Young Leader in Pharmacy Mary Adegboyega: "I have definitely become more versatile and open to diversity."
Snapshot
Education:
- Masters of Pharmacy degree at the University of Sunderland, England, UK
- Post graduate Clinical Pharmacy programme at Medway School of Pharmacy, England, UK
- Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada licensing process for international pharmacy graduates
Current role:
Clinical Pharmacist at William Osler Health system & CAMH (Centre for Addiction & Mental Health).
What excites you about being a pharmacist?
I absolutely love being able to help individuals understand their treatment better. In pharmacy school I enjoyed learning how medicines work to cure or stabilize a medical condition. My role now as a pharmacist is to help patients understand the importance of these treatments on their journey to recovery.
When you graduated, what did you envision for your future?
I envisioned myself working in a role that encourages innovation and clinical creativity. I envisioned myself working not only with other pharmacists but with physicians, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, digital health gurus, etc. – to bring healthcare to life.
How has your career evolved since your graduation?
Over the years I have learnt so much about my passions as a pharmacist. I have a better understanding of the things I enjoy, the things I don’t enjoy and the areas I’d love to learn more about. These changes have impacted the types of roles I now apply for, the kinds of areas I focus on within my career, e.g. teaching opportunities, networking within the digital space and much more. I will say that from graduation to now I have definitely become more versatile and open to diversity.
How would you describe a great day at work?
A great day at work for me really depends on the day, however there are a few things that make up a great day for me. Whether that is being able to get to the bottom of a medicinal concern with one of my patients, or being able to come up with a treatment plan for a patient with another medical colleague.
How important is mentoring in your career?
Mentorship is very important to me. I believe that I am who I am today partly because of those who have been great guides for me on my career journey.
There is so much to learn from those who have gone ahead of me and those who are walking in paths that I one day would love to walk in. Mentorship has helped me gain confidence, learn from mistakes others have made and also build great relationships with senior colleagues.
Was there an “aha” moment for you, when you realized the impact of the difference you’re making?
A few years ago, I made a decision to start sharing pharmacists’ journeys on my YouTube channel. I felt this was important to me because when I was navigating changes in my career, all I really wanted was to be able to hear another pharmacist's journey and learn or be encouraged by it.
In the last two years those YouTube videos have been watched by people all over the world. My intention was to reach European pharmacists, specifically, however I consistently get emails from students and pharmacists all over the globe and it shocks me every single time. I know those videos are making a positive impact and I am grateful for that.
If you can accomplish just one thing in your career, what would it be?
To never give up on my dream and eventually be a positive example for other individuals who want to dream big but are too scared to.
As a dynamic leader in the profession, what continues to drive you?
Health and innovation are my main driving forces. The more our world evolves, the more we can do to advance and improve how we deliver healthcare. I am always curious about what we can do if we could be more innovative when it comes to healthcare.
How are young leaders paving the way for changes in the pharmacy profession?
The profession is changing every single day. The recent pandemic gave us another opportunity to see more great things that pharmacists are able to achieve. I believe that the young generation are coming in with more exciting ideas on how we can move forward with the profession – this is what we need.
Collaboration is becoming more popular in this new generation, and it is advancing the pharmacy profession so much more. When I graduated pharmacy school in 2013, I barely heard about pharmacists working together with social workers to support patients in their health journey. Now, I work with social workers, dietitians and more every single day to achieve the same goal: a healthy patient. Collaboration is one of the positive changes that the younger generation are implementing.
What advice would you give to new pharmacy graduates?
If you want to achieve something, go for it. Make a plan, network with people and learn from them. Then go and achieve that goal! Do not limit yourself, there are so many opportunities for you to prosper. Pharmacy is one of the most versatile courses out there, don’t put yourself in a box! Diversify your skills and go for gold!