Another Year Bites the Dust

Assuming I’ve passed all my finals, I can cross another year of pharmacy school off my list!  Since I began school in August I’ve taken out enough student loans to cover my $20,000 tuition, spent $500 on books, made over 2,000 flashcards, took 4,000 sheets worth of notes, spent over 1,000 hours studying, taken 36 tests, spent 300 hours commuting, and written 10 papers.  I guess you could say it’s been a rather demanding year.  Looking back over the past 9 months, I have learned a lot both inside and out of school.  Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned during my second year of pharmacy school:

1.      It is possible to date while going to school.  Yes, I know this was a shock to me too.  I never imagined I would have enough time to be a student and actually have a relationship with someone.  But, it did happen and has been oh so perfect.

2.      I love retail pharmacy!  I always imagined I’d end up working in clinical pharmacy but I love retail!  It is so rewarding to counsel so many people every day and really feel like you’re making a positive difference in their lives.

3.      I really like Chinese food.  Like, a lot.

4.      Holding the pharmacy law class at 7:30 a.m. is a cruel and unusual punishment.

5.      It’s a really, really bad idea to B.S. papers.  Just ask my management group.  We B.S.ed a 20-page paper about pharmacy work-flow, and our professor loved it so much she wanted us to present it to the entire pharmacotherapy faculty at a staff meeting.  Yikes! 

6.      The heated blanket is the best invention ever and whoever invented it should receive a Nobel Prize.

7.      I am actually capable of teaching relief society.  Though I always had the “I am going to vomit” feeling before giving my lessons, once I actually began teaching I L-O-V-E-D it.  I loved all the insight I gained into gospel principles, I loved the stories that the sisters shared, and I loved getting outside of my little shy bubble and sharing my testimony with others.

8.      Spring Semester really should be called winter semester.

9.      Making different medications and then counseling on them in compounding class is a blast!  Pharmacy students are probably the only students who get an A for telling their  professor to go stick something (suppository) up their rear.

10.  Dante’s Peak is not nearly as scary as it was when I was 9.  In fact, I think I’m starting to get over my irrational fear of volcanoes.

11.  Pharmacy school takes over your life, including your thinking.  I’ve recently fallen into the habit of deciding what type of a drug a person would be.  For example, some speakers in church have been an Ambien (sleep medication), while other people have been Fosamax (bone strengthing drug) to me, and I’ve loved my dose of Prozac (antidepressant medication) I’ve gotten every time I’m around Rick.

12.  Automatic doors don’t open during power outages.  Assuming the doors will open, results in a bruised ego.

13.  After graduating, I want to teach!  I’ve discovered my love of teaching and I hope to teach part-time at SLCC and work part-time as a retail pharmacist.  This seems like the perfect combination.

14.  You are never too old to fly kites, feed ducks, swing on the swing, or play tag.

15.  I have the most amazing family and friends!  Thanks for helping me get through another year.  I couldn’t have made it without all of your love, encouragement, and support!