My First Few Weeks at Huddersfield - Samantha Shepherd

"At the tender age of twenty one I feel I have ventured in many careers, I have been a hairdresser and had ideas of being a tycoon and taking over the family salon. I have been to college doing music but felt I was not going to be a rock star any time soon. I often worried if I would ever settle on a career as my A level results were a definite scraping of the barrel making my opportunities very slim.

"Knowing I had a passion for science and maths I decided to enrol onto a Science Foundation Year at Huddersfield University. Within that year I again had many changes in what career I wanted to do. I initially wanted to be a teacher preferably biology, chemistry or maths, this idea was scrapped within my first week where I decided I wanted to be a forensic detective but like every other career I found flaws. I am a sociable person and really do not want to spend my working time within a laboratory, I prefer much more interaction with the general public. This is when I met Andy Adams and Margret Culshaw who opened up a whole new world of pharmacy for me and told me "it's not just dispensing". I could instantly see myself doing this career and enjoying it long term unlike any other career choices I had made. The more I heard about pharmacy the more I wanted to do it and when I was accepted on the course I was so proud of myself. 70% was a tough grade to meet in science foundation but I knew this is what I wanted to do, when I received my grade of 75% I was ecstatic.

"I transferred to the Pharmacy degree 4 weeks ago I have already been to London to visit The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, I have had wine with local pharmacists and even helped set up our Huddersfield Pharmacy committee. Most importantly I am genuinely enjoying my new chosen career path, I have learnt so much in so little time and on the way made 64 new friends. I am very proud to say I am a trainee pharmacist and it definitely is not just dispensing."