Kirstin Wade is a final-year PharmD candidate at the East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy.
In 2025, I am looking forward to many things, such as graduating, new beginnings, and hopefully a celebratory vacation. As a student pharmacist who has spent almost 4 years studying and preparing to become a pharmacist, it is bittersweet to close this chapter on my life. However, I am excited for new opportunities, including hopefully beginning a residency.
Ready to hear “buon appetite”
The responsibilities of ensuring all requirements are met for residency applications will take up most of my time throughout the end of this year. Additionally, I am excited to get to have a small break after graduation to spend time with family, travel, and overall, just have some much-needed time to focus on activities that improve my mental well-being.
A vacation would be a great way to relax, as I love to travel and being able to explore new places is so exciting to me. I hope and plan to take a trip to Italy after I graduate and complete my boards. I have always wanted to visit Rome and Venice to take a leisurely ride in the river boats, see the Colosseum, and eat authentic Italian food.
Setting boundaries
One of my goals in the new year is to set boundaries for myself regarding my personal and professional life balance. I know that with residency this will be a challenge. However, I think that even taking an hour out of my day to complete my workout will increase my physical and mental well-being. This is a goal that is important to me for many reasons, and I plan to make it a priority.
I also look forward to potentially moving to a new city and having the opportunity to enjoy all the new things that it has to offer. I value the time spent at my college of pharmacy and the surrounding town, but I am ready for something new. I look forward to the personal and professional changes taking place in the new year.