Morgan Carson-Marino, PharmD, MS, is the APhA member relations resident in Washington, DC.
In part 2 of our advice series, you’ll learn practical tips to help you reach your full potential from members of the APhA Executive Postgraduate Training Program. We hope the following advice can provide guidance for you as you move forward in pharmacy school and your career.
Aneesh Asokan, PharmD, MBA
APhA Executive Resident, Board of Pharmacy Specialties
Challenge your fears. We often fear the unknown and stay in our comfort zone. To get a better idea of the bigger picture, you must be willing to put yourself out there. In the pursuit of knowledge, you can’t be afraid of the hunt. Now, no one is without fear–I should know; I have at least 100 fears, but that’s a normal part of being human. That being said, what we can do is challenge our fears and grow.
Create a community. While working alone has its advantages, the benefits of working and having a team are myriad. With the creation of a community, you create a support system. No community is perfect, but that’s half of the fun. In a community, you’ll get different views and different styles of support. My hope is that with your community, you’ll start to see the silver linings even in your darker days.
Bella Blankenship, PharmD
APhA Executive Resident, Pharmacy Practice & Government Affairs
Try not to compare yourself to others. Many of us seek validation from the actions of our peers and compare ourselves to others when making decisions. This was a hard habit to break during my transition into the pharmacy program. Every path is unique. Each student knows themselves, their study habits, and their personal goals best. Don’t let the actions or paths of others negatively influence your own professional development; instead, have confidence in yourself and your plan.
Seek out opportunities outside your comfort zone. I gained so much from seeking out leadership roles and community involvement during my time in school. Stretching your comfort zone is crucial in your personal growth and contributes to developing new, often transferable skills.
Esther Boadi, PharmD
APhA Foundation Executive Fellow
Seize the day! Every day presents another opportunity for you to make progress toward your dreams and aspirations. It’s easy to procrastinate, but always remember the little things you do each and every day add up to major strides on your pathway to success. Always remember to create healthy habits, find your center, set goals, and seize the day!
Lauren Howell, PharmD
APhA Executive Resident, Publishing
Always see challenges as opportunities. Often, we fear challenges and the idea of failing because of them. Changing your perspective to seeing challenges as an opportunity can be beneficial. Challenges aren’t always bad—they can provide you with a chance to grow, show the character you have, and develop character that you may not have yet. Even if you do fail, you’ve learned something that you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t tried. Don’t let fear of failure keep you from doing something that interests you.
Be authentic. You don’t have to be like everyone around you to be successful. You are designed uniquely and have traits that should be contributed to the teams, organizations, etc., in which you are involved. Find role models, learn from their good traits, and improve upon them. Additionally, learn from their bad traits and learn to correct these within yourself. Combine the good parts of what you observe and use it to pave your own path but never feel like you must do things the exact same way that someone else has to be successful.
Mariecus Jarvis-Mays, PharmD, MEd
APhA Executive Resident, Education
Every person you encounter has something to teach you. Of course, you want to seek advice from people who are in positions you want to fill in the future, but important messages can come from unlikely sources. An 8-year-old might tell you “Your presentation is boring!” That may be a sign you’re not relating to your audience appropriately. Alternatively, they might be helping you practice patience. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned about character have come from the maintenance workers I encountered throughout my life. Treat everyone with the reverence you give a mentor because they are all potential teachers.
Achieve your expectations, not the ones others assign to you. There’s a difference between how the world sees you and how you see yourself. As people get to know you and spend more time with you, they get a better understanding of your motivations and capabilities, but their accuracy will never be 100%. Don’t let anyone else’s opinion make you underestimate your value or abilities, and don’t let anyone’s expectations force you to abandon your virtues.
Shivani Modi, PharmD
APhA Executive Resident, Pharmacy Practice & Government Affairs
Always ask yourself: Why is this important to me? You may experience turbulence in the journey; at times things will go in your favor, and at times it will teach you a lesson. No two days are similar. Learn your lessons and keep going. When you are lost, ask yourself why you started and remember the goals you set for yourself. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Brooke Whittington, PharmD
APhA Executive Resident, Education
Just do it! Don’t let fear of failing stop you, because you might miss out. Go for that leadership position, apply for that internship, go to that networking event, and just do it. You never know who you’ll meet on the way. Plus, failure only leads to more opportunity for growth on a professional and personal level.
Strive for balance and take care of yourself. On the flip side, it is important to have boundaries. Having a work/life/school balance is so important to prevent yourself from burning out. Physically schedule out time in your calendar for yourself and for your friends and family.