There are some obvious challenges in the transition from student to pharmacist. After the dust settles from the initial whirlwind of change, a less obvious challenge may arise. For me it was early in my professional life that I realized that something was missing. I had spent the last 17 years of my life working hard and judging my success by the grades that I received each semester. And there were always reasons to strive for good grades. In grade school grades are mostly to please our parents. As you get older you realize that you need good grades to get into college. In college you need good grades to get into professional programs and hopefully to get scholarship monies. But once you enter the professional world, there are no more grades to benchmark your success or failure. I realized what I was missing was that feeling of getting an A for a job well done! True, most companies require some type of annual performance evaluation but they often lack robustness. No doubt, if you make mistakes or fail to complete a task in an efficient manner, you will hear about it. But more often than not you are left alone with your self-evaluation and your self-motivation.
During pharmacy school I had a professor who told us that she kept an “atta girl” file. Anytime she received a meaningful note, a letter from a former student, or other positive feedback, she filed it in the “atta girl” file. She recommended that we do something similar. Several years ago I remembered this bit of advice and started my own “positive feedback” folder in my email. I have an actual folder in my filing cabinet as well for thank you notes and letters with significant meaning. The thought is that on those tough days when nothing seems to be going right or self-doubt creeps in, I can take out a card and reread it. They’re like a little ego – soothing balm for challenging days. It’s been a while since I’ve felt the need to dive into my stash. While I haven’t taken the time to read those emails, letters or cards, it is reassuring just knowing that they are there. I would encourage new practitioners to take this approach as well.
Please don’t be shy about sharing your positive feedback. There will be times when your feedback comes from outside your department and you should share with your supervisor or manager. Let them know that you’ve accomplished something that’s noteworthy to others. And don’t forget to spread it around! When you witness remarkable behavior in others, be sure to give positive feedback to them as well. Spread the seeds of positive feedback!
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