By Myriam Shaw Ojeda

Do you ever feel anchorless in the choppy waves of pharmacy school? I know the statement sounds oddly poetic, but that is how I have felt in the past few months. I am a final-year student pharmacist and in the very near future, my life will transition from a student to a practitioner. 

This past September, I had a conversation with a pharmacy systems director about transitions and priorities. Afterwards, he continued the discussion by asking whether I had written out a pharmacy philosophy statement. I was intrigued by the exercise and so I began an attempt at writing my own. After the process, not only did I have a foundational thesis to guide where I was headed next, but I also felt more grounded in the principles that I laid out. 

In this article, I will share seven steps to help you create your own philosophy statement. My hope is that you too will find the anchor that will keep your focus steady throughout pharmacy school and into your future career. 

1. What are your values?

Amidst the crazy and complex layers of who you are, there lies a set of core values. These values are the deepest expression of what you care about most. How can you identify your values? Begin by asking why you chose pharmacy. Then ask one more time, then another time. Stop only when you have reached down to the final why. That is when you know you’ve reached the bedrock of your values.

2. Outside forces

Whether you like it or not, there are external forces that influence you. They could be anything from family expectations, to career options, to student loans. Make a list of forces that play a part in your pharmacy story. Be honest about who or what drives you. 

3. Don’t be afraid to dream

If  you could step out of the confines of your day-to-day life and think of a career goal so exciting that it scares you, what would it be? Oftentimes, young professionals feel constrained by the burdens they carry. The “what ifs” of the world usually work to confuse and deter our dreams. Step outside of your fears and dream big.

4. Make a list, check it twice

Hopefully by this step you will have three sets of lists. Try to combine ideas and themes to one master list. So, if you had a value of helping people, an external force of a family member who needed medical care, and a dream of becoming a pediatric specialist, put them under one bullet point on the master list. 

5. Write it out, add your flair

You now have all the materials needed to craft your philosophy statement. Remember to incorporate your values, driving forces, and goals. Don’t forget to keep it personal and true to your individual style and personality. If you love puns, don’t make the process a punishment, write it out in your style. 

6. Sharing is caring 

Share your pharmacy philosophy statement with friends and family. People closest to you may perceive you differently than you see yourself. Ask them whether they see you in the statement you wrote.  

7. Make it visible

A pharmacy philosophy statement is not meant to sit in a drawer or online drive. Rather, it’s a daily declaration of how you carry out your professional life. Make sure that it is physically visible as a daily call to truly live out your goals. 

I hope you don’t just read this and move on to another self-help article with a catchy title. Instead, take a pause in your busy life and make that foundation clearly visible to yourself. It will empower you to take action and will make the amazing goals in your life tangible realities.