Career Path: post-secondary, second year entry
Annual (Gross) Salary: $75,000 – $120,000 CDN
Canadian Schools offering Pharmacy: UBC, U-Alberta, U-Toronto, U-Manitoba, U-Saskatchewan, U-Waterloo, Laval, U-Montreal, Memorial, Dalhousie
Common Job Fields: Retail, Hospital, Government, Industrial

1. Tell us about yourself!
-Hey! I’m Tom, and I’m a community pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart. I’ve been doing this for 6 years. My hobbies are traveling, video games, and extreme sports.

I’m the middle guy in the photo. 🙂

2. Why did you pursue your profession?
-I love people, and I’m fascinated by biochemistry (that means the study of how how chemicals affect the human body)!

3. What do you like about your profession?
-The social interaction. I talk to, and help, on average over 100 people a day. It always feels great to make a difference.

4. Tell us about some negatives of your profession?
-The paperwork.

5. What’s a typical work day like for you?
-I do 6-8 hour shifts in the morning or evening. Most days, I spend my time talking to patients, checking medications for safety and accuracy, and teaching students.

6. What characteristics are ideal for someone pursuing this career?
-An ideal pharmacist should be meticulous, sociable, a problem solver, and interested in continuously learning new things. (medicine is an ever-changing field).

7. Where and for whom are you working now?
-I work for Shoppers Drug Mart in Vancouver, BC!

8. Describe the academic path to your profession?
-You need to get into a post-secondary institution, take the prerequisite courses (or equivalent) for the school of pharmacy you wish to attend, and apply for the school once you’re taking the prerequisites.

I don’t recall the prerequisite courses off-hand, but there’s a lot of math, chemistry, biology, and some English. Google “(name of pharmacy school) requirements”.

9. What about non-academic requirements?
-Work or volunteer experience in a pharmacy is always good. Anything that shows you’re sociable, talkative and fun.

10. Any advice for students pursing your profession?
-Study hard and get good grades in grade 11, 12, and the first two years of post secondary.

11. Best movie of all time?
-Top Gun. 1986. Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis!

12. Favorite Hockey Team?
-Toronto Maple Leafs!

May I contact you with questions?
-Sure! Shoot an e-mail to mentorsoftupper@gmail.com with the subject line “Contact: Tom He” and your question.
(Responses may take some time.)