Flipping the script from classroom to clinic
Through co-op, Ayesha Amanullah discovered the many different sides of pharmacy while exploring where she fits within the profession.
Ayesha Amanullah is a third-year PharmD student who used co-op to explore the many different paths available within pharmacy. Through experiences in specialty pharmacy, hospital care and pharmacy operations, she developed a deeper understanding of the profession and discovered that pharmacy extends far beyond medications alone.
Ayesha’s co-op journey
Pharmacy Student, Rx Connect Specialty Pharmacy, Mississauga, ON
During her first co-op term, Ayesha counselled patients beginning biologic therapies for autoimmune conditions across dermatology, rheumatology and gastroenterology. She also supported adverse event reporting and responded to medication-related questions from both specialists and patients.
Emergency Department Pharmacy Student, Waterloo Regional Health Network, Kitchener, ON
Working in a fast-paced department, Ayesha completed Best Possible Medication Histories (BPMHs), interviewed patients and reconciled medications. She also clinically identified drug therapy problems while gaining exposure to patient populations and clinical settings.
Clinical Programs and Operations Pharmacy Student, Whole Health Pharmacy Partners, Markham, ON
In her current role, Ayesha develops operating procedures, contracts and guidelines for the pharmacy. She also supports clinical programs, creates pharmacy program materials and contributes to public health, pharmacy and business development projects.
Q&A with Ayesha
What is the most memorable experience you had from your co-op terms?
Hands down, my time at Waterloo Regional Health Network. One of the most memorable opportunities I had was shadowing a surgery pharmacist and anesthesiologist while observing a total knee arthroplasty. As a pharmacy student, being in an operating room isn't something you expect to experience, so when the opportunity came up, I immediately said yes.
Watching the entire surgical team work together was incredible. Every person in the operating room had a specific role and everyone knew exactly what they needed to do. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for how collaborative health care truly is.
What stood out most to me was shadowing the anesthesiologist. I watched a spinal anesthetic being administered and saw the medication take effect in real time. We learn about these drugs in class, but seeing their clinical application firsthand was a completely different experience.
Beyond the operating room, I also spent time in the ICU, cardiology, respiratory and cystic fibrosis clinics. It was exciting to see disease states and treatments I had only previously encountered in lectures come to life through real patient care.
What is your proudest co-op achievement?
My proudest achievement takes me back to my very first co-op term at Rx Connect Specialty Pharmacy. It was the first time I ever counselled a real patient.
Nothing prepares you for sitting down with a patient and educating them about biologic therapies that you haven't even studied in class and had to learn entirely on the job. As someone who is naturally introverted, patient counselling didn't come naturally to me at first, and I found the experience intimidating.
Over time, though, I developed my own counselling style and became more confident in my ability to communicate complex information. By the end of the term, I felt comfortable leading those conversations and helping patients understand their treatment.
Looking back, I'm proud of how much I grew in such a short period of time. The counselling techniques I developed during that work term are still the ones I use today.
What have you learned about the pharmacy industry from being on co-op?
My time at Whole Health Pharmacy Partners opened my eyes to an entirely different side of pharmacy. In pharmacy school, we spend a lot of time learning how to care for patients, but we don't often learn about the operational and business decisions happening behind the scenes.
I gained insight into how pharmacies operate, how medications are purchased and how financial decisions are made. What surprised me most was realizing how closely these decisions are connected to patient care.
I also had the opportunity to work alongside the business development team and learn about pharmacy recruitment, outreach and growth strategies. It made me realize there is an entire side of pharmacy that many students never get the chance to see.
Pharmacy school teaches you how to be a pharmacist. Co-op taught me how pharmacy works. Those are two very different things.
What have you gained from your experiences that you will carry with you in the future?
More than any clinical skill, I think the most important thing I've gained is a deeper sense of empathy.
Every patient interaction has reminded me that people come from different backgrounds and carry challenges that aren't always visible. Through co-op, I've learned the importance of patience, sensitivity and truly listening to people.
Not every patient encounter is straightforward. Many patients are scared, frustrated or navigating difficult situations.
Learning how to meet people where they are, without judgement, is something I hope to carry with me throughout my career as both a pharmacist and health-care professional.
What's next for you?
Honestly, I'm still figuring that out.
While co-op has given me some incredibly meaningful experiences, I haven't discovered one specific passion yet. What I have discovered is just how broad the pharmacy profession really is. Every work term has exposed me to a different side of pharmacy and shown me possibilities I didn't know existed.
I'm looking forward to my clinical rotations and the opportunities they'll bring to continue exploring the profession. Right now, I know I genuinely enjoy both direct patient care and systems-level thinking, and I'm excited to see where those interests take me.
If co-op has taught me anything, it's that pharmacy is bigger than any one role or setting. The best pharmacists I've met don't just understand medications; they understand people, systems and everything in between.