Ayomide Ogundipe was recently announced as the winner of the 2019 PSA MIMS Intern Pharmacist of the Year Award. Ayomide kindly agreed to sit down with Shefali Parekh from Raven’s Recruitment and answer her questions regarding her win and her career in Pharmacy to date.
SP: Where you work, what qualifications do you have and when / where did you graduate from pharmacy?
AO: I work for Pharmacy 777 in Perth. I completed my Bachelor of Pharmacy at Curtin University in 2017, then continued to do my internship at Pharmacy 777 Whitford City in 2018.
SP: Can you describe your work experience in the pharmacy sector so far?
AO: Primarily community pharmacy, but I have had some hospital (both metro and international) pharmacy experience through university placements.
SP: What kind of work does your role entail?
AO: Everything that a community pharmacist does on a day to day basis - from counselling patients on new medications to collaborating with local allied health professionals. No two days are the same!
SP: What did intern year mean to you?
AO: Intern year for me meant an opportunity for me to develop myself professionally and create a really strong foundation for what I want my career to be/how I want to practice.
SP: What was the process of you getting nominated for the award? Did you have to provide any evidence of your achievements, a personal statement, etc?
AO: I had been nominated for the award and had to put together a “portfolio” of what I had been able to achieve throughout my internship. It was a great process to be able to look back and reflect on the year.
SP: How does it feel to be recognised the PSA Intern of the Year?
AO: It’s pretty incredible! I’m so honoured to be recognised amongst so many of my talented and driven friends and peers. This recognition is huge, both personally and professionally but would not have been possible without the support of those who mentored me along the way.
SP: What do you think made you stand out as an intern?
AO: I think my ability to have a solutions-based outlook is what made me stand out.
SP: What is your advice for current interns?
AO: Take ownership of your role and allow yourself to stay teachable - you are a few steps away from your general registration, use the year consolidate everything you’ve learnt throughout your studies, build your professional experience and find areas that interest you. There is something to learn from everyone. The intern year can be overwhelming, but it’s important to pace yourself with your intern training program assignments and revision for exams. Remember that breaks are important and finding some intern buddies that you can revise with is a major key.
SP: What are your future plans with pharmacy?
AO: At this stage to continue in community pharmacy and maybe one day own a pharmacy (or pharmacies) of my own.
SP: What do you love the most about pharmacy?
AO: I love engaging in conversations with people about their health AND I think that the ability to offer people unique and practical solutions is very rewarding
SP: Congratulations once again Ayomide, and thanks for your time.
If you are an Intern Pharmacist, about to register and would like to find out more about job opportunities and what options are available to you, our Recruitment Consultants would love to speak with you. Please call 1800 429 829 or find LiveChat and email options on our website www.ravensrecruitment.com.au.
