Intern Spotlight: The Value of a Good Internship

The idea of an internship is awesome. You basically get a trial run of anything you might want to try. You get the opportunity to meet people in a field and learn all about an industry that interests you.

But it does come at a cost- your time.

Your time is the most valuable thing you own; especially when you only have a few years of school and free summers before you need to make a career choice. Therefore, when picking an internship, it’s important to look for someone who values your time for what it’s worth; which is a hard concept to define. However, after working for a start-up like RxPharmacist, I began to see specifically what it looks like. See, a start-up, or any other small business, understands the  value in time because the truth is, time is more than just money for them. The time it takes to learn a new program determines whether or not it is worth the money. The time it takes to finish creating a product determines how many people you are willing to hire. A start-up constantly needs to prioritize things to ensure the best use of their time. Which is kind of like what a student does. You have unique qualities and traits that you want to market to everyone else, and you are paving a unique pathway to your future career. And what makes you unique? Your experiences; or in other words, how you spend your time.

With RxPharmacist, I was never stuck working in one area. I had the opportunity to learn and gain experience with website development, search engine optimization, competitive pricing, employee recruitment, and advertising. I worked directly with the CEO of a company and got a front row seat to the mechanics of how a business is managed and built from the ground up. I saw how a business plan was written and entered the vast world of business competitions- which are quite exciting. I learned the value of networking and building connections. I learned that the field of pharmacy is so much bigger than I had ever imagined and that your opportunities are only limited by your ambitions.

To top it off, I was able to work from home and created my own schedule so that I never had to waste any time with commuting! 

This internship has opened my eyes to so many opportunities; however, above all, I value this experience in particular because I learned what it means for someone to value my time. I was constantly encouraged with my school work and with applying for future internships. I was asked what interested me and what I wanted to learn about. I was given advice about the field of pharmacy and about working in general. Just recently, I mentioned I was considering getting a second degree and was immediately connected with someone who is currently working on that degree. The mentorship that I gained from this experience was invaluable, and I would encourage any student to seek out an opportunity such as this one. I can assure you, it is well worth your time.

Sincerely,

Madeline Wright

University of Florida College of Pharmacy

PharmD Candidate c/o 2022