PharmD Husky

Hi! I'm Xander, a second year pharmacy student at Northeastern University. I'm an avid runner, bookworm, tour guide, photographer, and an unabashed bio/pharmacy geek. I'm looking forwards to sharing my Northeastern story with you!

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Couldn't have asked for better @Northeastern parent's weekend weather

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#Boston

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Lunchtime stare down @northeastern

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#pharmdlife @Northeastern

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I just got my pharmacy class schedule and was wondering if it is subject to change as I have classes that I can exempt. Therefore, is it possible for my schedule to change and does that happen when I meet my advisor during orientation?

Yes, and yes. The schedule you've got right now is probably the standard 1st year pharmacy schedule. As you see your credits kick in, you'll be able to change things around when you meet your advisor at orientation.

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Hello, I just got my schedule for my pharmacy major as a Freshman, and I currently have 19 credit/unit class. And they seem quite like a killer for my first year. Did you go through the same thing? If so, how hard was it? Thanks :)

Hey! So 19 your first semester is definitely not uncommon at all. My credit breakdown first semester was four 4 credit courses (Gen Chem 1, Calc 2, Honors Inquires in Cell and Molecular Biology, and Linguistics), then three 1 credit courses that were either labs, or 1 credit intro to college seminars that had very little time associated with them. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Shoes.

Today's post is dedicated to the biggest thing they don't teach you about in co-op prep class. 

Shoes. 

Yeah, shoes. I'd never really thought it through that I'd be on my feet for 8 hours at a time pretty much standing in one spot, so good shoes are a must. It's kind of hard to get away with sneakers with business casual, so here's a quick co-op shoe survival guide.

Rockports: One of the two pairs of shoes I wear on a daily basis is a pair of Rockports. They're basically sneakers disguised as dress shoes which is a wonderful thing at work. They weigh next to nothing and are super comfortable to stand in for hours.

Eccos: My other daily pair of shoes is a pair of Ecco boots. Also very comfortable, but they weigh a lot more and don't have as much arch support, but it's a good trade off for the ridiculously soft soles.

Danskos: Yeah, clogs. I haven't tried them yet, but some of my nursing friends and pharmacists I work with swear by them. When it comes to support, they can't be beat. 

Timberlands: Honorable mention here, mine bother my heel when I'm standing in them all day, but some other people love them. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

how did you know pharmacy was the right major for you? it's something i'm considering, but I don't want to regret it if I realize it's too hard for me in the middle of the program.

I definitely stumbled into pharmacy more than most people. It really hit me that biology wasn't for me after running the same PCR 27 times and getting inconclusive results. I thought about it, and realized that I wanted the intensive academic rigor, but not at the expense of personal interaction and getting to help people. The way I see it, pharmacy is really at the intersection of a healthcare provider & scientist. I still get to geek out about metabolic pathways and reductase inhibitors, but I also get to get out there and apply that knowledge to help somebody in a very tangible way. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Hi! I got accepted this year also and I saw you at the Welcoming Day in early April. I was just wondering, you previously said in a other post that you aren't known as a party school but you all still do get out and have fun at parties right? The school's not dry where the students only have their heads in their books? I love the academic side of the school for sure, and I'm definitely not a huge/wild party person but I was just wondering.

Hey! So I realise this is very late, but NU really does have the best of Boston at our disposal. We live in the ultimate college town (57 colleges & universities!), so there's always something going on. As for NU specifically, especially in the pharmacy program, there's definitely an understanding that while classes come first, we are still college students who need to get out of the library and relax. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Hi. I was looking into buying a laptop. I was wondering if Macs are compatible with given assignments, labs, etc. What would you recommend for pharmacy students?

So I personally am not a Mac person, but they do work well for everything you'd be required to do as a pharmacy student. The most important thing is that you're comfortable using it. If you get a Mac, I'd definitely think about getting the display adapter as well, it comes in very handy in a lot of group-study situations. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

I'm alive!

Sorry for the long absence, it's been a crazy few weeks between moving, vacation, and starting on co-op! Here's the trailer version of what's been up in my life recently:

I moved! Twice! 

I ate some really good fries at a place called Duck Fat

I climbed a hill

I took some photos

I started co-op!

So, stay tuned for further details on all those fun events. Here's some photos to tide you over in the meantime. Bonus points to anybody who can guess where these are all from. 

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Sports Illustrated took the cover photo for their April edition at the Marathon finish line this morning. I got there early enough to get to get a great spot and hold the World Series Trophy!

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I managed to take advantage of the great weather yesterday to put this together. Welcome to Northeastern!

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Does doing co-op make it difficult to transition back to school life? For example, you may have forgotten a lot of class material during the six months you were away.

No! Co-op is really intended to extend your classroom experience and bring what you’re learning in the classroom directly into the real world. You’ll really find that you finish co-op ready to be in class again and vice versa. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Are there ever any parties at northeastern? I just got accepted, and it won't influence my decision, just curious

So Northeastern definitely isn’t known as a “party school” per se. We are a major urban university however, so if you’re looking for that aspect of the college experience, it is there, however it’s never going to come drag you out of your room and into it. 

[northeastern-xandermiller]

Hi! I have been accepted to Northeastern Pharmacy program!! I was just wondering, how much difference is there between students in honors program and those who weren't accepted to honors program when it comes to education/advantages/disadvantages and such? Thank you for always answering questions on behalf of others!!

Congratulations! There’s not a huge difference between Honors and non-Honors, it’s really going to come down to what you make of it. The honors first year living-learning community is the biggest difference as it does put honors freshmen in the same building. Otherwise, there are a few extra classes, additional advising, and access to what really can become another community for you at NU.

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There are so many pharmacy organizations on the NEU student website! How did you choose? And which do you recommend is really active on campus?

Hey! So there are definitely tons of pharmacy organisations, and it’s really up to you to find which ones fit you best. I personally am primarily involved in the ACCP (American College of Clinical Pharmacy), but really join the ones that you feel best fit your interests. Each one is active in a different way, but the name you’ll probably hear most is Phi Delta Chi, one of the biggest professional fraternities. I tried it for a bit, but I’m not big on the whole fraternity thing, so I found other groups that fit my interests better.