The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines twenty-twenty hindsight as the “full knowledge and complete understanding that one has about an event only after it has happened”. I think that this is probably true of most things, situations or experiences in life. It doesn’t even have to be “full knowledge and complete understanding”, just better.
Most people leave (pharmacy) school fresh-faced, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (I am sure that I have used this incorrectly, but you get my meaning). You have a degree now, you have the title daktari, you feel grown, and you are eager and ready to tackle the world, start your career and get some money. Well, that is up until life knocks you down a peg or more.
In this light, I thought of a few nuggets of wisdom that I have gathered from my own experiences and those of others in the short time since I left school.
I think I should start by saying that working hard in school and getting good grades pays for itself in the long-run. The current trend is that many people are getting their post-graduate degrees much earlier than former years. Even if you go back much later in life, a good transcript will go a long way in relieving you of the burden of having to look for (a lot) of school fees.
Find something else that you love, preferably while you are still in school and you have the time. Pharmacy school is exhausting and all-consuming but do not read all the time. Invest in a hobby. Photography. Design. Coding. Accounting. Whatever it is. It may actually be your fall back, now that unemployment of pharmacists is well and truly with us.
There are several areas of specialisation, not just the traditional community, industry and hospital practice. Pharmacists are not a monolith, let no one put you in a box.
The in-thing now is the demonisation of higher education across all professions. Funny enough, a lot of this comes from the older generation that have amassed plenty of degrees. It also does not help that the very learned persons in this country are the ones that embarrass us the most. This should not deter you from going back to school for your post-graduate degree (if you want to). It is however wise to think long and hard before you make that choice, choose something to specialise in that will serve both you and the community. It is unfortunate that the world has found itself in a situation where the conveyor-belt way of doing business and running industries has been embraced. The incorporation of technology into workspaces and outsourcing of services is slowly becoming the norm. They will cheat you that your skills are not valuable, but believe me, they are and they are needed.
The friendships and relationships that you make in school and during internship will carry you through the rest of your life, in all facets of your life. Choose wisely and treasure them.
When you join the job market, keep reading and keep in touch with current developments in the medical world and/or your area of practice. Medicine evolves very fast. New drugs get discovered and approved every day. Clinical Guidelines are formulated or updated almost every year. It helps to be in the know. Do not get left behind.
There are several areas that I feel we were dealt a great disservice by not being exposed to in the four or five or six years of our training. Those that come to mind are the practical aspects of running a (pharmaceutical) business whether retail, wholesale of hospital, taxes and levies and the ins and outs of job applications and interviews.
Pharmacy is primarily a commodity-based profession, although the service component of it is catching up fast. When you are newly qualified, you will definitely run into headwinds when trying to tackle invoices, supplier sourcing and management, contracts, inventory, software etcetera etcetera for the first time. Don’t worry, you will figure it out because you are smart. However, it would be nice if the learning curve was not as steep. I say this not taking away from the fact that there is an element of economics that is taught in school. I remember learning something about balance sheets, profit and loss statements and commodity management. I however think that it should be structured better in a way that will help you in the future.
In the same breath, tax education is generally lacking in this country. Taxes in themselves are designed to be oppressive, though they shouldn’t be. Scandinavian countries have some of the highest tax rates and cost of living in the world, but they get the most out of it in terms of government services. The other day, I saw a tax consultancy company charging unemployed persons Kenyan shillings 500 to have their nil returns filed, something that takes you two minutes and you do it for yourself for free. I do not mean to knock anybody’s hustle though. There are numerous taxes, levies, fees and fines that you require to know about before you even think about starting and running your own business and finding yourself in a fix.
Internship comes with it plenty of money. Personal financial management is key. Pay off your HELB loan as soon as you can. Do your research when it comes to what you want to invest in, don’t get into it just because everyone is doing it. Spend your money, after all, it is yours and YOLO, but spend it wisely. Contracts end, people are laid off, and sources of income dry up.
Mentorship is something that is lacking in the pharmaceutical industry. Many people view juniors as a source of labour, and more often than not they leave your place the same way they came. However, you will find a few willing people, and when you do, latch on to them and soak up as much as you can. And by mentorship I mean helping you attain or equipping you with tangible skills that you can apply and benefit from. Remember also that it takes a lot of self-drive to learn and learn form people and your environment.
Pharmacy practice is moving from the traditional commodity-based practice to the clinical, pharmaceutical care practice, and Involvement in the multi-disciplinary team. Both forms are equally important. Both areas of practice must be equally and jealously protected. For a long time, pharmacists have relegated their responsibilities which have subsequently been taken up by other cadres. The time to take them back is now. Do not be lazy. Do not be complacent. You will have to fight every day to be recognised by the other cadres as a colleague. Keep at it.
Gate-keeping and bottle-necking. I do not have much to say about this, save for, create opportunities for pharmacists and do not hoard 5 opportunities when there are those who do not even have one.
Your ethics and morals will be tested on a daily basis. Sexual enhancing drugs (old men are dying in lodges allegedly during sexual intercourse with young ladies). Antimicrobial Resistance. At-home or backyard abortions. CNS acting agents. These drugs are not being snatched out of the air by their users, they are supplied by a retail outlet. One union leader once referred to pharmacists as glorified shopkeepers. Do not let this title apply to you.
The system (healthcare and government) will most definitely disappoint you. You will be disillusioned. You will feel betrayed. You will feel discouraged. You will most definitely want to leave. This cannot be avoided. Pick a goal and work towards it.
Lastly, adulting is hard. I do not know how our parents seemed to have it all together. The sooner you know this, the better it will be for you. Be kind to yourself.
Let us wait and see what the next five years have in store for us.
By Dr. Wairimu Karaihira.