Current affairs and some answers

Well, I am sad to say that I have been too long away from my humble writing desk. I apologize profusely and will attempt to placate the sores of "expectation scorned" with some new and current ramblings.





I have been asked how it is I came into the field of pharmacy. I will attempt to answer this and some others with this current post. (related questions will be given in parenthesis!)





I graduated, as previously stated, in 1998 from OLVS. I went immediately into the local community college in my home town, and started working on my AS degree (somehow knowing that science was my interest!:-). Since I hadn't "declared" my major when I enrolled (not really knowing how I'd like the spend the better part of my working life), I had no real focus for my efforts, knowing that I should conquer all the foundations classes for my AS degree. I found very early on that I had a knack for math! I was a little shocked, as I wasn't too stellar in the subject while in high school, but I was doing everything right, and making it to the top of the class all the way through Trig. Once I made it to Calculus I and II, I was actually tutoring students in my own class!!



I learned soon that science and medicine were the fields in which I had interest, and so proceeded to learn more and more about what kinds of medicine or science I would like to pursue. It is interesting to note that during all this time, I was working as a "drug clerk" at the local retail store, stocking all the items that were not considered "grocery." I met and talked with several pharmacist, and I realized that I wanted what they had: a veritable mountain of knowledge, seemingly about everything. Thus, after about 6 quarters of school, I decided that I would get my AS in Pre-Pharmacy. The interesting part is, the more classes I took in the field, the more I learned to become passionate about it. Then, I took Organic Chem ... wow, that was a tough class. I had never had chemistry before, and I admit that the teacher was horrendous, but I managed a C and decided I'd try it for a few more semesters. After 4 quarters of Organic I and II, I found the magic to chemistry: wait about a semester, and all the knowledge you meant to learn would come to light in the semester you were currently taking! Never once did I understand the chemical properties of a certain LAW until the next class, and by then the current subject matter was so far beyond me that I simply struggled through, mastering the fine art of cramming! This property of chemistry stayed with me until I entered the professional school at The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in the year of grace, 2002.



I can't begin to outline all the changes that I went through while in Lawrence, KS. I became a college basketball fan (GO JAYHAWKS!!), learned how to drink shots and bongfaces, even learned what the difference was between a Russian Kamikaze and a German Kamikaze. Essentially, pharmacy school was the biggest, most satisfying 4 years of my life. I took every chemistry class under the sun ... mechanical, physical, pharmaceutical, medicinal bio-, biochemistry and even nuclear chemistry. My teachers were excellent and my peers in the class were funny.



But, I suppose, that in answer to the question "Why did you become a pharmacist?" the answer would have to come from the logic I employed at the threshold of undergraduate enrollment. I knew that I liked Math and chemistry. I also knew that I wanted to get married, which meant that I needed a job to support one. I knew that teaching, which admirable in all attributes, would never be able to supply the type of life that I wanted to give my family. So, what kinds of majors employ both math and chemistry? You guess it, pharmacy.



I know that this is a long post, but the question required some reflection into the past, so I hope that you were able to bear with me.



Cordially yours,



Jinxedy