Never too late to contemplate career options
Alison, I strongly admire your willingness to take on such a concentrated APPE rotation in a neonatal intensive care unit. I personally do not have any experience with pediatrics, however, I have had some rotational experiences in adult intensive care unit settings, which I am sure are both very similar and vastly different patient care settings. This off-label use of adult medications in children is unique knowledge to learn and an experience that will inevitably come in handy during your career.
Way to go with following your dreams and challenging yourself!
That work–life balance
I truly agree with your advice for fellow student pharmacists to take time for themselves outside of APPE rotations and pharmacy school. Off-block APPE rotations are the perfect opportunity to take advantage of catching up on your social life and also have time for hobbies that you have put on the backburner. Take a short vacation, go out and enjoy the wilderness, spend time with family and friends, whatever it is that makes you happy, go do it!
This concept of balancing work and free-time is also key to keep in mind when you advance into a potential residency and your pharmacy career. Being a pharmacist, especially during a PGY1 or even PGY2 residency, can sometimes call for up to an 80-hour work week, without any off-blocks. It is important that you keep in mind to have balance in your life, even when it seems to be like an act in a circus. I recommend avoiding procrastination, and completing work-related projects before the deadline in order to allow yourself to enjoy down-time whenever it presents itself and to decrease stress.
A career curveball
In my opinion, it is never too late to contemplate your career options when on APPE rotations, and I believe this is completely normal for you to be experiencing this. I will quickly tell you of my career journey to help ease your mind, for I experienced a similar situation as a student pharmacist.
I entered APPE rotations with my heart set on becoming a PGY1 acute care pharmacy resident following graduation. In order to meet this career goal, I took as many acute care rotations that I could, most focusing in on my favorite practice area, cardiology. Then, on my fourth block, I had my first ambulatory care clinic experience. Talk about a career curveball! I loved it, but, could I seriously love this more than acute care? I was suddenly second guessing my entire plan to pursue the residencies that I had interviewed for just the month before.
PGY1 Match Day was only a week away and I had ranked three competitive programs. I stuck with my initial plan (being the Type A student pharmacist that most student pharmacists are) and awaited the Match results. The stars in my universe had somehow aligned and I did not match—the most bittersweet feeling in the world—
however, it was very reassuring due to my change of heart. I decided to enter round two of the Match, focusing on ambulatory care, despite my previous three APPE experiences being in acute care and my research also in the inpatient hospital setting.
I am now officially a PGY2 ambulatory care resident and I could not be a happier pharmacist. I love the relationships and interactions that I have with my patients, and I am still able to focus on my love for cardiology every single day.
Thoughts on your questions
With that story told, I do not think that you are alone in the world of contemplating career choices or even the worry of being too specialized. If you decide to pursue pediatric organ transplant, you will be a PharmD who pursued further specialization; however, do not ever forget your title of being a medication expert. If you ever choose to pursue another area of pharmacy, it will be like any new position—training and practice will be key components to your success. But being a PharmD who completed a residency builds your CV immensely. It shows perseverance, dedication, and knowledge that will make you a competitive candidate for nearly any position.
I hope that this eases your mind and allows you to pursue your dreams and follow your heart, similarly to how I did. Good luck on the rest of your APPE rotational journey and on PGY1 Match Day!
Corinn Floyd, PharmD, is a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Resident at the Center for Pharmacy Care in Pittsburgh, PA.