I graduated as a pharmacist 7 years ago and have not practised as one since completing the mandatory NYSC program. Note that I did pretty well in pharmacy school: finishing with a first-class CGPA and a distinction. I remember giving the valedictory speech at my induction ceremony and mentioning that some of the new graduates would end up doing other things besides pharmacy. That particular remark earned a smirk from the Chairman of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria at the time. I was not being prophetic. I was being realistic because I already mapped out a career for myself in international development and had taken strategic steps to segue into this new field I had no background in. Many years after that speech, while interning at the African Development Bank in Cote d’Ivoire people would often look at my cv and ask me why I switched from pharmacy. My response is always a mix of passion, wanderlust spirit and indifference towards a pharmacy career.
I am writing this piece for those who can relate in some measure to this dilemma: About to earn the pharmacy degree (or just earned it) but do not feel passionate about practising it. If you aren’t faced with this ‘challenge’ you may stop reading now as you might not find this useful.
Let’s talk about passion. Key question to ask yourself in defining passion is if you would get a sense of job satisfaction doing a particular job for the rest of your life. I didn’t feel that way in my third year of pharmacy school working as a locum at a ‘cool’ community pharmacy in Adeola Odeku Street, VI, Lagos. I got the sense that I was not built for that particular line of work. I had colleagues who enjoyed it. Filling prescriptions and giving advice on drug use and abuse etc. etc. to clients filled them with genuine joy, pride and satisfaction. I was happy for them and wanted similar sense of job satisfaction. Unfortunately, it just did not lie in pharmacy. I felt uncomfortable doing it. This was when I hatched the plan to ‘leave’. I make this sound easy but it is never an easy decision to reach. However, first thing you should note is that leaving your ‘comfort’ zone for your ‘comfortable’ zone is never easy.
My comfortable zone fell within the purview of international relations. Yours might be cinema or dancing or mass communication. It is not weird to feel this apathy towards pharmacy. Some of us were forcefully coaxed to study it anyway. One caveat I must add is that pursuing your passion comes with opportunity costs and risks (I can think of many but here’s one: Starting a career in a new field different from the discipline you studied means you are starting from scratch!). You must properly weigh the consequences of transitioning into another field before doing so and if you reckon you do not have the stamina to bear these risks, then best remain in your comfort zone.
So, what practical things must you take to properly follow your passion? First step that comes to mind is to have a strategic plan. You can’t just hope to become something. You have to take deliberate steps – do research on the new field, write professional exams, earn a new degree or certification, gain some practical experience through an internship etc. This prepares you for the unknown. Note that your passion may not be totally unrelated to pharmacy like mine was. For instance, your interest may be innovative models to retail pharmacy or healthcare – something that does not quite fit traditional practices. You still have to put in the time to draw a strategy that will include the clichéd SWOT analysis etc etc.
Second step – and there is no hard and fast rule about the order of these steps – is to seek a good mentor. This mentor must be as innovative as you, that is, they must have made similar career moves as you. My mentor was a pharmacist who had become a big shot in the world of engineering and telecommunications. He understood my urge to not practise pharmacy. He got me. Find someone who gets you and spend time discussing your strategy with them. This helps you see the big picture of the professional moves you intend to take. A good mentor will create the time and offer you resources to engage them.
Thirdly, never stop believing in yourself. Even when everyone calls you an idiot for making a particular career decision, keep believing in the passion that drove you to it in the first place. Family and friends might find it hard to believe you are choosing an unconventional career route but the key question is if you would rather be unhappy doing what they like or happy doing what you enjoy.
Finally, I don’t have all the answers. No one does. We are all figuring life as we go along. So, don’t treat mistakes or setbacks as the end of the world. Be ready to pick yourself up and keep going, figuring the mess of life as you go along. You are better off doing what you are passionate about than not. And I am rooting for you.
Folorunso David is a graduate of University of Ibadan and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts Univeristy. He currently works at a development startup called Emerging Public Leaders.
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