Career Advice

CAREER ADVICE THE PHARMA-FUTURE

In first year of pharmacy school, most of pharmacy students get confused with the future of their profession. Most of them feel out of place and this is due to prior lack of knowledge of what pharmacy is. It’s only a few who get into the course programme due to their inner passion of pharmacy but to most, pharmacy school is just a second option after medicine or a way in for them to a family business or it was just by the fact that fate landed them in that course either by choice or by lacking any other option. Why the confusion? Mostly because of the wrong theories they have been told since they where young that a pharmacist only sells Panadol in a chemist, that it’s the most difficult course to do, that majority drop out only a few make it to graduation. Well these are totally misconceptions about a pharmacy doctor. Am glad that in the past years of my pharmacy studies first year students get oriented about pharmacy at large by the senior students and pharmacy professionals to avoid the fore-mentioned wrong ideas about being a pharmacy doctor.

proper drug and therapeutic treatments. They work hand in hand with medical doctors, nutritionists, pharmaceutical companies so as to ensure proper pharmacological practices. It might seem like a straightforward job, filling prescriptions and dispensing drugs. Pharmacist must use their extensive knowledge of drug dosage, regulation, allergens and chemical reactions for each and every patient. Furthermore, pharmacists have the power to venture into pharmaceutical business, working in a drug manufacturing industry and also get into research and drug discovery. In a nutshell a pharmacy doctor is a wide healthcare profession that is involved in all aspects of medicine delivery to a patient.

After graduation; after completing 5 years in pharma-school then what next? Most of graduated pharmacy students prepare for the first stage exams of Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB). When one passes, he/she proceeds to one-year internship programme supervised by PPB. The programme entails 2 months in Pharmaceutical industry, 3 months in a community pharmacy, 6 months in a hospital and 2 months in a level 2 hospital or a health Centre or a dispensary. This programme helps one to know the best area of work he or she feels fit, also helps build the future career of oneself since its part of the stepping stone to a success pharmacy career. An advice from friends who happen to have experienced internship life, is that one should take internship seriously and put more effort in it to test all the skills he/she learnt in campus and see how they work in real world. Finally, at the end of internship one has to ensure he/she knows how to fulfill tasks that are relevant to their desired field of pharmacy and sharpening the skills that they already possess.

Currently in Kenya securing a job is difficult but at the same time it’s easy only if you employ certain features in you to ensure an achievable pharmacy career. Among the features mostly an intern should practice and a pharmacy student:

Networking and good communication- Make sure you make most of your degree-life/ internship and take advantage of all the opportunities that come in. Unglue yourself from the staying in class or on a desk get to know your fellow colleagues. This is the only way people will know who you are and what you are all about and most importantly remember you. That’s why we have Kenya Pharmacy students Association that brings all pharmacy students together as well as International Pharmacy Students Federation

IPSF. Taking part of activities and events of these associations not only will create great memories and making friends but will widen your pharmacy profession network. Be proactive as early as now.

Work hard in whatever you do – Always work hard even if your task is small or seems unimportant as an intern or student. It will help you build a good work ethic, and people will notice the effort you put in. I know internship life is very hard and tough but following the rules and instructions given makes it easier for both you and the place of work. With this feature securing a a good job isn’t difficult.

Make Connections- In addition to the people who will be your future references, try leaving your internship and degree-life with new connections: senior, employees, clients, fellow colleagues, lecturers etc. These people can provide guidance, advice and help you in future job searches. Keep them in the loop about where you are in your career, and offer to help them whenever you can. To do this you need to make an effort during the course of your degree and internship to build relationships with them.

Always remember you are more important than you think even though you are at the bottom of a career ladder. You’re also needed and your basic work is appreciated. After internship pharmacy doctors wish to get jobs with that have high income. An advice from a colleague, that great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together and that success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. One should appreciate the first job he/she gets even if it’s a community pharmacist its worth better than not having a job. As a start let it be your roots to success, remember the journey of thousand miles begins with one step and it doesn’t matter how slowly you go so long as you don’t stop always move forward to achieve your future goal. It will reach a time when you look back down, the road the steps you made all adds up and you know you covered some distance. Pharmacy is a rich profession, to achieve this Ms. Musks once said the following:

• Listen to your own drummer - find your own niche, and don’t try to copy what has worked for other people, concentrate on discovering what the world wants and needs • Dream big - What can you bring to the world that is unique, compelling and helpful? • Be totally committed to success • Don’t be afraid to fall - Realize that its impossible to avoid all mistakes and pitfalls • Pay attention to the details - success is the sum of details • Build a trustworthy team of advisors and partners - No person achieves success by himself

Finally, the worry of not getting a job shouldn’t cross anyone’s mind because jobs are available, only that majority of us don’t look at it with an open mind. Don’t allow your pharmacy career be at stake. With creativity, inspirations, dedication, and hard work, your future starts now!

By Kassim Sabwa - Kenya Methodist University

A TRANSITION FROM B-PHARM TO PHARM-D

The doctor of pharmacy (Pharm D) is a professional doctorate degree also termed as clinical doctorate. The professional doctorate degree emphasizes practice competencies differentiating it from it form an academic doctorate such as the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which primarily focuses knowledge or original production of research.

Unlike the BPharm, the Pharm D is a 6-year academic program. It comprises more of clinical aspects of pharmacy than BPharm does. Pharm D career opportunities include; clinical pharmacy practice- working in partnership with physicians, pharmacists increasingly assume responsibility for medication therapy management especially for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure aiming to help patients achieve desired therapeutic outcomes through appropriate medication usage, diet and life style choices.

Community pharmacists are often on the first line of health care. There are more pharmacies that are cropping up within the community. This provides the need for more training to ensure that the pharmacist is well equipped with skills that pertains to patient counselling, drug administration and offering alternative treatment options.

A number of countries are gradually re-evaluating their course content and incorporating more of clinical content to help in managing the growing population and disseminating health esp. through community pharmacies and clinics. This is aided by the Pharm D approach which as country we should have a sit down on it. Petronilla Wakio - Mount Kenya University

So here is a document you don’t expect to see too much. Your Immediate LIFE after campus as a Pharmacy Student.

Dear Pharm students.Im going to give you Financial Wisdom I wish I was given before my internship (which is guaranteed so long as you pass the board exams.And by guaranteed, I mean as per now til 2022.Anything can happen after that. Especially with governance such as ours.).Take what you can.But I sincerely hope you use what you can from all this.It just might save your financial life.Lets get to it.

1) Before you get the money, you’ll do a different form of tarmacking, in which you will feel.the heat.. The Ministry of Health will make you walk. You will walk to get signatures, documents and stamps.With deadlines.KCPE, KCSE,ID, Degree certificates have to be filled, signed and proved by law that you have achieved all these.Yes, this sounds easy.But you won’t think it as such with a two week deadline’.

2) After the 2nd salary, you’ll get used to the money. Suddenly popping up in your favorite clubs and restaurants with the latest Louis Vuitton,moving out, buying everything you’ve wanted and going out on trips outside the county won’t be foreign to you.You worked hard, you’ve definitely earned it.But you’ll realise with time, two things about yourself.

a) If who you are without money is exactly who you are with money.Vulnerabilities of poverty make one humble by force.With that salary, you will really know who you are once Money problems are out if the way. From personal observation, many become loud and proud, and it never ends well for them.

b) If you were meant for employment or not.You will basically need to show up to work and learn and get paid for it.In other countries,its normal, but here, only medics (including us) have that luxury.You should count yourself lucky).Some people will invest during this time, most people will work on getting employed by their stations.They could both be happy with their choices since both self and employment have their pros and cons.

3) People in your life will see you differently now that you are earning. Money will stop phasing you by the third salary.If you’re not a drug addict, you’ll learn all about the people that are in your life. -Those that waited on you to bear fruit to use you (family included...and they are the most common problem).

CAREER ADVICE

-Those that you never knew you but all of a sudden your phone rings and there they are, asking for a hand out.

-Close friends that you will have to lose after they con you money.

-New friends that you never knew after they helped you invest and make more money.

Its a whole new world after Uni.People will no longer see you as a student anymore but as a son, a daughter to be proud of or an ATM machine.You will be an ATM to someone in the long run.It is inevitable.We all will go through that no matter how frigid you think you are.That money you shall release.But how much is the question.

Before spending any coin, lemme just point out a couple of things.

--Spend as much money as you want with your first salary, you earned, it, you deserve it and you shouldn’t give a damn about it.5 Years in school, tell yourself thanks enough so much that you won’t waste the other 11 confirmed salaries you are to get. Have fun and enjoy it so long as you are SMART with the second salary moving forward.

-From the second to the last one year salary.Invest in what you’ve always wanted to.Business, real estate, Pharmacies,, fishing, whatever you want to do, save and and focus on them.

-Grow yourselves beyond the world of Pharmacy if possible because life can be cruel and you can work so hard as a pharmacist but never will you be that accredited in that world the way you want or need to. It would hurt less if you had extra money in your bank account from the hustle your money has provided you. Prioritise who to give a hand to. You know who deserves your money and who doesn’t. You know how I know? Because you are a pharmacist and you are not stupid.

On a grand scale, you’ll do fine.

Things are easy and besides learning on the job, your bank account will be fat enough to enjoy a proper middle class life for a whole year guaranteed (til 2022. From there, God help us!)

Just don’t lose yourself in all the madness.

Whichever path in life you choose, here is the thing. Money, only solves money problems. All the other problems in your life that does not involve money will remain.You have to be smart enough to dissociate your earnings from yourself and focus on solving those problems rather than thinking that the money you are earning will solve them for you.

Be cool, be ready to learn.Be humble.Respect your superiors and learn to say “no” politely with no excuses. You are and adult now and adults can appreciate a “ no”, as long as it does not come with excuses or lies.Be a pro at that and you can be a pro at anything.

Keep safe.Stay healthy

By Denis Ngugi