Life Off-Label

Social media has revolutionized how we interact in many ways, but one of the biggest might be how much we constantly know each others’ business. I’m not complaining, as it’s something I’ve come to accept. When I share things on my Facebook, they are generally things directed to a certain group of people, but I don’t mind that everyone else can see it because I’m too lazy to go through the hassle of limiting everything for possible individual circumstances. If there was something I really didn’t want someone to see, even if they aren’t on my friends list, I just wouldn’t post it. I treat my relatively “private” profile as if anyone could see it, because in reality I have no control over someone on my friends list getting on a computer and showing someone not on my friends list something on my page. I doubt it happens often, but nevertheless it’s a possibility.

When it comes to having a blog, I have to be even more careful because it is more available to anyone and everyone. When you also throw in the fact that this blog has a professional theme, I really have to watch what I say because I could possibly jeopardize my future reputation as a pharmacist. Words are powerful. It can be a great tool to provide a loud voice in your profession, but it can also come back to bite you. All it takes is one person to take something the wrong way, even if you didn’t intend for your thoughts to come across that way.

I’m going to inevitably say something that someone doesn’t agree with. I can’t please everyone, and even within this profession, people constantly argue over various things. I just hope most people remember that “pharmacy student” is only a small part of who I am. I don’t want to be afraid of being myself to the extent that you can’t see the individual behind the words. Though I strive to have a higher standard for how I conduct myself than the general population, at the end of the day I’m still human. I don’t always take things seriously, I’m quirky, and I have flaws. Pharmacy school is one of those key times in my life where I’m going to learn a lot and experience many new things, and I can learn a lot about myself by going back through old entries and seeing how my perspective has changed. I’d rather go back to read something and go, “Wow… I was silly!” than have nothing to reflect on at all.

I have many different interests and talents outside the world of pharmacy, and some of those might entail things that don’t involve being very professional. Though I may have some funny drunk pictures on Facebook, or the mouth of a sailor in reaction to a sports game on my Twitter feed, I would never let those traits overlap into how I function in a pharmacy setting. As long as I can keep my work and play time separate, I don’t see the harm. As pharmacists, we’re supposed to have great social skills and be able to interact well with others, and I don’t see how upholding some uptight professional attitude in all walks of life will do that. It’s not who I am, and if you don’t like it, feel free to take your prescription to the robot at Walgreens.