In the summer of 2014, I embarked on the opportunity of a lifetime. I was selected to take part in the APhA–ASP/ International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) Student Exchange Program (SEP). Prior to joining my university’s IPSF chapter, I was unaware that I would have the opportunity to travel to a foreign county while learning more about becoming a great pharmacist. My SEP experience allowed me to practice pharmacy in a different setting.


I was selected to go to Heidelberg, Germany, a gorgeous city located along the River Neckar. While in Germany, I enhanced my pharmacy knowledge by working in a community pharmacy for 4 weeks. I resided in a dorm at the University of Heidelberg and was connected with an exchange officer from the university, who was responsible for assisting me throughout my journey. Little did I know that my exchange officer, Katharina Wien, would eventually become one of my closest friends.

When I found out about the new Global Pharmacy Scholars (GPS) program at my school, I knew I had to apply. The GPS program was created so that fourth-year University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy student pharmacists could spend 1 month on a rotation abroad. I was excited to step outside my comfort zone, travel, and learn about pharmacy in another part of the world. When I found out that I received a scholarship from the program to travel to Malawi, I was thrilled. I expected my parents to be against the idea of their oldest daughter traveling to a third-world country for an entire month, but when I broke the news to them, they asked, “Did you say you’re going to Maui? Can we come?”

I peered through the glass doors as I anxiously waited for them to open. Once they did, bold colors and personalities welcomed me into the Sam’s Club corporate world. I walked straight to the fourth floor and looked for my team in the maze of cubicles. I had no idea what to expect as a summer intern at Sam’s Club Health and Wellness in Bentonville, AR. 


I never thought about learning the business side of health care or spending a summer in northwest Arkansas during my pharmacy school experience, but my time here was incredibly eye-opening. I grew more as a student pharmacist than I ever could have imagined in the classroom. 


The best advice someone once gave me was, “Your first job is not your last job.” This has certainly been the case for me because my career path has been anything but linear and 
traditional—and that has suited me well.

Student pharmacists are lucky to have various opportunities for traditional careers tracks after graduation. Still, there are student pharmacists who may be interested in something different: graduate school. Although the concept of more education may be daunting, graduate school provides the experience needed to set oneself apart in academia, managed care, and the pharmaceutical industry. Despite what it may seem, the cost of remaining in school to obtain a graduate degree is minimal and can be mitigated with a little planning and hard work