New pharmacist or veteran, don’t be afraid to take that career leap!

“Are there any good coﬀee shops in your area?” It was a very unexpected follow up to an email asking if I was still interested in a position. It certainly gave me pause, and I had to check twice, but yes, sure enough the sender's email ended in albertahealthservices.ca. The year of my graduation from pharmacy school coincided with a struggling economy, which translated to sparse job prospects. The stress of the looming licensing exam capping off the final weeks of our degree, coupled with the anxiety of an unknown future was almost too much to bear. Having found out earlier in the year that I did not make it into the hospital residency program, I was doubly devastated to find that none of the hospitals in the major cities of the province was not hiring. At all. But hospital practice was what I really wanted to do post graduation. Imagine my surprise when the email I’d sent to a generic Human Resources address for the province's health authority returned an actual response! From a real human and the offer of what sounds like an interview at that. When I had pressed ‘send’ all those weeks ago, I felt my chances were about equivalent to those of finding a needle in a haystack. So it was with cautious hope and freshly-pressed clothing that I ventured into the cafe a block from the student residence where I lived. Looking about the packed but rather dimly-lit establishment, I craned my neck this way and that, looking for someone who might seem like they meant business. After mistakenly approaching one person, I located my target. The following hour passed by quickly, filled with easy conversation about playing music, hobbies and my to-be boss’s son, who’s in a band. I was surprised to note there was not a single therapeutic question, nor any test of my aminoglycoside TDM skills. It was thus that somehow I managed to get hired, wrote my exams and was on my way to life in a small city almost a six hour drive from where I had gone to university. My best friend from my home city came along with me on an anxiety-ridden day of apartment hunting, finally landing me a decent rental to call home for a while. After what felt like brief training, the three new hires that summer (including myself) hit the ground running; figuring out what it meant to be a practicing professional for the first time. I went through the sharp learning curve of pitting theoretical knowledge learned as a student against real practice. Real patient cases, evolving in real time, meant I had to think on my toes without the backup of a preceptor. Then there were the more subtle lessons of how my wide-eyed bushy tailed enthusiasm clashed with historical practices on site. I learned how to skillfully navigate these differences and listened to what my more experienced colleagues taught me. They each had their own way of working through the same issue, and I noticed the strengths of each slightly different viewpoint. I would be lying if I said that year was wholly smooth sailing. There were times I felt isolated and alone, in a new place with no family or friends. Though as the months went by, I found unexpected friendships and a favourite ice cream place with a nearby river lookout to walk to with soft-serve cone in hand. On my explorations of the area, I nearly tripped over a bull snake, but found a provincial park I would frequent for its Jurassic views. As much as I settled into my new life, I once again applied for hospital residency. The need for further learning was fuelled by my experiences at this regional hospital. And this time I was accepted. Leaving was a bittersweet affair since I had just begun to feel comfortable working at that hospital. Going-away drinks was organized and much to my surprise, and apparently my colleagues’, our boss showed up—the same gentleman who had interviewed me at the coffee shop. “This means he actually likes you,” a coworker joked. Fortified by liquid bravery, I dared to ask him why he had chosen to hire me, knowing I was likely not going to stay in this city for long. He said something along the lines of “I’d rather have someone good for a short period of time, than someone who isn’t, but sticks around longer.” He then proceeded to joke that I had seemed softer-spoken in our interview and that was not what he got. In a journal entry during that time, I wrote: ‘familiarity doesn’t mean it’s where you should stay.’ I think I must have meant not to let what is comfortable stop me from exploring and growing. Fast forward a decade in my career, I am once again feeling an inkling of desire to branch out. Perhaps I will take a page from my old self and try a different practice. Or perhaps this means its time for a shift in attitude, or a fresh way of looking at my current practice. Whatever it is, I think I can figure it out. Maybe you too are wondering if you should make a leap, whether it’s taking work in a remote city or applying for a different position. Try it. You may reap unexpected rewards, and like my previous boss said, even if it’s a short time, so long as the experience is good, it’ll be worth it. The people and the lessons will stay with you. Iris’ story is the fourth we’ve published so far from entries to our Write to Win reader writing contest! Thank you to everyone who has submitted stories, blogs and poems. Each week we'll publish one reader’s entry and in March, the editorial staff of CanadianHealthcareNetwork.ca will choose three winners for a grand prize of a $500 gift card and two honourable mentions for $250. Read more about the contest and how to enter here.

New pharmacist or veteran, don’t be afraid to take that career leap!

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