"Tzeva Adom, Tzeva Adom” blares over the loud speakers across the whole city. Men, women, and children have 15 seconds to run to the nearest bomb shelter before a bomb hits. The ones that cannot make it to the shelters lie down on the ground, hands over their head, praying the missiles do not hit them. Fifteen seconds after the first “Tzeva Adom (Code Red)” warning, the missile goes off and smoke fills the city. 

This was reality in Sderot, a small city in southern Israel, situated within half a mile of the Gaza Strip. Sderot, known as the “Bomb Shelter Capital of the World,” became a city in Israel in 1996. During this time, a large immigration wave from the former Soviet Union populated the city.

Summer brings time for relaxation, getting together with friends, and enjoying a break from school work. However, in pharmacy school, summer is a time when many of you may be embarking on either IPPEs or APPEs, or participating in an internship, pharmacy-related work, or research. As you read the article title again, you might be questioning the timing of the topic.

There are many wonderful articles that will discuss explicit ways to ace your interview or provide you with example questions. One underlying similarity to these tips and tricks is that you must have experiences to talk about in an interview. What you do this summer can have lasting impacts on your interview.

When I got into pharmacy school at the University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy in 2016, the last thing I imagined was getting involved in politics. I always enjoyed the sciences and pharmacy because they were on the opposite spectrum from politics. Then I got into pharmacy school, and my attitude shifted.

I started to see how my scope of practice can change with an introduction of a bill. It could be a change for the better, pushing pharmacy forward, or change to push the profession back. How could I practice pharmacy the way I planned if my career is in the hands of someone in political office? I could not stand by and let others make decisions on something they have no experience in. If pharmacists don’t take charge of the profession, then who will?

It all started with joining APhA–ASP and going on my first visit with a legislator.

For the past 2 years, pharmacy policy and advocacy have been my life. I dedicate my free time to the advancement of the pharmacy profession and patient care without even thinking twice. After witnessing the policy open hearing at my first Midyear Regional Meeting (MRM), I just couldn’t stop myself from diving in and learning more.

I saw that the policy process within APhA–ASP gave me an opportunity to not only have my voice heard, but to make a difference in the lives of millions of patients. I also realized that I couldn’t do this alone. Change requires the collective voices of student pharmacists all speaking up and supporting legislation that could better patient care. I wanted to be a part of it.

Pharmacy graduates today are facing the unprecedented financial situation of coming out of school with an average debt load greater than $160,000. So, despite making a six-figure salary, many pharmacists feel like they are living paycheck-to-paycheck.

That’s why more than ever, you, as a pharmacy professional, have to take control of your money or it will take control of you. The team at Your Financial Pharmacist is committed to helping you, as a student pharmacist, build a strong financial foundation.

Here is our list of five financial steps to take as a student pharmacist to get you started.