Joanne Pauyo presents a poster at APhA2017 in San Francisco.
By Joanne Pauyo
Dear First-Year Joanne,
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.
The one thing that no one ever tells you about is failure. You will fail, but it will not be the end!
Grades
Becoming a pharmacist requires that you pass your classes. If that means endless hours of studying, exorbitant amounts of caffeine, or sacrificing social media time, then do it. Give it your best effort! I think every student pharmacist starts with the same goal—to earn great grades and make the Chancellor’s List—but that is not realistic for everyone. The Chancellor’s List is a remarkable achievement. If it happens, then celebrate. If it doesn’t happen, then still celebrate. Knowledge is the goal. In the wise words of Albert Einstein, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking it’s stupid.”
One bad grade, multiple bad grades, or even failing a semester of pharmacy school doesn't mean that you will be any less of a pharmacist compared with other students. Steve Jobs, one of the co-founders of Apple, got fired from his own company that he started. By not giving up and striving forward, he was then rehired by that same company. It is okay to fail. It is unacceptable to give up.
Identify your purpose and then join a pharmacy organization
Not every student is going to have a leadership role within a pharmacy school organization. There are only a select amount of positions and so many student pharmacists. Instead of trying to fit into the mold of pharmacy school, make pharmacy school fit into your mold.
Why do you want to be a pharmacist? Be boldly honest with yourself. It is not just to serve your community or make a comfortable salary. There are numerous career fields, besides pharmacy, that pay well and allow you to help people. There was a reason why you chose pharmacy. Find that reason because it will lead you to your purpose and ultimately your passion.
Only join the organizations that fuel and enhance your passion. If your passion is to optimize medication use through the advancement of pharmacists’ role, then APhA–ASP is a great fit. Don’t waste your time or the organization’s time by joining to simply put it on your CV.
Networking
Opportunities for networking started during your pre-acceptance pharmacy school interview. First impressions do matter, but they are not permanent or imprinted on you. Rewrite your mistakes through consistent self-improvement, hard work, and perseverance.
The next 4 years will be spent mostly with your peers attending classes and studying for tests. Jim Rohn excellently stated that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Choose to surround yourself with people who support and motivate you to excel. Pharmacy school is easier when you have a support system to count on during successes and failures. Some of your peers may not like you, or may not want to be friends with you, and that is okay. Some students like coffee and others prefer tea. There is nothing wrong with the coffee, tea, or you.
Pharmacy school will only get harder during the next 4 years. However, you will become stronger and wiser. Be grateful for the supporters and naysayers. The supporters will carry you when you lose strength to stand on your own two feet. The naysayers will reveal your hidden beauty. Comments like “she is weird” reveals that “she is willing to step outside the box into extraordinary. “He talks too much” exposes how “he fearlessly uses his voice.” Celebrate yourself. You made it this far!
No matter what happens, don’t give up. Failure is inevitable and success is only attainable through failure.
With love,
Final-Year Joanne