About the Authors
Joseph Chen, PharmD, is a PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy resident at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Alabama who earned his PharmD from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
Shay L. Roth, PharmD, BCPS, is a PGY2 resident in her second year of the Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where she is also earning a master of business administration degree in health care management with specializations in leadership and business analytics.
Alexis M. Gaggini, PharmD, BC-ADM, DipACLM, is a pharmacy professional with MacQuarries Pharmasave in Nova Scotia, Canada, who has a diverse background spanning inpatient, ambulatory care, family medicine, and academic settings.
Ashley Yarabinec, PharmD, BCGP, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy in 2011 and is completing her doctorate or education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education.
Acknowledgments: The team extends sincere gratitude to the secondary preceptors whose dedication and expertise made this rotation possible.
For many pharmacy students, the question, "What kind of pharmacist do I want to be?" persists long after classes and examinations are finished. Some enter pharmacy school with a clear vision, dreaming of careers in hospital pharmacy, community practice, or industry. But for others, the range of possibilities can feel overwhelming. With many directions to consider, the question shifts from “What can I do?” to “Where do I belong?”
At the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, an elective advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotation focused on professional identity formation offered a novel perspective. Its goal was to provide students with an opportunity to ask questions, reflect, and develop a clearer sense of purpose within the field of pharmacy. Unlike a traditional rotation that occurs in one practice setting, students participating in this 5-week APPE explored many different pharmacy settings and interacted with multiple preceptors in their fields of interest. Students sat down with preceptors and asked questions not typically asked in an APPE rotation: “What do you wish you had known when you started your career? How do you balance work and life without burning out? If you could do it all over again, what would you change?”
Weekly journaling helped students explore their values, strengths, and aspirations. The goal wasn’t just to learn about pharmacy; it was to connect who they were as people with who they wanted to become as pharmacists.
What the Students Learned
The APPE’s impact was profound. One student gained confidence, realizing that they weren't alone in their doubts. They said, “Hearing that even seasoned pharmacists still have moments of uncertainty made me realize I am not alone. Now I know I belong in this profession, and I am exactly where I need to be.” Another student realized that understanding pharmacy’s breadth was key to feeling empowered in the field. They noted that “to truly represent pharmacists, whether in clinical care, leadership, or advocacy, you have to see the profession from all sides.”
In total, 5 major themes emerged from the students’ rotation reflections:
- Work-life balance isn’t optional; it’s essential. Preceptors didn’t sugarcoat the realities of burnout. For students, this was a wake-up call—a rewarding career doesn’t have to come at the cost of personal health.
- Career paths aren’t linear, and that’s OK. Many preceptors had pivoted between specialties, proving that growth often means change. The takeaway? Your first job doesn’t have to be your forever job.
- Nontraditional careers hold value. Students discovered opportunities they’d never considered: public health initiatives, pharmacy leadership, health policy, and entrepreneurship. Though often overlooked in pharmacy school, these fields are equally vital and rewarding.
- Alignment matters, as the best careers fit your personal values. The most fulfilling careers are not about prestige or salary but about matching personal passions with professional purpose. The pharmacists who loved their jobs were the ones who had intentionally chosen paths that resonated with their own values.
- Reflection is a lifelong tool. Preceptors shared how looking back on their careers, celebrating successes, learning from setbacks, and adjusting course had shaped who they became.
The students’ experiences show that professional identity can grow through intentional exposure, meaningful mentorship, and structured reflection. When APPEs incorporate these elements, students gain confidence, explore pharmacy’s breadth, and learn from real-world challenges. Students can apply these ideas during their own rotations by asking the deeper questions identified previously and seeking diverse perspectives. This approach of curiosity and intentional reflection turns each APPE into an opportunity to shape identity and purpose, helping students align their careers with their personal values.
Where Are the Students Now?
As the first 2 students to complete this APPE rotation, we coauthored this article to reflect on how its focus on professional identity redefined our paths as pharmacists. We can say, without hesitation, that this experience changed everything.
For Joe Chen, the rotation was a turning point. Initially drawn to community pharmacy practice by its patient relationships, the APPE helped identify a passion for serving underserved communities, particularly those facing substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health challenges. A preceptor on this rotation introduced him to ambulatory care pharmacy (which he initially and humorously mistook for “pharmacy in an ambulance”). Another preceptor revealed opportunities in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system, where he could combine clinical work with service to veterans. Now completing a PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residency, Joe will soon join the VA as a clinical pharmacist practitioner specializing in SUD, pain management, and mental health. With Drug Enforcement Agency certification, he is also training as a buprenorphine champion to expand treatment access and reduce addiction stigma.
For Shay Roth, the rotation brought clarity. She was always passionate about public health, leadership, and clinical pharmacy but wasn’t sure how to merge those interests into a career. This APPE helped her reflect on her values and see how they could shape her professional path. That reflection led her to pursue a health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she is also earning her master of business administration degree. Now in her second year of residency, Shay is exploring how to combine her passions for clinical pharmacy, leadership, and health equity into a career that drives systemic change.
The Most Important Lesson of All
For students feeling uncertain about their place in pharmacy, our advice is simple:
- Ask yourself the hard questions. What kind of impact do you want to make? What values will guide you?
- Engage deeply with mentors and preceptors. Ask unconventional questions to uncover unique insights.
- Seek out diverse experiences.
You won’t know what resonates
until you explore. - Reflect often. Your career isn’t just a series of jobs; it is a journey of growth.
Pharmacy is so much more than dispensing medications or checking orders. It is about finding your place in a diverse, essential profession. And sometimes, the best way to find your path is to step off the beaten one and see where the conversation takes you.
