Summertime

Another free moment means another promise to keep up with blogging again. I swear this time to be true (as I always say)!

But really, this past year kicked my butt, and I can honestly say I'm a better person for it, and will hopefully be a better pharmacist too. Unfortunately any mental break I had this past semester all I wanted to do was lay in bed, watch TV, and mindlessly look around Facebook in 3 different tabs.

Some things I did this year:

1) Racked up thousands of Delta Skymiles and Southwest Rewards Points. Glory of pharmacy conferences and a long distance relationship.
2) Took 21 exams + 4 finals in the span of 4 months (minus Spring Break)
3) Somehow got the clutch factor. Three classes this semester ended up with final grades between 89.5 - 90%
4) Learned the significance of "Just keep swimming". Had a few breakdowns this year from the stress, workload, etc. But my friends (and not necessarily willpower) helped get me through because we were all in the same boat together.

But the year is now over, and will just be a distant memory. Because in just a few weeks, Errol and I will be embarking on our first Eurotrip! Two weeks in Italy; I can't wait for you all to share the experience with me!

Transitions

It's currently Spring Break, in which I am spending in a study room of UCF School of Medicine as Errol studies for his exam tomorrow. It's crazy to think that after this week is over, we will be well into March, and less than 2 months away from being the oldest class residing in UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

Organizations have a large role in student pharmacist lives. This is the time of year of election season, and officer transition. It's the time when first year students step up and strive to become elected, second year students begin to realize that that they need some leadership to get residencies, and third years start mentally preparing to interact daily with patients.

With two Elect positions (2-year commitments), I started this year wondering how I could possibly take over in my third year. Thanks to great mentorship, I feel confident that next year I will be able to take over and maintain the legacy.

That's all for now... onto trying to survive second year!

End-of-semester Wrap-Up/H-IPPE Orientation

I can't believe I never posted since March, but this semester was one of the toughest I have experienced. Last week was finals week, and there were 5 finals, 5 days in a row. Four of them were cumulative. It was the most intense week of my life, but I survived.

Final Report Card: 
Pharmaceutics 2 - A
Pharmacodynamics - A
Pharmaceutical Care Lab - A
Introduction to Therapy 1 - B
Biochemistry - B

Overall, I am very pleased! I finally figured out my study groove, and any B's I had were a painful 88%. I worked harder than I ever have before and it paid off! I am excited for next year when we are exposed to more medicinal chemistry and therapy.

My school positions for next year: 
APhA-ASP President/Liaison-Elect
Recruitment Ambassadors Program Secretary-Elect
Pre-Pharmacy Club Secretary

Another project I'll be working on this summer is writing a proposal to start a dual degree program with Masters in Public Health!

Today was also a big day! My Hospital Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (H-IPPE) orientation was today. We took a tour of the vast UNC Hospitals and became familiar with the expectations of the month. I feel so lucky to be rotating at UNC Hospitals. I hope that my classmates have the same great experience wherever they are in North Carolina. The class is spread out into various regions of the state, from Wilmington to Asheville. I will definitely update every day to account for my experience! Here is a list of things I will be exposed to:

-Investigational Drugs
-Transitions of Care (inpatient --> outpatient)
-Oncology Pharmacy
-Pediatric Pharmacy
-OR Satellite pharmacy
-Round with Resident (very excited about this!)
-Emergency Department (twice!)
-Drug Information and Medication Safety
-Special Formulations
-Decentral Pharmacist (twice!)
-Inpatient Pharmacist (twice!)
-Controlled Substances
-Sterile Products
-Administration
-Outpatient Pharmacy
-Pharmacy Support Services

We also have 2 projects. One New Drug presentation, and a special formulations assignment where we analyze a drug that is specially made in the pharmacies and if it's more feasible to buy it commercially.

Tomorrow is Investigational Drugs! Cheers to the month :)

First Day of Spring Semester!

This semester started off with a freeze. 

Woke up at 7AM and it was a chilly 19 degrees. Normally, I would skip class until the sun came out if it was this cold, but I'm a professional now! Plus, our first class of the day this semester has mandatory attendance. But that's good for me because it gives me the motivation to go. 

I can't express enough how much of a learning experience last semester was for me. I finally figured out my study method, I paid the price for being lazy and procrastinating, and now I fully understand the phrase "keeping your head above water". 

So this semester I have read each syllabus multiple times so I understand every project, assignment, exam, and quiz. I used to hate knowing my grades and just wanted to do my best for every test. But it's definitely a study-motivator to know the grade you need, and a booster to know if a good grade is still possible. I made an Excel spreadsheet with all of my courses and each assignment with point values. All I have to do is input the grades and my final grade is calculated automatically! I got the idea from my Student Mentor, Whitney. It'll help when I need to figure out what I need to get that A! Haha. 

Screen shot of my spreadsheet. I'm so proud of it! 

Here's a short summary of each of my classes this semester: 

1) Pharmaceutical Care Lab: 2nd in the 5-semester series. In this class we learn top 200 drugs, medical terms, calculations, compounding, counseling, and much more! Lots of work, but we learn very valuable skills and knowledge. 

2) Pharmaceutics 2: Last semester we learned a lot about diffusion and physical properties (hydrophilic vs. lipophilic) properties that affect drug absorption, along with an introduction to different drug delivery systems. This course will emphasize the different dosage forms (tablet, capsule, vaginal suppository, rectal suppository, nasal sprays, ophthalmic and otic drops, transdermal patches, etc.) and how drugs get into the system with each different form. 

3) Biochemistry 2: Last semester, we learned about proteins, energy utilization in the cell, and lipid synthesis (among other things). This semester will emphasize gene therapy and drugs related to that. Drugs have shifted from low molecular weight molecules to monoclonal antibodies. We will learn about challenges to this. 

4) Pharmacodynamics: Our first taste of pharmacokinetics. We will learn about how drugs process and eliminate drugs through liver, kidney, cytochrome P450, etc. Sounds interesting and different. 

5) Intro to Pharmaceutical Care: Our first exposure to the Pharmacotherapy that we'll get in full force next year! We will learn how to do SOAP notes and how to interview patients in preparation for OSCE's. 

This semester promises to be MUCH harder than last semester, so the gloves are off! 

I pledge to:

1) Not be lazy

2) Go to class

3) Prepare for class beforehand 

4) Don't procrastinate 

5) Eat healthy 

6) Get enough sleep

What do you pledge to do this semester?