Julia Hormann is a third-year PharmD candidate at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy.
“Every Moment Matters: Celebrate, Cherish, Create.” It’s a simple idea, but not a small one. It’s a concept that resonated with me the day Rachel Lucky, APhA–ASP national president, gave her presidential address in March—a theme that reminded me of how I’ve grown, adapted, and prioritized my life over the past several years. One that I think we all deserve to be reminded of.
More comfortable with the unknown
I would identify myself as a “type A” student, a trait common among student pharmacists. For as long as I can remember, my calendar has been booked months in advance, planned down to the minute, with barely any time to get from one commitment to the next. I spent high school and college projecting 1, 3, 5 years ahead, wondering what life would look like when I completed the next step. For the first time, when I started pharmacy school, I felt content in the now—in trusting the process. My calendar didn’t change, but my attitude toward it did.
As a first-year student pharmacist, I found peace knowing I had 4 years to explore my interests, and I became okay not knowing exactly what came next. After all, there was so much to get involved in. But much like Rachel, I panicked wondering how I’d fit it all in. I’ll be honest—my first year was hard. It was a major learning curve. All at once, I had to balance starting school, meeting new friends, keeping an old job, maintaining a long-distance relationship, staying in touch with college friends, and remembering to take time for myself. I felt pulled in a million directions while constantly being told to “trust the process.”
That year, I spent a lot of time running—both literally and figuratively. One of my favorite Peloton coaches often said, “You don’t have to—you get to.” While this started as workout motivation, it started to shape my outlook as a student pharmacist. It reminded me how lucky I was to get to go to class, to get to learn every day, get to work, and get to catch up with friends. I didn’t have to juggle all these things, but I got to. It wasn’t until the end of my first year that I started to see that the present is where the meaning is made—the patient interactions, the friendships, and the pauses for self-care.
And I think that is why I became more comfortable with the unknown. I felt less pressured to have it mapped out because I was finally living in the present.
Where I need to be
I’ll admit, I still need reminders. When I feel like I’m falling short—missing calls from friends, behind on emails, or caught up in residency applications—it’s easy to slip back into the mindset of doing more, being more, planning more. But in those moments, I come back to this: Every moment matters. Not just the big ones, but the quiet ones too—like a sunset run, a trivia night, or a good conversation.
Those are the moments that remind me I’m exactly where I need to be.