Throughout my 21-year pharmacy career, I have had the opportunity to mentor future pharmacists. Every experience has been a little different, but they all have been rewarding, and I have learned to be a better pharmacist through teaching. As my first year at Oswald’s came to a close, we welcomed my first pharmacy student, Rebecca, for a 5-week rotation with us. During her time with us, she got to see what pharmacy life is like as an Oswald’s pharmacist and had the pleasure of meeting many of our customers. I thought it might be fun for her to write a little bit about herself and her pharmacy journey.

Oswald’s Pharmacy Students

Hello readers of the Ozzie Gram! My name is Rebecca, and I will be Oswald’s pharmacy student for five weeks. I study at the University of Pittsburgh, where I completed two years of undergraduate prerequisites and am currently in my fourth year of pharmacy school. I made the decision to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy because I live an hour outside the city and wanted to stay close to my family. My first year of pharmacy school was a rough transition because I had been “online-learning” for the previous year and a half due to COVID-19.

The classwork was rigorous, especially the foundational classes, and I missed my friends and family at home. To ease myself into pharmacy school, I decided to join as many clubs as I could, and I made a ton of friends. After my first year of pharmacy school, the classes started to combine science knowledge with disease states and patient care, which I really loved. In addition to these patient-centered courses, we also learned about drug literature and drug development. After three years of schooling, I was ready to be sent out into the world on “rotation.” I have eight, five-week rotations at various locations, such as hospitals, clinics, and community pharmacies.

On rotation, I learn from the pharmacist and pharmacy staff and interact with patients. Oswald’s is my fourth rotation. During my last five weeks here, I have counseled patients, given vaccines, and even participated in health clinics where I did blood pressure checks. I am looking forward to the rest of my rotations, but I will miss my time at Oswald’s and the community of Naperville!

More Pharmacy Students in the Future

Even though Rebecca is on to her next rotation, we will have another pharmacy student coming through Oswald’s in the coming weeks. Please stop by, say hello, and make her feel welcome!