Pharmacy School

You Should Not Go to Pharmacy School if…

1. You are not fascinated by how a human body works. This is the basis for healthcare. From physiology, to pathophysiology, to pharmacology… it’s about the human body! 
2. You hate chemistry. By the time I graduate, I will have taken at least 32 credits of chemistry courses/chemistry labs. Many drugs are chemical compounds, so learning how they work is a big part of the curriculum. There is no way around it. 
3. You are not willing to sacrifice. You’re putting in at least 6-8 years of hard work before you can actually start your career. Talk about delayed gratification! If you’re the kid who would take one marshmallow immediately instead of 2 marshmallows later, pharmacy might drive you crazy. I think the secret is accepting that the journey is the reward (which seems bizarre because it’s a hard journey). But there’s a sense of satisfaction and self-fulfillment that can only come from hard work and perseverance. 
4. You do not like people. Your patients are people. Your healthcare colleagues are people. 
5. You give up easily. Pharmacy school is all about resilience. Even if you’re studying for 10-12 hours a day for multiple days, you can still do very poorly on an exam. And you have to accept it, pick your ego back up, and just try to improve on the next one. Hard work does not always equate to success; and that’s okay! Next time! It’s one out of many, and you’ll win in the long run.