Spring has sprung! As we draw closer to the end of the academic year, it is crucial to reflect on our accomplishments, take to heart the lessons we have encountered, and look forward with anticipation to what lies ahead. Everyone at the Student Success Center is cheering you on!

As always, our team is excited to bring you OCPD resources, residency, and fellowship information, and insights into traditional and non-traditional pharmaceutical careers throughout the year.

Ask a Senior Professional!

Do you have tricky career or professional development questions that you would like to ask anonymously to pharmacy professionals?

Our team will get in touch with SOP faculty, residents, and/or alumni AND GET YOU EXPERT ANSWERS! We will feature 2-3 answers on our monthly newsletter, so ask away :)

WAITTTT 🛑, there's more!

We are also giving away FREE money to one student. Submit a question to be entered into the raffle and win a $25 Amazon gift card. 💸💸

You asked, and we got you answers!

We received many excellent questions about careers from last month's "Ask a Senior Professional" survey. Since many students expressed interest in choosing the right career, we got in touch with Dr. Stephanie Hsia. Dr. Hsia is the Co-Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and an Associate Professor at UCSF School of Pharmacy.

Interview questions and answers:

(1) How did you know you chose the right career?

I think I knew I chose the right career when I would have an extremely busy day or week and still wanted to come to work afterward. For me, I think there were two stages in my life—the first was knowing that pharmacy was right for me, and the second was deciding on academia.

(2) What made you decide that pharmacy was the right career for you?

Looking back on it, I really did not know much about pharmacy when I entered pharmacy school—I had some experience as a pharmacy technician at a community pharmacy, but I had not been exposed to other specialties or settings. I think I really felt that pharmacy was right for me when I began my Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) during my last year of pharmacy school. That was when I truly got to apply everything that I had been learning in school to impact patients and patient care. Seeing the impact that a pharmacist could have on patient care was extremely rewarding. I still think back on some of those patient and team interactions that I had during my APPEs since they were extremely formative and confirmed for me that I had chosen the right career. During those experiences, it helped to have worked with various other healthcare professionals which led me to better understand the roles and potential other career paths I could have taken. I felt very satisfied with the pharmacist area of expertise (focused on medication, educating patients, and providers) and never wished I could do more (or less), which I think was another sign.

(3) After realizing your passion for pharmacy, how did you find an interest in academia?

When it came to choosing a career path in pharmacy, it took a bit more time for me to find the right fit. It wasn’t until my second year of residency in psychiatric pharmacy that I really began to decide. As a pharmacy resident, you have a variety of responsibilities. Most of my time was spent in direct patient care, but I also had to conduct research, teach, and precept pharmacy students. What I came to realize during residency was that I would look forward to the times when I was teaching or working directly with students. When I inevitably had to do work outside of work hours or on the weekends, I would never mind if it was teaching-related. Though I found patient care rewarding, if given the choice between additional clinic time or more teaching responsibilities, I naturally gravitated towards the teaching opportunities. That was ultimately why I decided to pursue a career in academia. Now, having been a full-time academician for six years, I still feel like I chose the right career.

(4) How do you navigate through stressful situations in your career?

In any career, there will be stressful times that will challenge your resolve and even make you reconsider your career path. For me, when these times occur, they are fleeting, and I never really consider switching to another career. When I think about the values that are important to me in a career—independence, passion, impact, and work/life balance—I really cannot imagine a better-suited career than academia.

(5) What is one piece of advice you would give to students while they are choosing their careers?

If I had one piece of (unsolicited) advice for students, it would be to think about what values are important to you in a future career, try different careers and settings, and follow what your gut and heart are telling you.

For more information visit Don't Rush to Flush.

(California Product Stewardship Council, 2023).

The Emergency Department (ED) is a dynamic, unpredictable, and fast-paced environment. The responsibilities of an ED pharmacist range from reviewing medication orders to assisting in the management of various emergencies such as toxicologic crises, traumas, cardiopulmonary arrests, gun shot wounds, and adverse drug effects to name a few.

Perhaps the most challenging part of this role is discussing complex cases with limited background information which emphasizes the importance of pharmacists in making critical decisions regarding drug therapies. It is the immediacy and accuracy required in the ED that creates a high stakes environment - something that drew me to the field. Like many others, I had an educational experience in the ED which exposed me to acute exacerbations of all sorts of disease states and gave me insights to a future in the ED.

On top of integrating pharmacy services into the ED, I have worked on improving patient safety, and developing educational programs for pharmacy students and residents. Throughout the years, I have established protocols, published educational materials, and joined committees to enhance medication safety and efficacy in the ED.

The California Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Pharmacy practice perspectives written for pharmacy students, residents, and new practitioners. 2004.

Diversity Graduation Awards

The Diversity Graduation Awards will recognize three graduating students for their leadership and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their journeys at UCSF. Join the Office of Diversity and Outreach in celebrating our incredible students!

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 1st, 2024

Location: Millberry Union Conference Center

Register here!

Rewarding Student Pharmacist Programs

The California Affiliate of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), in partnership with Gilead and LEO Pharma, is offering Student Pharmacy Programs for AMCP Affiliate Student Members. These opportunities aim to provide student pharmacists with exposure to a day in the life of a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Air travel, meals, and overnight accommodations will be provided by the respective pharmaceutical manufacturers.

What if you could find a career counseling appointment anytime you were looking for one?

Help manifest this future by taking our 3-minute anonymous appointment preferences booking survey!

As part of your OCPD's commitment, to be responsive to your needs, we are continually assessing our appointment booking offerings, so that we can update our appointment availability for when you need it most. Every month we'll offer students the chance to take this survey so that you can share your monthly and quarterly scheduling preferences, because we know that your schedules change frequently. 



Students who take the survey have the option to win a $25 Amazon gift card by entering our monthly gift card raffle, (winners are announced every month!).  

Did you know?

We have an incredible team at the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) that can help you with your professional needs.

Our most popular services include career counseling services with career counselors, application material review sessions (CV, resumes, LOI) with career peers, mock interviews, and networking appointments. Book an appointment!