I only have 3 weeks left of school before finals - then I'll be done with my first year of pharmacy school! I cannot fathom how quickly this year, especially my last two quarters, has passed. If you think about it, we only have approximately 6 more months until 2018. My first quarter was pretty slow since I was required to do a lot of busy work and I still didn't know my classmates well. As the year progressed, I realized how good I had it at UCSD. The small class size allows me to become acquainted with everyone and the P/NP grading is a blessing in disguise since the courses are so rigorous. I can't imagine what it'll be like next year since I'll be taking courses alongside medical students.

Anyways, this week was pretty packed! There were deadlines, homework, the annual banquet and BBQ. I documented daily shenanigans in my Instagram Stories and as promised, I will upload my peak in a life of a pharmacy student post very soon! I wish I lived closer to school so I could attend more school functions and be more socially active but I'll have to make do with what I have. There's still so much work left before the quarter ends and the projects are piling on fast! I can only keep sane because I write every little detail down in my agenda! Anyways, this outfit was taken in Newport Beach when I still lived in Orange County. Dusk happens to be one of my favorite times in the day but I still have yet to watch the sunset on the beach in San Diego. I really must take advantage of this city when I'm on break! I hope you guys are enjoying the warm weather in California! Until next time!

I've been constantly telling myself to wear more dresses in addition to honing in with clashing prints -one of my favorite past-time activities. But with midterms rapidly piling up, it's becoming that much more difficult to dress up. I find myself migrating towards easy and simpler choices such as shorts and a top - just check out my Instagram, @adriennenguyenn, and you'll know what I mean. Pictured here is a simple "running errands" look for the weekend. Since I've moved to San Diego, I've been fortunate enough snag A TON of great clothing deals. However, my closet is beyond capacity and I do need to manage it all. I plan on updating my Poshmark account towards the end of the quarter so be on the lookout!

To all my potential or current pharmacy students, I promise my next post will be related to pharmacy and school life. I took my first midterm of the quarter this past Friday and it was longer than I expected. What was supposed to be a 3 hour exam (8AM-11AM) turned out 4-4.5 hour exam... obviously the attendance rate for our 11AM class was extremely poor. I have four more midterms to power through and then I have a bit of a break before finals... Even though I'm researching this summer, I won't have to study! Just a few more weeks! Until next time!

Hello my fellow Pharm.D. candidates!

It's been a while since I've specifically addressed pharmacy. By now, all the candidates are done with interviews and are awaiting acceptances or (hopefully) already placed a deposit to one or more schools. Many applicants applying this cycle asked me, in person or via email, why UCSD? I was bombarded with a ton of other questions that I plan to answer in this and future pharmacy related posts. Hopefully this particular post will help you understand my mentality in school selection and help you make an informed decision about your future!

UCSD Class of 2020 * All pictures, minus the one above, are my own *

1. Why UCSD?



I believe this applies to all the pharmacy schools in California but I hate being in a single classroom all day. The only time we have a change of scenery is for Histology or our exams (which are often taken in larger lecture halls).

If you guys read my fashion related posts, you know that I hate the parking situation at UCSD. If you guys went to UCI and parked in the are in front of PSLH, it's a million times worse at UCSD. Even if I have class later on in the day, I have to come in before 8:30AM to snatch a parking spot. I can't complain that much since undergraduates have to park off campus and take a shuttle to class!

3. How is the curriculum?

RIGOROUS! We all procrastinate... there's just no way to avoid it but make sure you're smart about the classes you're choosing to flake on. Just like undergrad, there are one or two classes you can still get honors (≥ 90%) by studying  5 weeks of material, 12 hours before the exam. However, once you're actually a student pharmacist, you'll realize how difficult a majority of the courses are compared to the ones you previously took during undergrad. I'm finishing up my second quarter of my first year in pharmacy school and the most difficult class I've ever taken is Histology. There's just so much to understand and know - you actually have to put time into this class to do well - you CANNOT wing it! I'd be more than happy to give you guys a breakdown of all the classes I'm taking and what I think about the course! Just let me know!

We run on a quarter system (Fall, Winter and Spring) however, come our second year, we will be switching to block schedules. Why? Pharmacy students at UCSD actually take courses with medical students. Our curriculums coincide which allows future pharmacists to collaborate with future physicians. Pharmacists are typically viewed as being lower on the totem pole than physicians however, this integration allows medical students to understand what and how student pharmacists can contribute to the health care field (What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? NOW!).



4. How is the Pass / No Pass grading?

It's a blessing in disguise! I was a bit hesitant about attending UCSD due to the P/NP grading criteria but little did I know that it would be the best decision I made! All the schools I've previously attended scored performance based on the traditional A, B, C, D, and F scale with an associated GPA.  I preferred this since I could show off my GPA to people (wink wink). Anyways, with the amount of classes I'm taking now as a student pharmacist, there's a lot to balance. I have to decide where to allocate my time. There are certain classes where I aim for honors (H >90% overall) however, for other classes that actually require reading the textbook, memorizing terms, I'll settle for a regular Pass. Although I have a dense schedule (7 courses), I feel as if I have more time to actually enjoy life. I've traveled back and forth from Orange County to San Diego numerous times this school year and I've also spent time exploring the city as well as eating my heart out! This P/NP gives you some breathing room - if there's an event you want to attend and all you want to do is pass (even though we should all aim for honors), it's okay!

Many of you asked if it'll be more difficult to land a good residency or fellowship if you have no GPA to show. The short answer? NO. There are so many UCSD graduates who go on to work in pharma, hospital, and so many other settings. There really is no limit to what we can do. It's all about your resume. Build it up with extracurriculars and experiences that mean something to you - show commitment and leadership abilities. It's all based on your interviewing skills too!



Sometimes I feel that I should have went straight into pharmacy school without taking any gaps however, I was able to catch up on much needed sleep and enjoy life. Too bad I didn't travel as much as I wanted to! This coming summer will be occupied with a new research project I'm taking on. What's the topic? Opioids! It's completely different from my background but I'll broaden my knowledge about the rapidly growing epidemic in the US. My summer of 2018 will be taken up with mandatory rotations so my actual summer break will be very short. The things students have to do...

I plan on incorporating things I learn from class into my posts - especially things I learn from my Pharmacy Practice. What does this exactly mean? I'll be speaking about pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for common conditions ranging from the common cold to acne. Everything I post on these topics will come directly from lecture (either through lecture slides of from speakers who are licensed pharmacists). I believe adding a new "health and lifestyle" area in my blog allows me to actually review my material and it can possibly shed some light to common questions you might have!