Becoming a Pharmacist During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Student’s Perspective

By Yvette C Terrie, BS Pharm, RPh, consultant pharmacist

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students across the globe causing educators and students to implement innovative strategies to continue learning throughout this challenging time. In spite of the challenges, both educators and students have learned many positive life lessons including the importance of team work, resilience, and ingenuity. Many students have also learned the multifaceted and valuable roles of pharmacists in the delivery of health care.

This month marks the third semester that many pharmacy students around the country will have completed via virtual learning. Some pharmacy schools are now offering socially distanced classes in smaller numbers. We are all living in an unprecedented and challenging time that none of us could have ever imagined.

As I reflected on my days as a pharmacy student years ago, I have often wondered what it must be like for current pharmacy students as they navigate through classes, internships, and job searches during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, I inquired about that experience from a third-year pharmacy student named Michael, who eloquently shared his insights from throughout his journey.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a third-year pharmacy student at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. I am originally from the Atlanta area and my mother also graduated from Mercer University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. I attended Kennesaw State University where received my Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. I was interested in pharmacy from the standpoint of the medications and how they work within the human body. I wanted to be more involved in clinical trials, research or regulatory pharmacy with new medications that are coming through the FDA pipeline. As I progressed through pharmacy school, my passion for patient-centered care also grew.

How has life as a pharmacy student changed during the pandemic?

As a pharmacy student, our program was adjusted to fit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We transitioned to digital learning and modified in-class learning with limited space in each room. They added multiple streaming rooms around campus that could be utilized to watch the lecture. A lot of our clinical/professional applications have been staggered in order to give 132 people enough time. It is totally different than my first and second year where there were classrooms full of people, multiple groups performing professional skills, or even just more than 3 people allowed to be in a study room in the library.

Have classes been challenging adapting to virtual learning or do you feel you were missing anything when in person learning was not an option?

Actually, I feel I could perform better in school if I were at home with limited distractions. I could structure my day better around class without having to worry about travel to and from school every day. The issue was when I needed to address questions digitally. I had to reach out to professors and get questions addressed through email in the hopes that they would be readily available to respond. There are pros and cons to digital vs in-person learning but each have their place with the pandemic.

What have you learned about your profession?

I have learned that a pharmacist can wear many hats and can fill a variety of roles outside of the retail setting. My fourth year APPE rotations will be in a wide array of disciplines from regulatory pharmacy with the FDA to clinical rotations in critical care, hematology/oncology, and emergency medicine. Before starting my journey as a future pharmacist, I was a pharmacy technician for a little over 5 years before making the transition to a pharmacy intern. I considered institutional pharmacy, but I knew how competitive residency and fellowships are and I am still determined to apply for a post graduate pharmacy residency (PGY-1 and PGY-2).

Did you witness fear and anxiety in patients especially at the beginning of the pandemic or among pharmacists and students?

During the initial pandemic shutdown, I saw the fear of the unknown in my professors first, then my coworkers and customers second. I was originally supposed to do research during the summer from home, but I pushed to return to campus. The pandemic made access to areas of the campus very limited in the amount of people that could be in the research labs at one time. I was nervous whenever I would go to take off my mask around others in the research lab or at work. Patients who were elderly seemed more anxious and fearful than adolescents did at the time. People had a lot of questions concerning COVID-19 with the main one being,“When do you think the pandemic will be over?” I could not tell them and only instructed them to follow the CDC recommendations for ongoing, up-to-date information. My classmates were more anxious when we were told to return to campus for in-class learning around the middle to the end of the Fall semester in October 2020.

What area of pharmacy would you like to practice in and why?

I am interested in a fellowship with the FDA in regulatory pharmacy, a PGY-1, and a PGY-2 specializing in critical care, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, and ambulatory care. These have largely been my interests since I participated in summer research that looked at different drugs that could potentially reduce the inflammation caused by COVID-19. I am also conducting clinical research into current COVID-19 therapies in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Atlanta, GA. Regulatory pharmacy has been an interest of mine since some of my mentors are pharmacists at the FDA. I want to become as clinically sound as possible before stepping into nontraditional roles of pharmacy like those in industry or those in regulatory/governmental pharmacy.

Any advice to students considering pharmacy school?

My best advice would be to look at all the available areas of pharmacy before settling on just one. I would also say to get connected. LinkedIn is a great way to see what a lot of students are interested in and who is already in the position that you want to be in. Even though I am still building my network, I have connected with so many different professionals across the country. Within your first year, you should be able to say what areas you would be interested in as a career and to attempt to make your P1 summer reflect that. You can do shadowing, applying for jobs at a hospital or independent pharmacy, or get an internship. That will help you prepare the most when it comes to your second or third year as you will have gained experience that the classroom or school cannot provide.

Final Thoughts

It is inspiring to meet dedicated and talented pharmacy students such as Michael. Health care professionals across the country, including pharmacists, have tirelessly delivered quality care to patients during the pandemic and I am honored to be part of the profession of pharmacy.  Congratulations to the 2021 pharmacy graduates all over the United States. Your hard work and dedication to your studies even through the pandemic has been inspiring and we applaud your accomplishments. You should all be proud of yourselves! Congratulations!

Authors note: This article is dedicated in loving memory of Michael’s mother, Sharon. She would be so proud of your accomplishments and you have a bright future ahead of you. Your continued enthusiasm for learning and wanting to help patients will be an asset to the pharmacy profession. Best wishes on your future endeavors.

Editors note: Last name has been excluded for anonymity. 

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