Czarina Sobejana, CPhT, is a second-year PharmD candidate at the High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy.
What if I told you I had no idea what I was doing when I started pharmacy school? Not in an I didn’t study enough way, but in an I don’t even know how this system works kind of way.
Have you ever felt like everyone else had a road map you somehow missed? Like they knew which questions to ask, who to talk to, and how to plan their future, while you were just trying to keep up?
That was me.
Chemistry gave me direction
I immigrated to the United States at 17, without going through the U.S. high school system and without the academic structure many students grow up with. I wasn’t failing. I wasn’t unmotivated. I just didn’t know how decisions were made, how professional paths were shaped, or how curiosity turns into a career. Navigating a new country meant learning more than culture; it also meant learning how opportunity works. So, what kept me grounded when everything felt uncertain? Chemistry.
When everything else felt unclear, chemistry made sense. Working through reactions step by step showed me that if you trust the process, answers emerge. That foundation eventually led me to pharmacy, not just as a field of study, but as a way to understand responsibility, impact, and purpose. Long before the white coat, chemistry gave me direction.
Embracing the APhA Student Community
Then came my first year of pharmacy school at High Point University, which was fast-paced and overwhelming. But the biggest lesson wasn’t just mastering the material—it was learning how to engage with the profession. That’s what led me to join my school’s APhA chapter early and step into leadership. Along the way, I built confidence, strengthened my communication skills, and found a sense of belonging.
They say getting into pharmacy school is hard, but staying in it is harder. And it’s true. I quickly learned that this journey isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Moments of uncertainty aren’t setbacks; they’re opportunities to refine your purpose. For me, that purpose has grown into a passion for the pharmaceutical industry and government affairs, where science, policy, and ethics intersect and where patient-centered decisions truly matter.
Find what grounds you
Now, if you ask me whether I have everything figured out, no, I don’t. But pharmacy school has taught me how to move forward even when the path isn’t clear, and that’s a skill I’ll carry far beyond the classroom.
So, if you’re just starting and wondering if you belong here, let me tell you this: You don’t need to have all the answers. Find what grounds you. Seek communities that guide you. Trust that lectures, labs, leadership roles, and late nights are shaping you into the pharmacist you’re becoming.
White coat on. First year complete.
I didn’t just survive.
I found my compass.