What’s up everyone,
I thought I would check in and update you all about what I’ve been up to the past two months with classes ending and my co-op beginning.
I am currently working as a central pharmacy intern at Massachusetts General Hospital where I get to work alongside pharmacists, physicians, and nurses alike to provide care to patients throughout the entire hospital. My shifts can be all over the place with some of them starting at 7:00am and others ending at 10:30pm. I believe I am really getting the legitimate experience of what it is like to work in a fast-paced hospital environment. I have grown close to my coworkers and honestly love the team I get to work with; I have developed a true sense of community and belonging over the past two months. I am sometimes scheduled to work six days a week and will get two days off the following or I work the standard five days a week with maybe an evening or weekend shift or both.
With that being said, I really try to maximize and take advantage of my days off when I have them. I love organizing big, elaborate plans with friends when I’m off to really get the best of both worlds: enjoying a summer in Boston while working full-time at one of the best hospitals in the nation. Last weekend I worked on a Saturday and had Sunday off but had to be back to work Monday morning.
I decided to go skydiving with my roommate, Millad, as that was something I always wanted to do but just never had the opportunity to. Literally one minute to the next, as impulsive as can be, our reservations to go skydiving were booked.
Two friends were nice enough to drive us there and back and so our plan was set. What I forgot to mention is the fact we actually tried to do this over a month ago… The first time we went, there was an issue with the plane so we couldn’t jump, and then the following two times we rescheduled there were weather issues that prevented us once again. Some might argue these were signs to not do it, but we were committed and stubborn as ever.
This was the day; the weather was beautiful, the energy was high, everything lined up perfectly for us to jump. On the drive there, we stopped at a Dunkin’ because I was severely craving donuts and I proceeded to inhale a Boston Kreme, Jelly-filled, Glazed, and Chocolate glazed donut with a large cold brew in under five minutes. Honestly, a terrible decision before going skydiving – really setting myself up for failure with that one.
About ten minutes away from the skydiving spot, another sign happened… We got a flat tire. I remember taking a turn, hearing a loud pop, and feeling the car absolutely sink into the ground on the driver’s side. My friend, Millad, and I looked at each other in the back seat and, without verbally saying anything, were both thinking “is this the final sign to not do this?”
No. No it was not. We pulled over, hopped out, and turned into the most B-tech, amateur NASCAR pit crew you could imagine, trying to change this tire with the spare in the trunk as fast as humanly possible to not miss our reservation. A police officer pulled over behind us to navigate traffic after we had explained the unique predicament we were in and made sure we rode off smoothly. After this hiccup, we hit the road once again and made it to the skydiving spot. The views were beautiful; we could see the entire Cape, Boston Skyline, even as far as Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. We jumped at 10,000 feet and my instructor took me for a couple flips during the freefall before stabilizing out and pulling the chute. They also let us hold the pulleys on the way down, making sharp turns and spins as we descended back down.
It was an amazing experience that I honestly recommend to anyone. There wasn’t the crazy adrenaline-filled aspect that I was expecting and, to be frank, looking for. Rollercoasters are definitely more heart-accelerating and momentarily terrifying than skydiving itself. Being attached to a professional instructor alleviates the fear and really allows you to feel secure throughout the entire experience.
This really goes to show that being on co-op doesn’t mean you cannot still have a summer and create great memories with friends. Although it is undoubtedly more challenging, it really just takes more effort and time management. This whole co-op experience thus far, on top of teaching me a million things about pharmacy practice and the hospital environment, has helped me manage my time, priorities, and self better.