069

A couple of weeks ago, Dr. Al was going over his lecture on antidepressants. Sometimes when I am in class, the lecture passes by like how adults talk in Charlie Brown. I honestly try to stay engaged in lecture most of the time, but there are days when the lecture is especially boring.

Dr. Al has been one of my favorite professors in pharmacy school so far, next to Dr. Chan and Dr. Guo. He always makes me laugh and that day in lecture was no different. Let me introduce to you, melatonin, or how Dr. Al puts it, "The Hormone of Darkness".

Less than 10 days, and I will be done with my first year of pharmacy school. Aaaah yeeea!

053

Had a miserable time at IPPE's today. I don't know how my preceptor does it, but he manages to make me feel like a complete imbecile every single time. Gregg, despite your sour face and efforts to crush my spirit, I will still remain a happy little chipmunk. For Super Bowl Sunday, it was surprisingly busier than normal, but it wasn't too bad. Nothing really remarkable happened other than learning more about the CVS system.

I realized I really enjoy driving along I-5 up and down to and from Elk Grove. It's so straight and relaxing. I enjoy cranking up my radio and singing out loud. Such a pleasant 45 minutes lost in my own thoughts.

Since it is Super Bowl Sunday, I managed to arrive in time for the closing ceremony as the field exploded into confetti. I was rooting for the Packers, but I secretly wanted the Steelers to win because of that "Black and Yellow" song. This coming week, the weather is going to be sunny. Such a nice change from the doom and gloom of last week. Necesito estudiar ahora!

052

There is a new pharmacist at the pharmacy I am interning at. His name is Brendan. He is from Massachusetts. Recently moved to California this past summer. 24. And has beeeeaaautiful eyelashes that I envy lol He is so incredibly chill. I always ask myself, "Why isn't Gregg more relaxed? Why does he always have to look at me like 'Are you seriously going to do that'?" I guess it's because Brendan is still young and hasn't been jaded by the world and the evils of CVS that Gregg so vehemently spits upon and reminds me about every time I am working with him.

I actually like the CVS system of scanning and inventory checking. It is a hella efficient. More so than the out-patient pharmacy that I volunteered at last year. Yes, the system does not help the patient-pharmacist relationship at all but I can see the system improving. I HAVE HOPE!

Somehow, I managed to gash the space between my thumb and pointer with a dispensing spatula while I was dispensing prescriptions today. What idiot does that? Oh me. Did a consultation, made phone calls galore, restocked, found out all the clerks are all older than me when I thought they were all younger than me. Dude, I would be so lost without the techs. I wish I had a shirt that says "I <3 PharmTechs" to show my appreciation for them. First time I left exactly at closing time. I didn't know what to do with myself, except go home.

Another day of work tomorrow. I'll be missing the Super Bowl with the Boy's Club. I hope they save me food.

050

The convenient thing about keeping a blog about my life, pharmacy experience, and everything in between is that I am required to turn in a reflection about my IPPE experience once I am done with my 80 hours this semester. Today marks my 30th hour of pharmacy experience. Gregg was not present so I felt much more relaxed. Gordon was the pharmacist for today and I realize he is much more of a pleasant person to be around. I did a consultation, made lots of phone calls, and dispensed for most of the day. So nice and relaxing. I feel like I am learning the intricacies of the CVS system better. Learned that Gordon is Mormon. He also played basketball and football in high school.

I'm getting over my paranoia of making phone calls to patients. Now that I actually know how to use the computers, there's less fear of sounding like an idiot on the phone.

At CVS, they have continuing education for the pharmacists almost every two months. Gordon didn't seem too pleased to be doing it during the slow hours.

My eyes get really dry after working a full 8 hours. Also, my car hydroplaned off the freeway entrance and my right headlight is totally blown out along with some ugly scratches on the nose of my car. It didn't help that the car kept making suspicious noises throughout the 30+ mile drive and my phone battery died. Sad times.

044

Yesterday I gave my first consultation at the pharmacy. It was a prescription for amoxicillin for a little boy named Jameson. After I went through the consult, he cutely and politely said, "Thank you!" I think I just melted right there because I felt I made a difference in the world. Haha. It was a long 8 hour day. My preceptor got me to do reconstitutions, consultations, filling, answering OTC questions and galore. He gave me some homework to do too. Out of the three erectile dysfunction treatments (Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra), which one has the greatest bioavailability and longest half life? I've only had 6 classes of pharmacokinetics since the semester started and we just started talking about drug elimination and distribution. I feel stupid most of the time because of my lack of working in a pharmacy experience but I have a feeling I will be learning so much from my preceptor.

I've also noticed that my comics are slowly showing more personality than the usual formless blobmen that I draw. Hurray for creativity!

043

First week of class came and went. With it came new rules and expectations. I will seriously come to the PHRM 121 final naked...if given a million dollars haha but seriously, the rules are so ridiculous.

Also, yesterday was my first day of IPPEs at CVS Pharmacy in Elk Grove. My preceptor, Gregg, is a man jaded by the evils of CVS. Despite his less than optimistic outlook for the future of his pharmacy, his stern and strict attitude is going to keep me on my toes and I have a feeling my experience in a real pharmacy setting will be positive. First day, I got to do everything: work the register, scan waiting bins, dispense prescription, administer flu shots, guide customers around the OTC section, I even would have had the opportunity to consult if I was more confident in my abilities - but for now, I am going to listen and learn.

036

Preet and I watched Inception last Thursday at our school theater. In addition, last week's PHRM 111 quiz was on the gastrointestinal system. In a fit of extreme nerdiness and geekery, I spawned this ridiculousness. So what if no one with a medical background might not understand this or if they haven't seen the movie. Their loss.

Dr. Guire is a great professor, but I would totally pay more attention of Leonardo DiCaprio or Joseph Gordon-Levitt was teaching the class, lol.

035

Dr. Jasti teaches a portion of our PHRM 114 class and the content of his lectures mainly consist of drug history, patenting, formulation etc. In his words, "The topic is rather dry, but I'll do my best to juice it up, ok?"

One of the ways he's attempted to liven up the class is through the use of an online tool called Poll Everywhere. You basically text or instant message an answer to the corresponding number that is given on the screen and the class can instantly see the results. On the first day, Dr. Jasti made an open poll where the class could submit ANY answer. After that, he stuck to 4 multiple choice. Haha, pharm students are so mature...

I would really like to see Dr. Jasti teach me how to dougie.

031

This past week in my Nonprescription Therapy - Self-Care class we discussed oral pain such as recurrent aphthous stomatitis which is the fancy word for "canker sore". Interestingly enough, canker sores have no known cause while cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus-1, the same virus that can be found around your "hoo-ha" if you're not careful or are into that sort of thing.

As of now, I now know how to screen for cholesterol, blood-glucose, blood pressure, bone density, am CPR certified and am able to administer immunizations. It's only been a month and I can only imagine what other cool things we're going to learn in the coming months.

028

Dr. Chan is a beast. He teaches my Molecular Cellular Biology class. This man speaks a billion words a minute, never seems to make a mistake, and knows all there is to biochemistry. At the same time, he looks like an Asian Mr. Rogers.

Midterm for this class is probably going to be killer but I'm a champ just like Chan. Let's do this.

027

One of my roommates gave me a moist towelette from Hooters today. On the back of the package it reads, "Bartender: Pharmacist with limited inventory". I thought it was pretty amusing.

Midterms are coming up in less than three weeks and I am expecting my life to get less than adventurous in the next few weeks. I've been trying to squeeze in as much social life I can muster before I cloister myself in my room where I'll probably turn two shades paler than I already am. This first year in pharmacy school feels like I am reliving my freshman year as an undergraduate all over again. This past weekend I attended my first ever toga party that the Greek life on the undergraduate side was hosting. Being surrounded by scantily-clad, post-pubescent teens with raging hormones straight out of high school made me feel really out of place.

Not relating to the picture but a thought-provoking question Pastor Brad asked us in church on Sunday, "What would you do for God, if you knew you could not fail?" I definitely wouldn't be a bartender but the first image that popped into my head was my parents.

They came up this weekend to drop off homemade food for me and to see how I was doing. When I have kids, I want to be as good as parents as they are.

026

Ever since my freshman year of undergrad, my engineering friends would always poke fun at us pre-pharms. I recently took my written test to see whether I would be certified to administer immunizations to patients and I feel pretty good about it. This one is for Todd, who's having a blast at NASA right now.

025

It's almost 2:30AM here and I just covered material on acne and fungal infections for my OTC and Non-Prescription Drugs class for...this morning. It's funny how stress is a factor in worsening one's acne. And then you stress out on your appearance and then you stress out how to cover it up and stress out more about the other 4 quizzes and exams you have this week and when you go about treating the problem, the darn acne just flares up again because you're cold and clammy from malnutrition and in an attempt to keep yourself warm and comforted, you rub your face with your nasty hands that's taken out the trash and the P. acnes are just having a ball with all the buffet of contaminants that you just served them. It's a vicious cycle I say and I don't think I am making a lot sense right now because I would prefer to be snuggled up in bed with my pillow pet. But here I am, drawing a comic about acne when I have an interview in about 5 hours. My roommate is beside me and she just asked me something about undecylenic acid and I think I just drooled from staring blankly at her.

In other exciting news, I took my skills assessment test today where I injected my partner with saline solution and I passed. Hip-hip-hurray!

023 sweat

Sweat is fluid produced by sweat glands in our skin that percolates out of our pores. I've always wanted to use "percolate" in an entry and I'm not sure if I used it in the right context but I'll use the excuse that I'm no English major.

I've been doing the Insanity workout with some friends of mine and first 10 minutes into it, I'm pouring a storm. I guess genetics placed upon me overactive sweat glands. Sean T knows how to work you hard. In his words, "Get fit or GET OUT". Super encouraging I know.

Last week during our pharmacy orientation, my roommate was describing an awful experience she had with one of the transfer students in our incoming class. We'll call him Joe. Joe was talking, quite audibly, with his fellow transfers about our incoming class's overall GPA. He claimed that the rather low number was due to the fact that the pre-pharms didn't have to work at all to get into pharmacy school and that it was unfair of the advantage they had over other non-pre-pharms. After this, my roommate was paired up with him for an exercise and Joe asked her where she went for undergrad to which she replied, "Pacific" and Joe ignored her for the rest of the exercise.

I was so angry after hearing her story. I thought to myself, "How dare he judge us even before meeting us!" I'm at fault for having pre-conceived notions about people as well, but this guy's actions afterwards were just plain RUDE. I can attest that, maybe not for all but for most, pre-pharmacy students at Pacific work their ass off to get into the Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy. We have shed blood, tears, and sweat to get this far and for someone to dismiss our labor as diminutive, well I have a pretty finger for you buddy.

So I've never pointed the middle finger at anyone, but to think it means I'm pretty mad. Despite his less than friendly demeanor towards my kind, I extended grace to him. While standing in line for the Rite-Aid BBQ, sweating in my business attire under the cruel Stockton sun, Joe was standing right behind me, talking about going to Barnes and Noble to study. I turned around and offered that he should try studying at the Health Science library or the main campus library so he could save gas. He said thanks and I resumed my place in line feeling less mad and filled with more love, but still sweaty.

022

Snippets of this past weekend:

After 3 grueling long hours inside Faye Spanos, the PharmD Candidates of 2013 emerge to the bright, outside world where we were surrounded by loved ones. Here's my freshman and sophomore roommate from undergrad Anna aka Roomie.

My favorite Pacific Copts and I saying "GIBNA!" to the camera.

My #1 supporters, through thick and thin, and oh how I love them.

021

Pharmacy school has been very intense and everything I expected it to be. It's challenging and all the information I am learning is everything I need to know and want to know about this profession, place, and business. This entire week, I have woken up at 6:30AM to prepare for classes from 8AM til 12PM and then usually labs and discussion until 5PM. By the end of the day, I'm pretty tired but I have to hit the books so I don't fall behind. Most nights I go to bed at around 1-2AM and I rewind and grind again. I know I'll get used to the schedule but right now, it's been hard waking up these past few days.

Something else I learned this week, not only do pharmacy students work and study hard, but they play hard too. I think the past few nights have been filled with going out, clubbing, and indulging in adult beverages haha. I guess from all the stress and workload, we need some type of outlet to let loose.

When I look back on this blog and this particular entry some odd years from now, I want to say this to my future self: "Antoinette, your first week of pharmacy school was overwhelming and super fun. First day of lab, you're already learning how to inject shots! You've had over 100 pages of reading. And as an intern pharmacist, you can do everything a licensed pharmacist can do except hold the key to open the pharmacy. I can't believe you and Anna went clubbing. Stay away from strobe lights. Tracy Joy is pretty wild. Also, you're pretty crazy even when you don't have any alcohol in your system. Please continue to be the DD".

First week has been great being back at school. In one of our books we're reading, it says that to be a pharmacist you need to be a lifelong learner and let me tell you, I've learned so much within these past few days and I am looking forward to the next three years. Dr. Dinh will soon be in.