A wise man once said, “No human ever became interesting by not failing. The more you fail and recover and improve, the better you are as a person.” He went on to ask, “Ever meet someone who’s always had everything work out for them with zero struggle?”…His response, “they usually have the depth of a puddle. Or they don’t exist.”
My choice of Pharmacy as a profession was purely accidental. I had always wanted to be a medical doctor, a trauma surgeon to be specific. But as fate would have it, I ended up in pharmacy and I have zero regrets. So although it was not my initial choice, I think Pharmacy as a profession has granted me so many opportunities and insights; I’m tempted to think I was destined for this profession.
I’m only a few months post my internship year and waiting to sit for my licensing exams in two weeks. I’ve established my areas of interest, which are clinical pharmacy and clinical research. I am so grateful for my internship experience which shaped my interests and opened me up to so many opportunities. I’ll share a few nuggets of wisdom that I gained from my internship experience:
1. Try. Try. And when you fail, try again. I remember volunteering to write research papers, protocols, case report forms, data collecting forms, with no background training whatsoever. My initial papers were horrible, horrendous, dreadful, amateurish, but I was willing to learn fast and train myself if I had to. I’m also fortunate to have had a mentor who read and corrected my work before submission for ethical reviews. I had to go through the pains of basically teaching myself how to structure scientific papers for publication in medical journals using a book on scientific writing that was handed to me. And because the institution where I was placed practiced guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), I appreciated how evidence-based, well-written, quality research can affect medical therapy at the patient level. It was enough for me that I enjoyed and saw the value of clinical research and so I was willing to try out as much as I could bear. I think opportunities are everywhere. It’s just that sometimes they’re disguised as hard work, trials, and failures. Sometimes we’re required to create them for ourselves. So how do you create them without even trying?
2. Master your craft. It is unfortunate that the critical role of the clinical pharmacist has been downplayed in many healthcare facilities and institutions. That notwithstanding, I came to appreciate the value-addition of a clinical pharmacist to the healthcare team based on the guidance and supervision from some meticulous, well-respected, senior pharmacists. The mental strain that comes with deciding on treatment regimens for complex medical conditions while taking into account drug interactions and appropriate dose adjustments is exhausting. It requires a keenness for detail and mental dexterity that we, pharmacists, possess. A pharmacist, who knows his /her craft well, is valuable, in fact, untouchable. Basically, strive to learn, to know, and master your craft, whatever your craft may be.
I think mere complaining is exhausting. I believe in trying. I believe in creating solutions. Figure out what area of specialization interests you, then volunteer, engage, and be part of the conversation. And while you’re at it, I hope you do realize that your value is not limited by local boundaries. The number of Kenyan pharmacists who work and excel internationally is significant. In short, don’t be scared to dream big. Run away from dysfunction. And like I quoted before: “It is not the critic who counts; … The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena… who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”-Theodore Roosevelt
By Dr. Anyango E. Adhiambo