so long, hospital life 👋🏻💔
after a gruelling 4 years in uni, I graduated and started working in one of Singapore's major hospitals. I was working at this hospital for a few years. Back when I was still in JC, deciding on what area of study to pursue in university, I chose to do healthcare 🏥 because...💭
1) i was a science nerd and had an interest in human bio & medicine
2) it was a "dream" of mine to one day work in a hospital, because of how professional & competent healthcare workers looked to me. vibes of "not all heroes wear capes"🦸♀️
3) i wanted to hold a meaningful job, helping others everyday sounded like a great way to spend the next 40 years of my life ! :)
4) i (thought that i) enjoyed speaking to old aunties & uncles :~)
throughout my undergrad years, we did hear complaints from seniors who started working. I told myself "well, i'll never know if I enjoy it if I never tried!" Fastforward to years later, after completing a rigorous 6months apprenticeship programme and becoming a licenced pharmacist, I gotta say... reality slapped me in the face 🙊
📣the real talk about pharmacy/hospital life:
1) huge lack of appreciation & tolerating verbal abuse.
Although a minority of cases, some of our patients treat us like we're not human, and expect us to bend the rules/perform magic to deliver their demands. Yes, you're sick and tired and just want to go home after seeing the doctor, but that doesn't give anyone the right to treat us like 💩 all of us are trying our best to serve our patients patiently & respectfully, but when we don't receive mutual respect it really makes me reflect... what did we do all that for? was it all worth it?
2) shift work & inflexible work schedules.
hospitals run 24/7 and there's gotta be someone working overnight shifts reviewing overnight prescription orders, responding to drug enquiries from doctors, dispensing at the discharge pharmacy on weekends, etc etc. depending on the position & section we were at in the pharmacy department, we had to cover for diff sections & the roster had little room for negotiation due to manpower crunch... we work 5.5-6days to rest 1 day. Due to the nature of roster planning, we also aren't able to confirm vacation plans far in advance, so airline ticket prices 📈📈📈💸💸💸we do get quite a lot of annual leaves/year, but the question is can we even take those ALs? due to the roster limitation, only a very few number of people can go on leave per day. So because the roster is full af, sometimes we end up having to plotting leaves on random days to clear AL instead of combining them for a vacation 😪
3) we're underpaid.
not just pharmacists but our dear pharmacy technicians and assistants. if you account for the high workload & sacrifices we make, you really can't justify our low pay. I admit the bonus received is good, but that's only if you are able to tahan staying in this working environment till that yearly period 🥹the attractive bonus is a staff retention strategy, and i think i speak on behalf of most HCWs that we'd rather earn a higher monthly base pay instead.
4) after generations of pharmacists have feedback to the management, the response given to us was "you're in healthcare, if you can't bear with it then maybe healthcare isn't for you"
Hearing that kinda destroyed me. After working so hard everyday and hoping in the future, the landscape of pharmacy improves, at the end of the day, we're supposed to tolerate things just because we're in healthcare? Maybe i'm not altruistic enough to donate my mental health & weekends 😇 maybe it's true if you're in the line of healthcare, we've gotta make sacrifices & no comparison can be made to other industries.
bittersweet, but i believe in my early days of my career, i can still start over. do a full career switch & restart in another industry. definitely feeling bittersweet as I met so many amazing colleagues throughout my time at the hospital, but now i've gotta go my own way, so long, hospital life 🫶🏻
if you're a fellow HCW, I respect y'all beyond words. THANK YOU for your time, hardwork & sacrifices that most people never EVER see. i will always speak highly of ALL HCWs & hospital service staff (therapists, nurses, technicians) & treat them with utmost respect 👏🏻❤️
Working in a hospital pharmacy is often glamorized as a noble and fulfilling career path, especially for those passionate about medicine and helping others. However, my personal experience has shown that behind the scenes, it can be immensely challenging both emotionally and physically. One aspect many don’t realize until they step into this world is the emotional toll caused by the lack of appreciation from some patients. Despite striving to provide the best care possible, encountering verbal abuse and unrealistic demands is unfortunately common, which can make even the most dedicated professionals question their purpose. Shift work in hospital settings is another demanding reality. Rotating schedules, overnight shifts, and weekend duties disrupt work-life balance and make it difficult to plan personal activities or vacations. Even with decent annual leave entitlement, the tight rosters and manpower shortages mean taking time off is often a luxury seldom enjoyed. Financial compensation for pharmacists and supporting staff often does not match the workload or stress levels. Although bonuses exist as incentives, a higher base salary would better acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices made daily. This disconnect can be disheartening and is a factor prompting some to consider a career change outside healthcare. Furthermore, management’s common stance of "healthcare isn’t for everyone" when concerns are raised can feel dismissive and disillusioning. It emphasizes a culture where enduring hardships is expected, which may negatively impact mental health over time. Despite these challenges, working alongside compassionate colleagues and serving patients remains rewarding. For anyone entering or already in healthcare, it’s vital to prioritize self-care, establish boundaries, and seek support systems. Reflecting on my own journey, I believe it’s okay to pivot careers if the environment doesn’t support well-being. Carrying forward the respect and gratitude towards all healthcare workers and service staff fuels my belief that positive changes can eventually be made within the system.
heartfelt and soo relatable 🥹🥹 im a pharmacy technician myself and i guess thats the actual reality of being a healthcare worker 😭 soo what pathways are u venturing to? atb in finding something that makes u happy and a job that is meaningful to u !!