Do you remember being a child and having people ask you, "What are you going to be when you grow up?" Many students I come across have known they wanted to be a pharmacist for several years. Maybe they have a family member in pharmacy or maybe it is the exposure of the profession to more consumers and patients, but more and more students today seem to have had some idea they would end up in pharmacy early in their lives. I, however, did not...and this is why I have taken sort of a scenic route into the world of pharmacy education.
When I was deciding what my major was in college, I chose Math....not because I thought it would land me some great career or earn me lots of money, but because I loved math. Yes, some will call me a nerd because of this...but I have learned to embrace that title! When you get towards the end of your senior year of college and begin to worry about jobs, the questions start flooding in..."What are you going to do with your degree?", "What will be your career?", "How will you pay off your loans?" Somehow I didn't have a good answer for any of these questions. Many wondered if I would teach with my degree. Although I have a mother and sister who are both high school teachers and had always enjoyed helping others learn, I wasn't sure this was the career for me. Plus, I hadn't studied education in college and without student teaching I didn't think I could survive a day in the classroom. Graduation day came and so did the excitement for the future and fear of failure. I was standing there with a BA in Math and no prospects for a career to use that degree!
Fast forward a year, after working some retail jobs and a going no where sales position, I decided that I needed to stop wasting my education and do something I really enjoyed. At that time I thought I would giving teaching a try. Living at the time in Charlotte, NC I found that the school system was desperate for Math teachers. So, without any formal teaching experience I starting teaching high school math. This was a scary, exciting and rewarding experience all wrapped into one. I started taking education classes at this same time and found that I really enjoyed teaching. It also had it's struggles though and one day while standing in a pharmacy waiting to pick up my prescription, I realized I wanted more.
I refer to the experience as a "TV special" kind of moment. It sounds crazy, but all the hubbub of the busy pharmacy sort of disappeared into the background and I was focused on the pharmacist counseling an elderly woman on her medications. I couldn't hear what was going on, but something in watching that interaction from afar made me realize that pharmacy could be the perfect fit for me...this was the math and science I always loved, a chance to work with people and an opportunity to continue to educate. In a whirlwind of one year I had then taken the PCATs, applied to pharmacy school and was headed back home to Maryland to the School of Pharmacy.
As I went through pharmacy school my ideas of what a pharmacist could do really changed. While I always had a love for the community setting, I realized that this wasn't just about dispensing medications and counseling patients even. This is what led me to do a PGY-1 in Community Practice. My love of teaching also stayed with me and throughout pharmacy school I took advantage of opportunities to teach including being a TA in the Women's Health course and doing a teaching rotation my P4 year. This love was further strengthened as I had the opportunity to teach in the pharmacy curriculum during my residency. As I was finishing my PGY-1 residency I realized that I really enjoyed practicing in the Ambulatory Care setting and wanted to continue my training in a PGY-2 residency. When looking for a program, I made sure that I would have continued opportunities to teach. This search led me to Wilkes University where I was able to practice in the VA and a Family Medicine Practice as well as teach at the School of Pharmacy. I enjoyed this role so much that it confirmed that I would pursue a career in academia.
Looking for a school to teach at I wanted one that had a warm community atmosphere, an innovative curriculum and a faculty that was dedicated to helping students achieve their potential. It was a perfect fit when I walked through the doors of Shenandoah University. Plus, the school had the beautiful location to boot!
I am excited to see what experiences lie ahead for me as I start this adventure as a first year faculty member. What I know already is that although the road has been long and challenging getting here, it has definitely been worth it so far. And, although my path my be different than some of my students...and perhaps a bit more scenic...all of these experiences have helped me to become a better pharmacist and educator. I look forward to growing over the next year and letting you have a glimpse into what life is like as first year faculty. :)
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