Young Leader in Pharmacy Chirag Dave: "Seeing a colleague transform from surviving to thriving is a fulfillment like no other."

Snapshot

Education:

Pharm.D. 2012, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York

Current Role:

Senior Project Manager at WillowLabs

What excites you about being a pharmacist?

The most exciting part of being a pharmacist is finding out that your knowledge and experience is widely applicable in various business environments. I started out like most of us in the profession – working the bench in a community pharmacy. I was fortunate enough to carve a place out for myself in various operations & project management roles. I found that what made me stand out in the world outside of the community pharmacy was having diverse clinical knowledge coupled with emotional intelligence skills that are naturally cultivated in our profession. If you can work in a busy community pharmacy, chances are you will thrive in the business world.

When you graduated, what did you envision for your future?

I will admit, in the first two years of pharmacy school I felt pretty aimless in my career. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this degree. At the end of my second year, I was diagnosed with cancer and treated with chemotherapy and radiation back home in Toronto during the summer between semesters. This experience built my guiding principles for the future and continues to guide my career decisions today. I graduated envisioning my future as one where I would make the lives of people suffering just a little better by sharing my knowledge and experience freely.  

How important is mentoring in your career?

I've only recently realized the importance of mentorship to me in my career – it is now one of the first questions I ask when considering getting into a new endeavour. Good mentors have played a huge role in my professional confidence, and I do my best to pay it forward to those seeking mentorship. Lately I've discovered that career mentorship doesn't have to come from those in your workplace – it is all around you, you just have to keep your eyes open for it! 

Was there an “aha” moment for you, when you realized the impact of the difference you’re making?

I've discovered that the greatest impact I've made in my career is not with my patients but with my colleagues. While the impacts I've made with patients fulfill my sense of purpose, the biggest difference I can make is helping empower my colleagues to be confident and effective in their work. Seeing a colleague transform from surviving to thriving is a fulfillment like no other and it reminds me that my impact in the world can persist far beyond my time.

If you can accomplish just one thing in your career, what would it be?

I would love to be part of the generation of pharmacists that carves out roles for us in various professional environments. I want pharmacists to be recognized as the go-to candidates to hire for a job in positions that are considered "unconventional" for us right now. There are so many roles in strategy and operations that seek MBAs with pharmacy experience. I would like to see the paradigm shift and have roles look for pharmacists with MBA/business experience. 

What advice would you give to new pharmacy graduates?

I would tell new graduates to expose yourself to different work environments as quickly as you can – the community pharmacy will always be there waiting for you as an option. Work in start-ups, work in big companies, work in other countries. Keep acquiring knowledge within the profession and outside the profession. Network with people within and outside the pharmacy world. You are a well-trained healthcare professional – go out there and show the world what you can do, and you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish in healthcare – and beyond.