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I recently finished my second year of pharmacy school. I can’t believe I’m halfway through my program and another year closer to my Pharm.D. degree. My second year of pharmacy school involved more therapeutics, less foundational knowledge, and navigating the COVID situation. I ended the year on a high note, starting a new internship.
Before I tell you about my second year of pharmacy school, I want to make you are caught up to this point. You can read about my first year of pharmacy school here and all about my life leading up to starting pharmacy school here. Now, onto my second year of pharmacy school.
The Classes
As I said, my second year of pharmacy school was more about therapeutics and less about foundational knowledge. We did have a couple more foundational courses this year, but most of my study time went into therapeutics. Therapeutics is all about the different medical conditions and the medications that can help treat them. It comes with a lot of studying, and finding a way to make sense of all the material was a hard adjustment for me. Luckily I found a great friend who studies with me and made our studying time enjoyable. One of my priorities this year was finding a study group. While I didn’t find a group, I did find one person who is now my best friend, and we’ve been studying together all year.
Studying My Second Year of Pharmacy School
One of my more significant challenges this year was changing my studying strategy. Last year I passed all my classes by making a study guide and looking over it right before the exam. With all the information I had to learn in therapeutics, that would not work well for me this year. Luckily, my best friend found a great way to study by making colorful charts of the different disease states we had to learn. These charts, along with finding a study partner, helped me to pass my classes.
I also learned how to walk through the background of the health problem to find the best course of treatment would be. First, I would understand what was going wrong with the body compared to how things typically work. Next, I look at the drugs available for that health condition and how they work in the body. Finally, I walk myself through why having a drug work a certain way in the body would help in the medical condition that is being treated. Knowing what was happening and how we could fix the problem helped me understand the correct treatment regimen for different situations
Leadership Roles
This year I also took on multiple leadership positions. I was co-president of the Christian Medical Association (CMA), a peer mentor, and an early assurance advisor, and continuing to serve on my school’s wellness council.
Christian Medical Association is my school’s Christian Medical and Dental Association chapter. This organization was an excellent resource for me to meet other Christian medical professionals attending my school. Throughout my leadership, I grew closer in my relationship with God and helped bring other students closer. I also had an opportunity to learn how to bring my beliefs into my patient care tastefully. The year has finished, and I am still serving as president for the time being.
The peer mentor and early assurance advisor programs are very similar in concept and time. I served as a role model for students who are either current pharmacy students or future pharmacy students. These programs enriched both networking opportunities and helped me learn more about my limited knowledge.
A New Internship
At the end of the school year, I began looking for an internship. I wanted to find a job that took what I was learning in my classes and applied it to patient situations. I applied to two different programs and received an interview at each. Ultimately, I chose the position with more learning and networking opportunities both within the pharmacy and throughout the health center. I am pleased in my job and hope I continue to serve the patients well.
Wrapping Things Up
My second year of pharmacy school was tough, but not tough enough to turn me away from this fantastic career. I hope if you are a current or future pharmacy student, this post has helped you see a little better the life of a second-year student. If you are interested in learning more about my time in school, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me here so we can talk!
As always, if you like this post and want to stay up to date, follow me on Instagram (@averylivinglife) and Pinterest (username: averylivinglife) for news and updates on my adventures!
Thanks.