Not Sure Where To Start?
Self-Assessment is an important first step in any career exploration journey.
Many health professional students (HPS) wait until their final year to focus on career planning- often leading to stress and missing opportunities.
The HPS Annual Career Check-Up Self-Assessment helps you assess your strengths and identify growth areas so you can more intentionally work with Career Counselors to build the skills you will need to navigate and thrive in both trainee environments and future workplaces.
Throughout your training, you will engage with senior professionals and diverse patient populations. To succeed, you will need strong self-awareness, mentorship, resilience, and advanced skills in communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork - skills which take time and intentional effort to develop. So do not delay!
Assess your professional development competencies to identify priority areas you'd like to work on in your career plan this year.
Understand the Breadth of Opportunities Available to You
The most common pathways Pharmacy students pursue include:
- Clinical pharmacy pathways
- Outpatient opportunities
- Industry and research roles
- Public health and policy careers
- Emerging and non-traditional paths, ie pharmacogenomics, pharmaeconomics, etc.
Learn from Peers
PhD Pathway
Luis, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate - Class of 2026
I am thankful to have received exposure to different pathways, and I want current students to know there are tons of options for your postgraduate career! Take your time to decide what you want to pursue.
Coming Soon!
Industry Pathway
Clinical Pathway
Jennifer, Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacist, UCSF Health - Class of 2022
I wish I knew about the importance of maintaining a database of resources (clinical or professional) in an accessible location. As a student, there are many resources that are shared with us by campus organizations or professors that would be helpful to easily reference or share with future mentees.
Dig Deeper
Check out these external resources for deeper reflection.
→ Not sure which path fits you best? Looking for more help creating personalized career decision-making criteria?
Use our customized Career Readiness Assessment Tool to further assess your motivations, interests and skills, evaluate your fit, and create a plan for next steps.
Let us help you make informed decisions based on criteria that are uniquely yours.