And in the blue trunks...

I am so excited to get back to Lexington this weekend! Jonathan came up to Indianapolis last weekend, but we didn't get to hang out nearly as much as we wanted (had a lot of "real life" things to take care of). We did get to go to the Indianapolis Children's Museum on Sunday, and that was really a lot of fun... yes, I have the mentality of a four-year-old.

But anyway... Lexington. I have to admit, I'm really going to miss that city when I move to Indianapolis next year. (Does it really count as a city? Maybe a town?) I've been a Lexingtonian for the past 7 years of my life (geez I'm old), and it has definitely grown on me. As for THIS weekend, all I really want to do is relax and spend some time eating some yummy food with Jon. We're going to watch the UFC fight between Rampage and Rashad at B-Dubs on Saturday, but other than that, I will definitely be relaxing (welllll... I may force myself to go shoe shopping).

Rotation Update

What's new with the Lilly rotation? Well... over the past 3 weeks, not only have I been trying to get acquainted with the ins and outs of the pharmaceutical industry, but I've been working on a big(ish) project. So what's my topic? "Healthcare Reform and Medicaid: Finding Direction in a Changing Environment." It's definitely been a learning curve, to say the least. I like to try to stay up to date on current events, but let's be honest... between pharmacy school, MBA classes, work, and  my quasi-addiction to gym time, when do I have the time to curl up with a few thousand pages of reform? (Sounds like so much fun, right?) Anyway... I basically looked at the changes to Medicaid that are most relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, Medicaid payers, and Medicaid patients. From those changes, and from what I believed the reactions of states and managed Medicaid would be, I tried to create some important "areas of interest" for Lilly to look into as they try to adapt to the changing environment. Doesn't sound like much, I guess, but between meetings, trying not to get lost, and making sure I catch the parking shuttle... it's had me working pretty hard these past few weeks. The final drafts of my paper (8 pages single spaced with 8 appendices, thank you very much), my presentation, and my executive summary (Who knew that once you get in the real world you get Cliffs Notes for things? Sure would have been nice in therapeutics the past few years.) are due today and I'm pretty sure I'm rocking it out. Well, at least as much rocking out as can be done by a newbie who has been exposed to it for three weeks. My presentation is Tuesday morning... wish me luck!!!!

This Week's Advice for the Gym:

1. 
   
   Don't wear fitted hats to the gym if you want to be taken seriously.
2. 
   
   Don't try have a conversation with the girl with lifting gloves who is benching more than you. She's not there to socialize.
3. 
   
   Don't make up crazy exercises that you think make you look "hardcore." They don't. Most people who know what they're doing are worried you're going to hurt yourself or someone else.
4. 
   
   Please bathe at least once in the past couple of days. Please. Everyone gets a little funky if they're working out hard enough, but when you progress to "doodoo butter" levels, it's time to find the soap.
5. 
   
   If you're doing multiple sets on a machine/free weight and someone else needs to use it, please let them work in sets. You'd appreciate the same courtesy.

Halfway through my first rotation at Eli Lilly!

It literally feels like yesterday that we started pharmacy school. Now, I'm finished with the didactic portion of school, and have one year left (full of ten rotations in different practice areas). Time flies!!!! How am I feeling? Well... it's a mixed bag I guess. One, I am so, so, so relieved that I never have to sit through another lecture (well... still have to finish those last few MBA classes, but you know what I mean). Two, I am absolutely terrified of going through rotations. Yes, I've received a great education from one of the best colleges of pharmacy in the nation, but I still feel nervous now that I know I'll be faced with actual patients, instead of just cases in class. Three, I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, and that also makes me a little nervy. I know that I want to utilize both my PharmD and my MBA... but how? Hopefully my rotations will help me find the area where I am happiest and can do the most good. I've signed up for a variety of different practice areas (industry, clinical, community, retail management, hospital management, etc.), so we'll see where I'm led!


This month I'm in industry... here I sit, nine days into the first of ten rotations (wow!). I'm in Indianapolis this month, spending my four weeks with Eli Lilly. It's been a crash course, that I can tell you. We're taught a lot about clinical or hospital pharmacy while we're in pharmacy school, a little about community pharmacy, but almost nothing about a pharmacist's role in Pharma or in insurance/managed care. Walking through the doors at Lilly Corporate Center two weeks ago, I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect; I knew that my rotation was in "B2B/Strategic Marketing," but other than that... clueless.

I know that there is a lot that I have yet to learn about industry... and I mean that... a lot. However, it's been so interesting to see just how many places pharmacists have found a niche at Lilly. There are pharmacists in research, manufacturing, quality assurance, marketing, B2B, medical and outcome liaisons, sales, global strategic pricing, disease state management, regulatory affairs, medical information, hospital groups, and so much more! Something I've found particularly interesting is the number of pharmacists with whom I've spoken that still continue to practice their patient care skills by working occasional shifts at a hospital or community pharmacy on the weekend. Although I definitely have to say that I miss actually seeing that patients that I'm impacting, my experiences here thus far have been really enlightening and have changed my opinion of the pharmaceutical industry in some ways. I'm not sure if industry is right for me, but I'm still keeping an open mind as I finish my rotation (I'm really enjoying it thus far). My final project is a little overwhelming, but I'm sure I can handle it, especially with God's help and support from Jonathan and my family.