Pharmacy.
When you hear this word, you probably think of medicine, and you aren’t wrong because I did too. When I first started studying pharmacy, I thought it would be long hours of studying formulas, calculating doses, understanding side effects, and memorizing drug names I could barely pronounce.
But looking back now, I realize that pharmacy gave me something more valuable than just medicine knowledge. Pharmacy school taught me how to think, how to pause before reacting, how to explain complex ideas simply, and how to keep going even when I felt completely lost. As a human person, as well as a health professional, it influenced my perspective on the world.
Dear readers, this post isn’t about pharmacy or pharmacology. It’s about the unexpected life lessons that come with them.
Pause before reacting
In school and the professional world, we’re often told to work as quickly as possible, so patients don’t wait too long. But, pharmacy taught me that sometimes it’s important to pause. In pharmacy, one rushed decision can have real consequences. A pause is about learning that slowing down to double-check something is not a sign of doubt; precisely, it is a sign of responsibility.
When I become a health professional, whether I’m responding to a difficult situation, having a tough conversation, or feeling overwhelmed, I pause to think these things through. It is a habit that started with patient safety, but it has helped me become a clearer thinker, a more thoughtful person outside of work, too.
Communicate Clearly
A pharmacy is not just about how great your medical knowledge is, but also about explaining it. It’s not enough to know something; you have to understand how to communicate it well to others, especially your patients.
It taught me how to explain complicated things in simple words. Patients don’t care about the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of drugs; their concerns are about how to take it, when to take it, what to avoid, how to store it, and whether they will feel better after taking the medicine.
I realize that this skill applies to every part of life, not only as a health professional. This applies whether I am explaining something to my friends, colleagues, or family. I will try my best to be clear.
Feeling uncertainty
When I was a pharmacy student, there were moments I felt completely overwhelmed by the pressure, the workload, the expectations, or simply the feeling that maybe I didn’t belong. In pharmacy, we learn so many things, not only the things we like, but also the things we don’t like. There were times I didn’t understand the material, which brought me to question my path. But I endured all of those feelings in every possible way. Now, those moments have become lessons, too.
If you feel the same now, I want to tell you, it’s okay to feel lost sometimes. Even now that I have become a professional, I still don’t always have the answers; I just keep searching.
It’s fine to feel perplexed, held captive, or to ask questions. What matters is that you keep showing up and doing your best. I’ve carried these mindsets with me ever since, the kind of mindset that can’t be found in textbooks. We gradually developed this over time. So just keep going.
Teamwork isn’t just a buzzword.
Behind every prescription, there’s a team: pharmacists, doctors, nurses, nutritionists, lab techs, and others. Even within the pharmacy department itself, teamwork is evident, with pharmacists and assistants working in various areas.
Pharmacy taught me how to collaborate, respect different roles, ask for help, and how communication makes everything smoother. So, everyone plays a role – and you have to trust them with what they are doing, just like they trust you.
Pharmacy is not a solo practice; no matter how much you know or how independent you are, you will always be part of something bigger.
Value of discipline
The other thing that pharmacy taught me was the importance of discipline. Even when things are difficult, you show up every day. Even after studying late into the night, you still had to wake up early for morning lectures or labs, or triple-checking tiny details in dispensing. At first, you had no choice but to do so, but then discipline became a habit.
It wasn’t easy, for sure. There were moments when I was tired, frustrated, and wanted to give up. But consistency matters more than perfection. That’s what I learned. So, I endured all of it and still show up every day. Now, those lessons have stayed with me in all parts of my life.
My final thoughts…
The pharmacy gave me more than a profession. It changed me in unexpected ways. It gave me knowledge, yes – but pharmacy also gave me perspective, patience, and a sense of purpose.
Behind every chart, every case, and every prescription, there is a person. The human side – the part that listens, pauses, explains, and endures – is just as important. Being a healthcare professional isn’t just about solving problems– it’s about connecting with people.
So this post isn’t about medicine or pharmacy. It’s about what the pharmacy taught me about life.