community – Gluten Free PharmD Mama

Alright, now that it’s been 2 months since I got licensed, let’s talk about how I feel to FINALLY be a pharmacist. Honestly, it feels unreal. There are days where I have major imposter syndrome and feel like I’m not qualified to be answering questions and verifying prescriptions. But the thing is, I AM qualified. I went to professional school for 4 years to become qualified. I took 2 very intense board exams to become qualified. I AM a pharmacist.

I have to constantly remind myself that pharmacy school and real practice are two very different things. I may have learned a lot during school, but there’s also a lot that they couldn’t have taught me. As of November 2020, there were over 20,000 prescription drugs on the market. On top of that, there are thousands and thousands of supplements and OTC medications. I have to remind myself that it is physically impossible for me to know every drug and every side effect.

In school, they taught me one of the best skills to utilize as a pharmacist, and that’s to investigate AND to do it quickly. How long does it take me to pull up MicroMedex or Lexicomp or the Natural Products Database and search for a specific drug or supplement? Less than 5 minutes. How long does it take me to dig a little deeper and look for primary literature? A little longer, but not too long. That’s the thing about pharmacists. We know how to dig.

So yeah, I may feel like sometimes I don’t know anything. I may feel like I’m not qualified, but between my ability to research and several more years in practice, I’ll know a heck of a lot more. I mean hey, even I can cut myself some slack. It’s only been 2 months.

I absolutely love everything about being a pharmacist. Getting to counsel patients on how to take their medications and see the impact that I’ve already had in 2 months, I know I chose the right field.

I’m learning so much, and I know I’ll continue to learn over the course of my career as a pharmacist. I’m slowly gaining confidence in myself. I’ve given countless COVID vaccines and COVID tests, I’ve counseled over a dozen patients, and I’ve had great conversations with others. I’m getting more comfortable in the shoes that I’ve stepped into when I took the Oath of a Pharmacist, passed my boards, and signed on to a residency program to grow as the pharmacy professional I know I can be.

So here’s to the rest of my life, to continuously learning, but most importantly, to helping my patients.

Stay Golden,

Emily

Everyone thinks that I am crazy because I have wanted to be a pharmacist since I was in the 5th grade, but I have.

Everyone wonders how I came up with that as a career that early in life. How does a 12-year-old want to become a pharmacist? Why would you want to count pills all day? How does that sound appealing?

The truth is, I didn’t make the decision by myself. Honestly, it has always felt like God was leading me in this direction my whole life. All of the pieces of the puzzle have consistently been falling into place.

I have always looked up to my cousin, Laura, who is an amazing pharmacist. Growing up, I saw how much she was able to help her patients. I saw the passion that she had for helping the community, and I wanted that. My dad was always reminding me how much my study habits and personality reminded him of Laura, and that was another reason I felt like I would be perfect for the job.

Some people go through pharmacy school because they know that pharmacists can make a 6-figure salary, but that was never it for me. I am truly passionate about being able to help patients become the healthiest that they can be.

My end goal is to own my own independent pharmacy where I will be able to treat patients how I see fit without the oversight from a corporation. I want to host educational classes for patients and their families to be able to learn about their disease and how to best manage it with lifestyle modifications, not just medication. I want to get patients to their healthiest while making sure they are on the appropriate therapies and they are able to get taken off of therapies that are not working for them or are unnecessary.

I am constantly told that this is a pipe dream and that independent pharmacies are going out of business, but I truly believe that once patients see how I’m willing to treat them, they’ll be excited to start their healthcare journey with me and my team.

I am willing to do whatever it takes to get to this goal because I know that God has called me to this career and to make the community a better place for everyone in it.

No matter how big or small your dream is, it will succeed if it is what you are truly called to do.

Never forget to dream and to shoot for the stars.

Stay Golden,

Emily