Student Leadership Award Q&A: Cristian Rodriquez
Cristian Rodriquez is a third-year PharmD candidate at the Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy and a member of the 2023–2024 APhA–ASP Communications Standing Committee.
1. As you reflect on your student pharmacist experience thus far, what are some of your favorite memories?
For me, my favorite pharmacy memories have been when I was allowed to collaborate with student pharmacists from across the country. From state meetings to the national conferences, I’ve enjoyed every interaction I’ve had with fellow student pharmacists—so much so that 3 other students and I founded the SoCal Pharmacy School Mixer in 2022 in order to provide yet another opportunity to collaborate and network.
Oddly enough, this obsession with networking was actually born within the pandemic. It was through the mentorship of Martin Bailey, PharmD, that I was able to break out of my shell and learn to love networking. There was no rhyme or reason to his methods; he simply threw me in front of his camera during networking events in 2020, and that forced me to learn to network. Sometimes trial by fire is the best way to learn how to do something, and I am forever grateful for his desire to help me become who I am today.
Meeting my girlfriend, Clarissa, has obviously been the best thing to come out of pharmacy school for me. It is with her support and motivation that I’m able to manage all that I do today, and I’m very grateful for the many experiences we’ve shared outside of the classroom as well.
Outside of school, my experiences with her and Dr. Bailey have been my favorite during my time as a student pharmacist. My favorite memories from within pharmacy school come from the in-person interactions I’ve had with students in addition to the virtual networking experiences from the comfort of Dr. Bailey’s living room.
2. Pharmacy school is demanding, especially when you add on additional activities. How do you manage all of your responsibilities?
When I figure out the best way to do this, I promise to let you all know! I cannot say I have the perfect formula, given much of my ability to juggle so much comes from what some would call traumatic experiences. For me, it was just how I experienced undergrad education.
For those of you who do not know, I played volleyball in college, and that was the main way I was able to afford to go to school. But volleyball does not pay the bills, so I additionally worked as a certified personal trainer and managed the graveyard oversight of my local 24 Hour Fitness. This meant that on some days I was waking up at 4:30 am to get to weights at 5:00 am, then practicing volleyball until 8:00 am, followed by classes until the afternoon, training a few clients , then doing homework during my graveyard shift at the gym. To make matters worse, I would often drive straight to practice to do the same thing the next day, meaning I wasn’t sleeping at all a few days a week.
I want to make this very clear: I do not recommend this! But it was my reality, and it enables me to be able to work while I am tired, even today.
3. What are some of your favorite leadership tools and/or resources?
Mentors. Find yourself someone, or many someones, to serve as your mentor(s). Whether as an example of how to conduct oneself or as a person from whom to seek advice, working with mentors is the ultimate tool to help a student separate from the pack as a leader.
I strongly disagree with the notion that a mentor has to be older than you. That’s not true. A mentor is simply someone you respect and trust. This person gives you direction and can help you find the direction in which you want to go. Much like a compass (or nowadays a mapping app), mentors can suggest the right direction toward your final goal. All you have to do is the work to get there, but at least you have help with knowing where you want to go.
4.What does being a leader mean, and what does being selected for this award mean to you?
To define this, I need to call upon one of my mentors, Patrick Tabon, PharmD, in order to give some context.
Dr. Tabon taught me the 3 types of leaders: leaders from the front, from within, and from behind. Leaders from the front are the ones people often think of: The person giving grand speeches, the general running into battle at the front of the charge, and the quarterback are all examples of the leaders from the front.
Leaders from within are leaders who propose a project, then work within the project to help get the task done. An example of this would be a farmer who oversees the farm, but also works on the farm and who is vital to the way the farm operates.
Leaders from behind are harder to find, given that they seek none of the credit. Leaders from behind inspire others; propose projects to, then help teach, others to run the project; or do the work behind the scenes to then give the credit to others.
For those of you who have interacted with me, I’ll let you make your guess into which category I fall.
The point of me outlining this is to share the message Dr. Tabon shared with me: You do not have to be outgoing to be a leader. There are many ways to lead, and it is up to you to find which method(s) you are most comfortable using, and then excel within that category or categories.
You may not think so, but I promise you that you are indeed a leader—maybe not in the “lead from the front” example you are used to, but you are indeed a leader. You just might not have known that leaders come in all shapes and sizes. All it takes to be a leader is to be passionate about what you do and act on that passion with your best foot forward.
5. What’s next for you?
To list it bluntly: serve on the APhA–ASP Communications Standing Committee for my second year, excel on my APPEs, oversee the SoCal Pharmacy School Mixer, and—most importantly of all—enjoy being 26 years old.
We all talk about work–life balance and taking time to enjoy life, but I can only give, yet ignore, this advice for so long before becoming a hypocrite. I want to take time to spend with friends, family, and loved ones. I want to travel where and when my APPEs permit; enjoy my holidays relaxing with my family; and be able to go to Lakers games, Padres games, the beach, or whatever I can here with my friends.
As students, we face immense pressure to secure that perfect job or residency and devote all our energy to that. We are only young once, and I refuse to miss out on those years chasing a “beginning.” It really is just a beginning.
I challenge you all to ask your mentors if the job they are doing now is the one they started after finishing pharmacy school or residency. And if you ask your grandparents what advice they would give, you’ll likely find that it is to enjoy being young; at least, that’s what my grandparents have told me.
Does this mean I’m dropping off the map and ignoring my responsibilities? Absolutely not. Does this mean I don’t care where I go after pharmacy school at first? Absolutely not. All this means is within my responsibilities this next year, I’m going to put more of an emphasis on enjoying my 20s.
When I introduce myself to colleagues or patients, it is as “Cristian Rodriquez, student pharmacist.” We have established that we are student pharmacists first, but even before that I am Cristian Rodriquez. Don’t forget to put yourself first and make time to take care of yourselves!