Megan Maetten is a third-year PharmD candidate at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy, Columbia campus.
On July 8, 2023, I attended Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. The tour reflects more than just a showcase of an artist’s entire discography—it also celebrates the seasons of life you experience. In other words, your own “eras.”
As a future pharmacist, you want to avoid burnout. Consistently saying to yourself “I’ll be happy when I get into pharmacy school,” “I’ll be happy when I pass this pharmacotherapy exam,” or “I’ll be happy when I match into a residency” might lead to an overwhelming sense of just getting through life instead of celebrating it. Student pharmacists could learn from Taylor Swift that all seasons of life should be celebrated. Finding growth from personal reflection is a great way to express gratitude and seek personal fulfillment.
For starters, let’s take a look at a student membership with APhA–ASP through the lens of Taylor Swift’s 10 studio albums.
The top 10 list
1. Taylor Swift: Going into orientation, I was so nervous. There were so many organizations recruiting, and I felt this was my debut into my pharmacy career. But there was no “Picture to Burn” because I chose the organization for every pharmacist, for all of pharmacy.
2. Fearless: Putting yourself out there requires some fearlessness. For those student pharmacists who attended an APhA–ASP conference alone, you are a “Superstar.” And for my friends from the APhA–ASP Student Leadership Institute and the APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition … I love you “Forever & Always.”
3. Speak Now: This is Taylor’s first completely self-written album and reflects how as a student organization, we have the opportunity to start fresh and create new events on our own. At the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy, Columbia campus, we are “Enchanted” to introduce a new position of innovation chair to specifically work on new events.
4. Red: A heartbreak album that can relate to when an event does not meet the expectations you had. When this happens, you must get up, reflect, and “Begin Again.”
5. 1989: On this album, Taylor rebranded her “Style” of music to the pop genre. This relates to how throughout my student pharmacist career I have rebranded what area of pharmacy I want to enter multiple times, but APhA–ASP is still there with no “Bad Blood.”
6. Reputation: This era speaks to the public, much like getting involved in the APhA policy process. “Don’t Blame Me” for finding a passion for advocacy through APhA.
7. Lover: This is Taylor’s first album that she officially owns. Attending your first patient care event—or however you first officially contribute to your APhA–ASP Chapter—will make you feel like “The Man” and is a huge step in your professional development journey.
8. Folklore: A whimsical album that relates to the empathy you develop throughout your time in APhA–ASP. Health screening events with my chapter in “august” improve my patient care skills.
9. Evermore: To make a “long story short,” APhA will be with you forevermore even after you graduate pharmacy school.
10. Midnights: This is a retrospective album about a collection of sleepless nights. Student pharmacists may stay up with anxiety about their future, but having these feelings means you care deeply, and that should be celebrated!