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I can’t believe the time has come when I am no longer considered a new practitioner.  I graduated in 2009 and have reached the 5 year mark of being a pharmacist. I can remember vividly the excitement of the first day of pharmacy school, but that was almost 9 years ago!  I had a unique time to reflect on where I have been and what I’ve done at my 5 year pharmacy school reunion last month. 

As I made the long drive to the reunion, I reflected on such things like how have I changed in these 5 years?  How have I grown?  What have I learned?  How do I practice differently?  Am I more confident?  More jaded?  How do I view the pharmacy profession?  Do I still utilize my mentors?  How do I treat my mentees?  Am I the preceptor I had hoped I would be? 

So much has changed in my life in these 5 years, from completing residency to getting married. I’ve experienced many firsts including  verifying my first prescription, providing my first clinical intervention without another pharmacist’s approval, precepting my first student, and then first resident. There were personal firsts as well including buying my own car and having a baby. There have been successes and challenges, and the hard work has continued despite not having exams to study for or grades to worry about.

Attending the reunion was a unique time to learn about the journeys of my former classmates including the different practice settings they are in and their successes and challenges.  I could still sense the excitement from the first day of pharmacy school, only it was now mixed with the confidence of having pharmacy licenses and a few years of experience under our belts.  I felt gratitude to the school and all the outstanding professors for giving us the opportunity to be pharmacists, where we can earn an ample living and help people every day.

I hope to always keep the high level of passion and excitement for this great profession.  I wonder what the next  5 years will hold and what transition will be like going from new practitioner to seasoned practitioner.  I recently heard a quote that seems to fit perfectly with this transition.

“Now this is not the end.  It is not even the beginning of the end.  But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” –Winston Churchill 1942