When you begin your term as an officer for your APhA–ASP Chapter, the big question is: where do you start? By beginning with a leadership retreat, you can establish goals, schedules, expectations, accountability, communication, and most importantly, team bonding.

At the University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, we have dedicated the past 2 years on improving, and eventually perfecting, the leadership retreat. We would like to share with you our journey on creating a leadership retreat that took an unexpected turn that resulted in a “flood” of ideas. If you are holding a retreat or a leadership event in the near future, our experiences may come in handy … for several reasons.

After finishing the second grade in Saigon, Vietnam, my family immigrated to Vancouver, WA. Because my birthday was after September, I should have started the second grade in America. But since I was able to pass a second-grade proficiency test, the school district allowed me to be in third grade, thus I started a year earlier than my peers.

That test was the reason I was one of the youngest students throughout elementary, middle, and high schools—and now, pharmacy school.

Can y’all believe this is my last installment of “On Rotation Diary”? We have spent a whole year together and I feel like we should be besties at this point! So no longer will I hide my identity from you. Though I have gone by “Alison” these past 12 months, my real name is Natalie Tucker. I am a recent PharmD graduate from the Washington State University College of Pharmacy. 

You have probably heard of the “Dear Abby” advice column. Now meet the “Dear New Practitioner” section of Student Pharmacist. As we continue to “Embrace Your Calling” throughout the year, your APhA–ASP National Executive Committee and APhA staff want you to know that you are not alone. You have numerous questions swirling around your head, both on the professional and personal sides of your life. Today’s new practitioners know your concerns are real because they have been there and they want to provide support.

As you prepare for your new journey, it is normal to feel nervous or scared about meeting a whole new peer and faculty population, being introduced to the alphabet soup of pharmacy school organizations, and navigating the maze that is pharmacy school. You have spent countless hours consulting multiple pharmacists and online web forums for advice on how to survive the next 4 years. After all, the pharmacy field is saturated, as many say, and you must stand out by earning excellent grades, joining multiple organizations, and networking.