making a difference

This month has been filled with a great deal of uncertainty about my future. I am on my way to become a pharmacist. A year ago, I was entirely sure that this was what I wanted to do with my life. Indeed, I even believed that it is what God wanted me to do. After all, pharmacists are fairly altruistic people. In fact, in pharmacy convocation, the dean is always stressing that pharmacy is a "patient-centered" profession. It's all about the customer.



But lately I've been wondering, "How much of it is really about the customer?" I don't doubt that some, maybe even most, of my classmates would like to help other people through their work. But at the same time, I wondered, how many would still be here if the starting salary were not around $90,000 per annum?



To be perfectly honest, I don't think I'd be one of those that would stay if the median salary were say, $50,000. I would much rather be a writer with that kind of pay. This past weekend, though, I realized it is okay to want to be a pharmacist because you get to help people and earn a generous paycheck. After all, there aren't many jobs out there that will fill a person's quota for good deeds, anyway. Altruism is about how you treat people all the time. It is a lifestyle. I realized that, or was reminded of that, this weekend when I was given the opportunity to serve my tennis teammates. I helped carry bags, picked up breakfast, and just tried to be a good friend.

So if you are like me, and you're worried that you won't make enough of a difference through your job, stop worrying. Just remember that as long as work is not your life, you can change lives with your life.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

-Aesop