To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “I am currently in my third year of pharmacy at Dalhousie University’s College of Pharmacy in Halifax, NS. Prior to pharmacy school, I completed two years of medicinal chemistry at UNB. Currently, I am a lab demonstrator for first year pharmacy students, and I am the VP Charity at on the Dalhousie Student Pharmacy Society. My biggest role is as the president of Dalhousie BEAM, which stands for Because Everyone’s Ability Matters; it’s very similar to UNB SPRING! Outside of school, my interests include swimming, hiking, cycling, and yoga.”
What factors played into your decision to attend professional school? “There were many factors that played into my decision. First, my dad was sick for the majority of my childhood and adolescence, so this had a huge impact on my decision to go into the medical field. Second, I got myself a job in a pharmacy prior to applying to pharmacy to see what the job was like, and I knew after my first few shifts that pharmacy was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I would highly suggest getting a job within your field of interest prior to applying to a professional school.”
If you could go back and change one thing about your education to this point, what would it be? “Like most people applying to professional school, I focused on getting the pre-requisites for my professional program done; however, if I could go back, I would allow myself to take more classes that I enjoyed. In pharmacy school, we do not get any electives, so I wish that I had chosen some fun classes to take in my undergrad.”
What were you most excited for in professional school? “At the moment, I am very excited for our clinical rotations which will be happening this summer, pending COVID restrictions. We get to experience both community pharmacy (like at a Shoppers Drug Mart or other pharmacy in your community) and hospital pharmacy, each of which is very different and presents unique challenges. Finally, I can’t wait for a career that allows me to be an advocate for patients every day.”
Was it always your goal to pursue professional school, or was there event or organization that helped determine this for you? “It has always been my goal to go to pharmacy school. There were a few times where I thought about different programs; like most students, I have changed my mind once or two, and have even doubted my abilities. I ultimately decided to apply to Dalhousie University, and I haven’t looked back since!”
Jenny can be reached at jn416117@dal.ca for further questions.