Dear Devin,

The year is 1998. It’s December, and we have just learned that we failed the physiology final midway through second year. We are despondent and openly wonder if pharmacy is the right fit as a career.

Mom and Dad tried to guide us in high school; there was no plan for university other than wanting to stay in a science-related field. Mom’s background is child-development, so she always seemed to know what her kids would do or experience before we did. Dad’s training was in the fields of architecture and environmental design, requiring spatial orientation and extreme precision. Neither knew much about pharmacy other than they had a pleasant family pharmacist and were impressed by his combination of social skills and pharmacology knowledge. Sounded like it could be a viable option.

After 2 years of a chemistry degree, acceptance into the pharmacy program was an enormous source of pride. Eager to learn about a different kind of chemistry, there was another wrinkle to consider: the advent of problem-based learning (PBL). This style of learning is quite self-directed with minimal didactic lectures. Relying on peers to help educate and problem-solve was a dramatic departure from previous university experience. Accreditation for this new program was conditional, so that added to the nerves. As an aural/visual learner, frustrations began to mount with the lack of direction. Building a house without a foundation and having to craft all the pieces from scratch was proving to be a tall order.

Rest assured, we ARE on the right track. Waiting to re-write the exam at the end of the academic year was a struggle, but you’ll earn your pass and shall soon forget how close you came to moving in a different direction.

Pharmacy has been THE perfect fit for you and your personality. The highlights are numerous, but I shall attempt to preview a few of them:

1. Benefits of Problem-Based Learning – Stay with me here. The method that almost broke our spirit ended up providing valuable tools for your journey. We will earn the ability to work collaboratively as a clinician, vetting good evidence from the poor, and learning how to own therapeutic decisions.
2. The pharmacy community – From our time in class or tutorial, to our clinical rotations, to our first solo shift behind the counter, to our first medication error, there will be a sense of belonging from countless professors, preceptors, mentors and confidants along the way. As an older and wiser you, I am excited to say that many of your classmates still hold special places in your life 25 years later.
3. A wealth of opportunity – This doesn’t just refer to roles of employment with escalating responsibility. It also includes contributions to continuing education, advisory/steering committees, regulatory projects, advocacy events with government representatives, and the chance to specialize in special populations or disease states.
4. Continuing Care – This segment of pharmacy will prove to be one of the most rewarding in our career, both as a facility consultant and later as an operations manager. Working with the frail elderly will provide a rich appreciation of the delicate balance between therapeutic outcomes and quality of life.
5. Coaching – Watching people grow their skills and thrive along their chosen paths will become our main fount of purpose, streaming with pride. You never know when someone you introduce to the profession of pharmacy will choose it as their own career path.

In addition, there will be a few items that with the benefit of hindsight, are now a source of amusement:

1. Carbon Paper – It shouldn’t come as any surprise that dot matrix printer ribbons were past their prime from the time we accepted that first pharmacy job. Filling out manual claims on carbon copies and mailing them to insurance plans will seem ridiculous almost immediately. Enjoy the ‘zip-zip’ sounds and the tearing of those perforated strips while you can.
2. Sleuthing – On occasion we might feel like a big deal when reading a prescription with terrible handwriting for a drug name that hasn’t existed in two decades from an out-of-town doctor who graduated med school in the sixties. It may impress the new interns, but we have to acknowledge just how terribly unsafe many of those orders will be.
3. Compounding – Taking out the hotplate and magnetic stirrer to melt some soft paraffin is surprisingly satisfying, that is until the the cap is removed from the bottle of LCD that remains to be added. That dark brown liquid with an unmistakable scent lingered like no other. It managed to stain everything and seemed to splash by itself no matter how careful we tried to be. Take home point: always take advantage of our yearly quota of lab-coat purchases!
4. Errors happen – The goal of perfection is noble, but impossible. Enter each day with the mindset to help as many people as you can safely and conscientiously. We will own our mistakes and do our best to learn from them. Do not allow a singular negative patient experience to detract from hundreds and thousands of positive interactions. Our intention is to help people, and we certainly will.

To sum up, please stick with this gift of a career and keep an open mind about what kind of pharmacist…check that…person you want to be. Be thankful for the journey and the people that make it meaningful. Use your lessons to inspire others to grow within the profession. Stay curious. Stay grounded. We may never fully appreciate the impact we will have but down the road a little ways, those fingerprints will be recognizable.

Can’t wait for you to venture out into young adulthood and make some marks! Best of luck on our chosen path.

Sincerely,

You/Me #stillaworkinprogress

PS – Hashtags (#) will make more sense in about 10-15 years 😉

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.