I don't know about ya'll, but I am SO ready for the weather to catch up to the season (hellooooo spring, where are you?)! Its finally starting to warm up over here in New Jersey, and I was searching for some new accessories when I stumbled upon JORD watches. Their men and women's watches are THE perfect rustic and minimalistic match for an eclectic spring wardrobe.

Lets be clear: I wear a lot of color in spring and summer. I love any color that looks like it'd come out of a highlighter, but sometimes that means that matching accessories can be a bit difficult. I've discovered that a wooden watch is the perfect accessory for a girl like me who loves color and just needs a watch to match everything! I absolutely love pairing my new wooden JORD watch with my colorful wardrobe. I fell completely in love with the Frankie model in ebony and gold because it is perfectly minimalistic, and matches in with all my spring and summer accessories. The hint of gold also helps it to match with all the gold jewelry I own. I've worn it multiple times with multiple colors, and the wooden style brings a rustic touch to literally any outfit.

Most recently, I paired it with my most favorite Lilly Pulitzer romper, and a cute howlite bracelet set from Francesca's. The juxtaposition of color with the ebony wood was a beautiful contrast.


Usually with lighter, vibrant colors, I stick to the same with my jewelry. I was so surprised to see how a minimalistic piece didn't take away from the fun of the outfit, rather it completely complemented it and gave it a rustic vibe.  All in all, this is one of my most favorite watches in my collection. I love that I don't have to hide it away for certain seasons or avoid it with certain outfits, it goes with everything.



I'm also super happy to be teaming up with the great folks at JORD watches to be doing a giveaway! One winner will have the chance to win a $100 giftcode to their website to go toward one of these timeless pieces, and all participants get a 10% off code just for entering! The contest closes on 05/13/2018 at 11:59pm CST. 10% off codes are good until 05/27/2018.

Hopefully ya'll enjoyed this review. I can't wear to show this piece off more! Luxury Wooden Watch

A few weeks after ASHP's Mid Year conference, and the official start of my residency journey, one of my mentors from my program reached out to me. He wished me well on any potential interviews I might receive, and said, "The next 8 weeks ought to be a lot of fun. You'll learn much more than you ever expected-about residencies and about yourself. Stay calm." Of course I appreciated the sentiment, but I could not fully grasp what that would mean for me. Little did I know, my journey to residency would double as a journey to self-discovery too!

Despite having good grades and a well-rounded CV, I still felt the need to apply to a bunch of programs in order to improve my chances of hearing back about interviews. It wasn't too hard to choose places that I was interested in. I knew that it was time for me to try to leave Philadelphia/NJ. I love Philadelphia with all my heart but I have been there my entire life. I've had friends who have left the area for school or work and came back, and some who didn't, but I had always been a constant here for them to come back to. I knew it was my turn to fly out and see if I could be successful elsewhere too. That choice broadened my list of programs. I also exclusively chose programs that offered electives or opportunities to rotate into transplant settings.  During my first APPE rotation I discovered that I LOVED transplant, and I knew that if I wanted to explore doing transplant (and potentially specialize in a PGY2) that I needed to find programs that could support it. Overall it was super important for me to find well-rounded programs, with plenty of opportunities and on the cutting edge of medicine. Way too many applications and personal statements later, I ended up with 7 interviews, and only had to turn down 1.

January and February were a total whirlwind. In the course of just a few weeks I traveled to places like Virginia, Connecticut, central Pennsylvania and even my home city of Philadelphia. Most were places I was quite unfamiliar with. In the days prior to my first interview, I practiced questions religiously (which I was advised not to do because the first interview always ends up being a mess anyway). I don't regret practicing because it definitely kept me afloat in that interview for longer than it would have if I didn't practice! I fumbled and stuttered and did all sorts of messy things but managed to keep it together overall. I certainly didn't know how I was going to get through 5 more after that initial one because let me tell ya, interviewing from 8am to 4pm is EXHAUSTING. Luckily it did get easier with each interview I went to.

One of the things that led me to reflect more on who I was as a person, was that I went to each of these interviews by myself. I spent a lot of time alone, driving, hanging out in my hotel and constantly pondering the life events that had gotten me to that point. After all, I was being asked about my life at just about every interview so I considered it a type of prep! It was my trip to Virginia that ultimately led me to realize just how much I had learned about myself throughout the whole process. It also led me to realize just how capable I was of being independent. Virginia marked the middle of my journey and I only had three interviews left but I was utterly exhausted! After a long 5 hour drive to my hotel, I decided to do something for myself. I got right back into my car and drove west to Shenandoah National Park. I went in through Rockfish Gap, with no real plans other then to drive Skyline Drive for as long as I could. I remember pulling off onto one of the overlooks and sitting on the hood of my car, looking out into the valley and enjoying the serenity it brought me. It was the first stretch of true quiet I had in weeks. Even when I was traveling alone I had the noise of my own busy thoughts floating about, but not there. I thought about how just a year ago I had been ill, and would have never attempted this. Two years prior, I was completely emotionally-dependent on a boyfriend who just didn't feel the same. Three years prior I was terrified out of my mind to leave my undergraduate friends and start pharmacy school. And yet there I was, in Shenandoah, by myself, surviving, thriving, and making it through. I had an overwhelming sense of calm flood my mind as I realized that I had been okay all those times, and more than likely, that meant I'd be okay at the end of residency interviews, no matter what happened.



On March 20th, match day, I woke up and went through my normal routine. Had coffee, watched the news, lounged in my PJs and waited for that fated email that would tell me where I was going for the next year of my life (and possibly two!). As it got closer to 8am I got increasingly nervous and decided to take a page from the book of my two favorite tv characters, Meredith Grey and Christina Yang. Yep, I danced it out. I danced it out for about 3 minutes, turned to my computer, and there it was. The email. With my number 1 choice reflected at the top: Yale New Haven Hospital.

Although the last three months were possibly more stressful than all of pharmacy school combined, my mentor was right: I had learned more about myself than I could have possibly imagined. I needed to learn that I could be independent, and that no matter what residency (or life) brought, I'd survive, and probably thrive. Leaving Philadelphia is bittersweet, but I'm so excited to see what Connecticut will bring! I can't wait to share the adventures I have there as a pharmacy resident.

I am SO excited to be partnering with JORD Watches for a giveaway! My blog post reviewing these beautiful timepieces is soon to come, but in the meantime, check out the giveaway.

1 winner will win a $100 giftcode to the JORD Watches website, and every participant will get a 10% off voucher for the website. Contest ends 05/13/2018 at 11:59 pm CST, and 10% vouchers are good until 05/27/2018.

If you're looking for the wooden watch I'm wearing, it is the Frankie model in ebony and gold!


Keep on a look out for my upcoming blog post!

When I started pharmacy school, I had many assumptions about how it would be. I thought I'd be the class underdog coming into the program as someone without an undergrad degree. I thought it'd be hard, but had no real, solid gauge of how hard. I thought I'd coast through without many friends, probably without joining any organizations. I thought I would just totally and completely immerse myself in my work. I've learned so much since starting about myself, pharmacy, medicine, and people as a whole. Recently, residency interviews brought up a lot of feelings and reflections about some of the more introspective thoughts I've had about pharmacy school. So here they are.


Yeah its going to be hard, but it is all about how you adapt
I've said this time and time again to P1s. Of course pharmacy school is hard, but if you made it into pharmacy school you most certainly have the ability to learn the information presented to you. What is difficult is adapting to the amount of information you have to learn and doing it fast. In relation to studying/doing work in pharmacy school, you need to be able to try out a method, analyze the result and make the changes you need to, seamlessly. Your old methods of studying may work, they may not, either way each first exam in a class is going to tell you what did and did not work and you have to be able to look to what you could change, and implement it as soon as possible! The easier this is for you to do, the better.


Organizational involvement can be so much more than just another addition to your CV
 In my P2 year, a classmate of mine made an announcement that our APhA-ASP chapter was looking for a communications vice president, and after hearing the position details I thought "I can do that". I also had nervous thoughts of "what if it consumes too much time?", and "is an e-board position something I'm ready for?". If it hadn't been for my classmate's prodding and encouragement I probably would have never jumped into the role, and it certainly changed my life. It forced me to not only be involved but to take a relatively undeveloped position and make something of it. More importantly, in the two years I have been an active member of APhA-ASP I have been nothing short of impressed with the impact my fellow student pharmacists have made in the Philadelphia community. And that impact isn't exclusive to just APhA-ASP. Our student body org, ASHP, IPhO and many others have made enormous impacts in our small community at Jeff and also in Philadelphia. My time in pharmacy school was made so much more whole by being an active member in an organization. It gave me something to look forward to, something to keep busy with (that wasn't studying), a place to grow, and the opportunity to lead. I thoroughly encourage each and every P1 and P2 to pursue leadership positions in these organizations despite the fact that studying/exams/projects loom overhead. I promise you, you have the time and the ability, and it is more than worth it.


Your classmates are your support system not your competition
Simply put: I cannot imagine navigating the crazy journey that is pharmacy school without the friends I met in class. No one is going to understand what exactly it is you are going through during school, except for them. I have amazing friends outside pharmacy school who are wonderful and try their best to understand what it is I'm talking about, but lets be real they don't really care if I have all the major drug interactions associated with Warfarin memorized. Pharmacy school is too turbulent and exciting of a time to be making enemies, or labeling folks as competition. You all have the same end goal in mind: PharmD. Work toward that goal together and lean on one another. After all, you'll be spending a lot of late nights in the library together.


Know that your preceptors did not become incredible over night
When I was a P1 thinking about my life 4 years down the road, I pictured that I'd transition into APPEs just as confident and capable as the preceptors and professors I interacted with every day. I thought "of course I'll be ready! I'll be armed with three years of pharmacotherapy knowledge!". I wish that were enough. The transition from IPPE to APPE student was a big challenge for me because of this expectation. As an APPE student, you have a lot more autonomy and a lot more is expected of you, but you still have SO much more to learn. I spent so many of my rotations in awe of my preceptors, wondering how it was that they could cite every detail of clinical trials and if I would ever get there myself. I could never picture myself on their level, and it became a source of stress for me. I felt as though I was behind. However, I began to open up to these preceptors and asked them how exactly they got from APPE student to being an amazing clinical pharmacist. The response I got 90% of the time was: it takes A LOT of time, a lot of practice, a lot of patience and a lot of failure. This was probably the biggest takeaway from P4 year for me. Your preceptors were once in your exact same position, and you should take solace in the fact that you will get to their place one day too.

When you feel lost: remember why you started
I repeated this to myself religiously with every difficult exam, every impossible situation and every stressor I experienced during pharmacy school. Remember why you started this journey. Remember it to bring things into perspective. Remember it to get you back on track or keep you on track. Remember it when you feel like giving up and use it to inspire you to keep moving forward. The you who started pharmacy school is going to be a whole different you at the end, but hopefully your purpose remains the same. I found that reflecting back on my why was vital in keeping myself grounded.


So these are the points that have resonated the most with me as I look back on the last 4 years. I've learned so much about what I love, but also about myself. The photo below is me on the day of my white coat ceremony, about two months into my P1 year. I've changed so so much since then (including about 6 inches of hair), but I'm so incredibly happy with how it has all turned out.

Hey ya'll! It has been a while, but I've been inspired to write out some posts again because A. I am back on rotation after a very long 3 months off and B. have had many P3 students reach out to me looking for advice in regards to picking APPEs. Picking your APPEs can be a really overwhelming process, from ranking the sites, to thinking about transportation and also just the general ambiguity about where you'll be next year that hangs overhead. I'm here to tell you: don't fret, it'll all work out. Seriously. The P4 students when I was a P3 picking APPEs told me exactly the same thing and I still worried, but reflecting back now I can see that everything worked out exactly as it should.

1. Think a lot about what you are interested in, what settings you are most excited about, and what you would love to learn more about!

APPEs are your time to explore, so don't choose rotations because you think they'll be "easy". I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that they were totally committed to doing community pharmacy as a career, went on APPE rotations and ended up applying for residency, or vice-versa. While I definitely recommend choosing a rotation in a career field you think you have an interest in, it is also a great idea to challenge yourself with rotations you know nothing about. You never know how choosing outside your comfort zone will impact your interests and goals! I chose a variety of rotations that I knew I may never get the chance to take elsewhere, like a gastroenterology ambulatory care rotation. I already knew I loved ambulatory care, and chose it as an elective because having it be GI-based was too unique to pass up on!

2. Know that you may not get your first choice in everything

AND THATS OKAY! Story time: I did not rank transplant for my inpatient APPE, at all. So when our APPE algorithm presented me with my first APPE rotation, inpatient transplant at a local hospital, I was surprised but took it in stride knowing that I'd still learn a lot even if I didn't rank the subject. It turned out to be one of the best rotations I had during the whole year, and transplant became my primary interest (and will possibly be the speciality I pursue in a PGY2 residency, granted PGY1 goes okay haha!). So my point is: embrace the rotations that may have not been your first choice, because they can have the most serendipitous effect on your life.

3. You cannot cheat the system

There is no magic way to cheat the algorithm and get your first choice in everything, no matter what the conspiracy theorist in your class says.

4. Ask P4s for their advice

Who better to advise you on which rotations are interesting/fun than the people currently in them!? I've had a ton of P3s reach out to me asking about my experiences in my rotations. Your upperclassmen are your best resources, so utilize them. We've been through it and we'll help you through it too. The best part about seeking out help from P4s is that they can also give you the inside scoop about the stuff that isn't listed in your program's APPE manual but matters just as much: is the train ride sketchy? how is the cafeteria? what does my average day look like at this rotation?

5. Consider your plan for next year when ranking

For example, I lived in Philadelphia during my P3 year and knew that my lease would be up in the summer of my P4 year while I was on APPE. Knowing this I scheduled my last two rotations to be back in NJ, where my family lives, so that I could avoid a commute into Philly. APPEs are tiring, and you're usually there all day. Sometimes you might have to pop in to get extra info on a patient, sometimes you have projects to do that require you to come in as well. Therefore it is good to think about things like: where will I be living? will I have access to a car? will I need time off for a family obligation? etc. It is much better to plan ahead when possible then to figure things out while on APPE when you have a lot more work going on.

That is all the advice I have for now. I know my school in particular is wrapping up their ranking time period but hopefully this will serve as a stress relieving post for those who are wondering whether or not they made the best choices possible. If you've already submitted, relax and keep calm till you hear. It'll all work out and soon enough you'll have your list!