First Year Worst Year? The Start of a Career in Academia Part 1

So, I just wrapped up my first year as a faculty member at a college of pharmacy. I wanted to lookback on the journey and I can say that it came with a mix of pride, humility, and anticipation for what's to come. This year has been an incredible learning experience, I’ve had memorable moments, challenges, and significant personal and professional growth. I hope my reflection can offer some insight and encouragement to someone out there making their way and just starting out.

Don’t let the title fool you. This by far was not the worst year by any stretch of the imagination. Like anything, while you’re going through it can seem very tough. But we know hind sight is 20/20 and as you read through these next few posts, you’ll see what I mean.

High Points: Connections and Milestones

One of the highlights of this year was meeting the President of our university. She is such a kind human whose leadership I can be proud of.  On several occasions (because we’re such a small school) we have shared many emotions, including laughter and tears. The humanity that she exhibits is inspiring, and I feel cared for from our administration. I have also had the pleasure of getting to know my colleagues, both professionally and personally. Learning about their own personal stories and motivations helped me to normalize my feelings and experience this yar. I can truly say the camaraderie and support within the faculty are unique.

Traveling to professional conferences such as the APhA annual meeting, Ohio Pharmacists Association (OPA) meeting, and my KΨ Pac West province meeting was another high point of the year. I have so much fun when I go to these events. Sometimes they’re scary because you may have to present in front of other content experts. I don’t want to feel like a fraud. But they are also great because I love knowing that whatever I present I am adding to the body of knowledge in my field. These meetings also help me to broaden my network, I’ve met people that have become friends, mentors and collaborators. These experiences reinforce my passion for the field and my commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

Challenges: Time Management and Building Relationships

This year was not without its challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was mastering a new level of time management. I thought I was good before but heck no! A new work commute, family responsibilities and and so much more added to the complication we call work/life balance. Balancing teaching responsibilities with other professional obligations often felt overwhelming. There were several weeks where I worked well into the evenings and came home exhausted. Over time, I learned the importance of setting boundaries, saying no to voluntary opportunities when necessary, and seeking advice from more seasoned faculty.

Building relationships with students was another challenging part of the year. While I don't have advisees yet, being a point person for the section of a course I taught made me an essential contact for many students. It was hard trying to help them find a way through systems I wasn’t familiar with yet, but I can honestly say Establishing these connections was rewarding. it required balancing approachability with authority.

If you know me, you know I don’t like to drive. It is probably the most annoying part of my day, so adjusting to a two-hour daily commute made the days seem never ending and as the year went on, they seemed longer and longer. I have learned to use my time wisely (because I literally spend a full 8-10 hours a week in the car). I some times do the combo Audio book and physical books to get through them faster. But the commutes gave me time to reflect on each day's events, prepare for the day ahead and selfishly, listen to some juicy memoirs (Thank you Britney Spears.)

This was only the beginning, and I have so much more to say because thi year was complicated. There were some pleasant surprises, lessons learned and opportunities for collaboration. I’m not sure that I had a typical first year experience. So, stay tuned if you want to hear more about how year one it all went.

See you in the next post!

Click this link here for Part 2

Click this link here for Part 3