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My first month on Co-op



It's officially been a month since I've started my summer Co-op at Dana Farber Cancer Institute's inpatient pharmacy, and I have been loving every moment of it! For those who are unaware of Northeastern University's 6-year pharmacy program, students rotate around taking classes and being on Co-op. Your first Co-op will be during the summer after your PP2 year, your second Co-op will happen spring semester of your P1 year, and your final Co-op will be during the fall semester of your P2 year.


Summer co-op was really daunting for me because I thought I'd feel homesick or overwhelmed. I was scared of the unknown and not confident that I’d be able to handle the work. However, with it only being a month into working at Dana Farber, I've already learned and gained so much experience and advice through pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.


On the first two days, Co-op students are required to complete two days of online orientation. I was assigned eLearnings and orientation courses, which mainly consisted of modules with a short interactive video and a quiz at the end. On the third day, I went to Dana Farber in person and was given a tour of the inpatient pharmacy department. It was eye-opening and overwhelming to see such an intricate process of compounding chemotherapy medications. I realized how important communication and efficiency are when working inter-professionally with not only pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, but other healthcare providers too.


Some tasks I’ll be completing during my Co-op at Dana Farber's inpatient pharmacy include compounding investigational and hazardous intravenous medication and processing those orders. I’ll learn how to restock drug and compounding supplies, monitor med rooms, and answer phone calls. Schedules can vary weekly with shifts normally starting around 6:30am-10am and ending anywhere between 3:00pm-6:30pm. As much as I love working at Dana Farber, getting to know the pharmacists and the technicians are probably what drives me to work even harder. Everyone is extremely welcoming and eager to teach. I’ve made mistakes and constantly asked questions and asked for confirmation––but just know that your patients’ safety and health come first!


Though the first couple of weeks might be difficult and overwhelming, you'll certainly start adapting to fast-pace work environment. My advice for students going out on co-op is to take any mistakes, experience, conversations as opportunities for growth and improvement. Majority of my stress from Co-op came from me not wanting to disappoint my coworkers. However, rather than focusing on my mistakes, I realized that I should focus on what I can do to avoid those errors. The work life has definitely been draining, but being able to make a positive impact for patients makes this experience extremely rewarding!


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