If I have learned one thing so far in this early phase of my career, it is that the only constant in pharmacy is change. As cliché and obvious as it sounds because of the ever-evolving guidelines, literature, and revolutionary advances in pharmacotherapy, your years of postgraduate training are all about changing what kind of pharmacist you are.

I probably should have had a better inkling of this truth when no less than 3 of my pharmacy school professors recommended the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr Spencer Johnson when I asked them for career advice. For those who have not yet read it, the book is a parable for the different ways to handle change with either a “Sniff and Scurry” or a “Hem and Haw” approach. Do you stumble around and hit dead ends, but are okay when you do so and can quickly adapt to a new approach? Or, are you comfortable in your situation and sit in your emotions and beliefs? As cheesy as this little book was at the time, I’ve come back to these principles time and time again, so much so that I now have my own copy as a reminder that change is not inherently bad and different times call for different approaches.

Although I was born and raised in Iowa, my pharmacy career has taken me to North Carolina as a student, Arizona as a resident, and now Illinois as a fellow. There are countless guides and tip sheets for how to transition from a student to a pharmacist, or from a PGY1 to a PGY2, but these fail to capture how intimidating, uneasy, and sometimes nerve-wracking making these jumps can be. Overall, I don’t think there are any right or wrong ways to approach these changes, which is a frustrating realization when you’re supposed to be writing advice for other postgrads, but I will do my best to highlight what is most important to me in navigating times of change.

Learn from those who were there before you, whether that’s the graduating residents, your preceptors and program directors, your community members, or your patients. Listening to my patients and community members helped me learn what their actual needs were instead of what I learned in school, established foundations for longitudinal relationships, and of course helped me find the best places to eat and hike.

Thank your support system. This one should go without saying, but as a trainee, we are often pressed for time and mental energy, and we can all use a reminder to check in on those we care about.

Find your mentors and keep them. As we’ve all heard a million times, pharmacy is a small world, and I doubt that I would be where I am today without my mentors’ expertise, guidance, and support. Especially as I’ve transitioned into a more research-focused role, fostering these mentor relationships has opened up my opportunities for collaboration and development.

It’s okay to be nostalgic, but don’t miss what’s in front of you. As easy as it was to yearn for the desert heat and beautiful mountains during my first winter back in the Midwest, I nearly forgot how good hot chocolate is when the weather is below freezing or to laugh at my dog’s first time playing in snow piles bigger than him.

Learn how to be your own advocate. To me, this one is the most intimidating and one I am actively working on. This ties back into #3, but I have found that most people in your training programs want you to succeed with your career path, and if they can’t help you, they know someone who can.

At no time would I have guessed that my path would take me back and forth across the country, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Here’s to seeing where we all go next!