Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a series of personal stories and testimonials from Pharmacy students about their experiences studying at UBC Pharm Sci. To learn more about our program, register for the upcoming information session. The deadline to apply for our new Entry to Practice PharmD program is February 2nd, 2015.

“When I was asked to write this entry about my experience studying Pharmacy, a hundred different things popped into mind. The start of my first year in the program was an introduction to aspects of pharmacy that had never occurred to me before. Unless you’ve had previous experience working in a pharmacy, you probably assume that a pharmacist counts pills all day. What I’ve learned in my two years here is that although pill-counting is involved, a pharmacist plays a much more meaningful role in a patient’s care.

In class, we focus on patient counselling and communication skills. We also learn the details on disease states and treatment options in preparation for the counselling and interprofessional collaboration that occurs in pharmacies. I’ve come to realize that we are THE drug experts. More so than any other health care professional you will encounter. We can provide invaluable insight into medications and their interactions and dosing. That’s probably what I like most about the field: we are able to apply the information gained from scientific discoveries to real-life patients. And it doesn’t hurt that we learn and apply all of this in our awesome building with state-of-the-art practice labs and patient simulators.

Aside from academics, there are many other experiences I have been grateful for. Pharm students are a tight-knit bunch and there are plenty of ways to meet new friends. From the Welcome Back Barbeque to PhUS Gala and the numerous pharmacy-specific clubs, there’s always something going on! Being involved in the pharmacy community is extremely rewarding and has been one of the highlights of my experience so far.

While the pharmacy program can at times be challenging (especially when workload piles up close to exams), I’m grateful for the experience and confident that there are resources available every step of the way to help students succeed.”

– Carol Dou, Second Year BSc(Pharm) Student

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