My only interviewee is a long time friend of mine. We went to high school together, separated after college and recently found eachother via facebook. Her name is Dr. Dawn Edwards who is currently a registered pharmacist and working in Walgreens here in Chicago, IL.
JF: How long has pharmacy been a part of your life?
DDE: Since I was a small child. I was maybe 11 or 12, when I realized my favorite Aunt Sharon was a pharmacist.
JF: How did that influence you to choose a career in pharmacy?
DDE: I didn't think I knew what I wanted to do then, but I always found her fascinating, not only because she was my favorite aunt of my moms three sisters, but the majority of kids during that age wanted to be doctors, but I didn't have any doctors in my family. I had Aunt Sharon, the pharmacist, and since I wanted to be like her. I also wanted to be a pharmacist.
JF: What was more rewarding, graduating from pharmacy school or obtaining a job in your career field?
DDE: I struggled all throughout pharmacy school at Xavier, and when I graduated I felt I was on top of the world. I was very thankful for everything that God blessed me with. However, when I finally got a job offer, it was especially rewarding because someone was willing to give me a chance to do something that I loved. Plus, working in Louisiana as a student I was extremely exited to come back home (Chicago) to work.
JF: What do you like most about your job as a pharmacist?
DDE: I enjoy the feeling of knowing that I am helping people feel better. I know that I have the power to save or preserve someone's life. That thought alone keeps me coming to work, even when I don't feel like it.
JF: Now the tough question, what do you like least about being a pharmacist?
DDE: (laughing) Boy, it'll take another 30 or 45 minutes to tell you everything that's I don't like.
JF: Ok, well just name a few things that I may have to be aware of as a future pharmacist.
DDE: The one thing I always complain to my husband about, working in retail pharmacy, is the long hours. By me being the head pharmacist at my store, I often have to come into work earlier than the other employees and stay later once the store begins closing.
JF: So the long hours get to you sometimes?
DDE: Definitely, but when I go home tired I feel like I've done my job. It's the time away from my husband that I miss.
JF: That's understandable, is there anything else that may make work as a pharmacist tough for me?
DDE: The other big thing is dealing with the customers. A lot of the time the customers are polite and friendly, but then you usually have one or two customers per day that come in, and they are late picking up their kids from daycare or school, or they put a prescription in and it isn't ready when they want it to, and they can be pretty nasty to the workers.
JF: Oh yes, the dreaded unhappy customer.
DDE: Yeah, but what they don't realize is that getting an attitude isn't going to help them get out of the store faster.
JF: That's understandable, is there any thing else?
DDE: Other than technical issues, there's really nothing else that bothers me at work.
JF: Fair enough! Last question, do you have any advice for a future pharmacist or anything that you know now that you wish you would have known then that you know now?
DDE: Throughout you life you are going to have people tell you why you shouldn't do something or that they would recommend you do something else. Don't listen to them for one second, because what they are doing is making you second guess your self and your dreams. Do it anyway! No matter what it is!
