Lee was exposed to pharmacy early in life. "My grandmother was a pharmacist , she got me interested in how medications affect the body , " says. "When I got the chance to work in a pharmacy, I quickly realized how much I loved it and applied to the School of Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo."
drawn to Waterloo because of the strength of the co-op program flexibility it provided. " C o-op worked really well for me, especially because I could self-arrange my placements," says. "I did all my co-ops at Northern Shores Pharmacy, the place where I discovered my love of pharmacy. It was nice to be able to work and support my family while being home with them in North Bay."
This was particularly important for Lee, because he and his partner expanded their family during his time at Waterloo Pharmacy. His son was born during his second year, and he welcomed a daughter while completing his fourth-year patient care rotations.
Being home in North Bay with his growing family important , b ut that wasn’t the only thing he loved about his experiential placements. "Returning to North Shores, I was able to build a rapport with patients. I woul d see familiar faces and apply what I had learned in my program to help people reach their healthcare goals."
education at Waterloo prepared Lee well for changes in his field that took place while he was completing his degree. "Pharmacists prescribing for minor ailments a new scope proposed while I was working on my degree and has now launched in Ontario ," he explains. " We were trained at the same m’e as this scope expanded. I got a solid education at a critical time in the field co-op terms gave me the chance to apply my learning. This was a valuable part of my experience at Waterloo Pharmacy."
Lee is now working at the hospital in North Bay, which is not where he initially thought he would end up. "In my fourth year, I did a hospital rotation and immediately fell in love with the interprofessional collaboration, new types of interventions and different way s’of helping patients ," Lee says. " One of the main reasons I went into pharmacy s be a lifelong learner, and my job now is helping me learn new practices and build relationships with other healthcare practitioners. "
As a piece of advice f or students interested in pharmacy , Lee shares, " If pharmacy isn’t something you’ve done before, it’s a good idea to reach out to a community pharmacy and see if there are volunteer or job opportunities. You have a much better understanding of the environment once you’re in it."
And once you’re here ? " B e open to change ," he says. " Through my degree, I learned a lot and practice d very different settings. I thought I wanted to go into community pharmacy, but I’m working in a hospital now, and I love it. Come into the program open to having your mind changed based on your experiences and what you learn here and go with it."
Interested in pursing a pharmacy degree? Learn more about Canada’s only co-op Doctor of Pharmacy program.
