Gathering information from multiple platforms has led led to positive momentum in Emily Lothspeich’s life.
During the summer of 2019, I drove 30 minutes both ways to my first-year professional student institutional IPPE. This car ride seemed like lost time for productivity in my eyes, so, per recommendation from my older sister, I started listening to the podcast Choose FI. To be completely honest, I didn’t like listening to the podcast at all, which made me feel like a failure. I love reading, learning, and growing, so a podcast should have been the perfect fit for me! But it wasn’t for me.
Fast forward to summer 2020, when I am now driving 45 minutes to my second-year community IPPE. I started listening to Empower HER and Your Financial Pharmacist (YFP) in the car. I absolutely fell in love with their messages and can’t listen to them enough now. I turn on Empower HER whenever I get a chance—while I am cooking, getting ready in the morning, on my daily walks, and any other time where my mind would normally wander. I have realized I am not going to enjoy every podcast or book I get my hands on, but there are going to be some that really hit home.
Personal motivation
I am a pretty motivated person. I hate procrastination, so I try to work on assignments and begin studying as soon as possible. However, I don’t always have the motivation to care for myself, whether that is with proper exercise, nutrition, or breaks from school to do things I enjoy. Empower HER has given me excellent actionable items that I can use to better myself.
Finances
In pharmacy school, I do not think we learn nearly enough about student loans or how to manage our finances. I love YFP because it discusses how to refinance student loans, how to invest, and the best ways to prepare for a successful retirement. Many guest speakers are pharmacists who have started side hustles, and YFP provides excellent real-world examples on how to set yourself up for success.
Find that spark
I am a nerd. I soak up discussion around pharmacy like a sponge. There are some excellent podcast options to be a better residency candidate, improve your interviewing skills, or to just learn fun facts about pharmacy in general. I am excited to use more of this knowledge as I progress in the profession.
What’s important to remember about listening to podcasts or reading a book is that you don’t have to relate to every single detail of every episode or every chapter. But, if you can relate to any single detail and use it to grow, then it is a win. I know that this summer I have written down so many notes from podcasts and books that I already have lots of actionable items.
So go out, find something that sparks a fire in you, and absorb everything you can!
Emily Lothspeich is a third-year PharmD candidate at the North Dakota State University School of Pharmacy.