I’ll be honest- even in my third year of pharmacy, there are days when I just sat in class thinking why did I choose this?
Endless drug names, mechanisms, structures. It can sometimes feel a bit disconnected from real life. While the journey itself is interesting, but those real, meaningful interactions with patients often feel like they’re still ahead.
But one unexpected day changed that perspective for me.
The call I almost ignored
A friend casually asked if I wanted to volunteer at a medical camp on the occasion of Women’s Day. Nothing fancy, just a simple plan. I almost said no, but something made me go.
When I got there, I was assigned to the dispensing medications. And honestly, I wasn’t much excited at very first. Still, I started doing my part- arranging medications, handing them over.
I didn’t realize that moment was about to become something much meaningful.
The patient I’ll never forget
An elderly man came to the counter, took his medicines, and then just stood there… a little confusion.
He didn’t understand what the medicines were for or how to take them. And he didn’t hesitate to say it – he simply needed someone to explain.
so, I did.
I slowed down, used whatever I had learned, and explained everything in the simplest way I could. No such big terms- just clarity.
When I finished, he smiled and said, you explained it just like my daughter would… you remind me of her and said thank you.
I didn’t expect that. But in that moment, something just clicked.
What that moment taught me
That day made me realize something very real-- Pharmacy isn’t about giving medicines; it’s about making sure someone actually understands them.
For us it might feel routine. But for patients, that moment standing with a prescription they don’t understand – can be overwhelming.
That day, I didn’t feel like a student, I felt responsible. Like I actually belonged here.
That was the moment I truly felt like a healthcare professional for the first time.
So, if you are a pharmacy student feeling lost in all the theory right now-- I get it. I’ve been there.
But trust me, there will be a moment - maybe when you least expect it-- that reminds you why you started. And when it happens you won’t need validation from anyone else. you’ll just feel it.
MBH/PS