who is faster, can run farther, has more miles on their shoes, or has run in more places. Running is a way for us to spend time with people we care a lot about while still finding a way to spend time on bettering and advancing ourselves.

“Each of these values on this chart represents exactly that—a life that once held value. Every overdose is one too many and means that someone out there is losing someone they love.” These are the paraphrased words of Laura Palombi, PharmD, MPH, professor at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, from a talk about her work addressing the substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic that I heard while I was still an undergraduate student. I will never forget the experience of explaining to her that those dots on her graphs were from my hometown, and that not only could I put a name to three of them, but I could also describe the impact their losses had on my small, rural community. Dr. Palombi’s work is a huge inspiration for me, and it’s a big part of why I pursued pharmacy as a career. I now work to specialize in supporting those with diverse mental health needs and SUDs.