Waterloo Pharmacy student experiences pharmacy in New Zealand
Marcus Yurchuk (Rx2025) hoped to experience pharmacy outside of Ontario, but he didn’t expect to travel all the way to New Zealand for his co-op work term.
From a young age, he knew he wanted to work in healthcare to help people.
“To me, pharmacists are at the core of a community. They are trusted individuals that people can rely on to receive personal care that has a lasting positive impact on them,” Marcus says.
One of the biggest reasons that drove Marcus to attend the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy was the co-op program. He wanted the opportunity to practice pharmacy in a setting that wasn’t familiar to him. When a friend connected him with the owner of New Zealand’s fastest growing pharmacy chain, the School supported Marcus in seizing this opportunity.
Marcus Yurchuk with the pharmacy team at Bargain Chemist in New Zealand and a landscape shot of New Zealand
Pharmacy abroad
Marcus spent his four-month co-op work term working in Christchurch, a city in New Zealand’s south island, at Bargain Chemist – a community pharmacy that is part of the second biggest chain of pharmacies in New Zealand with over 20 locations across the country.
Being able to immerse himself in a new country, to live, work and learn in a novel environment was the adventure of a lifetime.
“I loved everything from the work to the people, not to mention New Zealand is an incredibly beautiful country. I will hold onto this experience for the rest of my life,” Marcus says.
Working in a high-volume dispensary occupied most of Marcus’ time. The overall workflow and dispensing process paralleled Ontario’s, allowing Marcus to quickly adapt to his new role to have a positive impact on the community.
“By the end of my co-op work term, my employer valued my opinion on what they could change within the dispensary and how they could optimize their processes,” Marcus says. “I am grateful to have given back to my employer and the pharmacy team after having learned so much from them.”
Waterloo pharmacy’s paid co-op work terms helped me offset the costs and made the opportunity to go international with co-op possible for me.
Marcus Yurchuk and his partner hiking in New Zealand, standing in front of Mount Taranaki
Looking to the future
This experience solidified Marcus’ interest in community pharmacy. The quality of care he experienced during this co-op work term was exceptional and has reinforced Marcus’ desire to devote his life to bettering the health of his community in the west-end of Toronto.
Experiencing pharmacy across the globe was full of uncertainty but Marcus was so glad to have put in the effort to make his dream become a reality.
“Life passes quickly and once we graduate most students will be practicing within Ontario,” Marcus says. “Jump at the chance to have an adventure and open your mind up to see what pharmacy is like around the world - I promise you won’t regret it."