My final loans for pharmacy school were disbursed a few weeks ago.
Wanting to take it all in, I logged into my loan servicing website. Finally, after three and a half years of anticipation, the peak of my pre-graduating loans was well into six figures.
For the first time, it hit me. Both the end of my pharmacy education and my financial responsibility for this investment finally felt real.
A Significant Investment
The average indebtedness for graduating pharmacy students in the U.S. was around $173,000 in 2021. As I join the pharmacy profession in a few months, I recognize that I am on a financial journey that many before me have navigated. Without the diligent work by the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy, such as hosting financial information meetings, pursuing scholarship opportunities, and guiding decisions made on federal loan interest during the COVID-19 pandemic, I know my number would have been much higher.
A “Financial Health” Pharmacy
The world of finance is a sensitive topic for many people, one that our culture typically views as a private matter. The reality is that our financial well-being impacts our overall well-being and even has connections to our spiritual life. With this holistic concept of heath in view, it’s fitting to think of financial health and the similarities it has to our role to patients. Just as pharmacists field questions and provide excellent care plans for the personal health of patients, financial professionals do the same, counseling individuals and families on how to accomplish big life events like buying a house, paying off loans, investing, and giving. Through Your Financial Pharmacist, we can walk up to the metaphorical counter of our “financial health” pharmacy and the provider will ask “what questions do you have about your finances?”
Your Financial Pharmacist provides this exact solution to their subscribers, and they can be easily found and accessed across Facebook, podcasts, speaking events, books, and professional financial services. With all this available, pharmacists are able to join a community that shares similar backgrounds and become lifelong learners in both pharmacy and personal finance. Your Financial Pharmacist provides these services and more with a specific understanding of the financial factors that student pharmacists and pharmacists face daily. From the stories they tell to the services they provide, they understand the pressing financial burdens relevant to those in the pharmacy profession. With these services available and the support of the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy, I personally feel prepared to face these challenges.
Recently, Tim Ulbrich joined the DISRxUPT podcast to discuss the backstory of Your Financial Pharmacist, the growth they have experienced in just a few years, and plans for a future dedicated to helping others with achieving financial freedom. I am confident that you will find his entrepreneurial spirit and perspective refreshing and personally challenging. If you would like to hear more about Your Financial Pharmacist, listen to the podcast below and visit the Your Financial Pharmacist website.
Matt Merical is a student pharmacist at the Cedarville University School of Pharmacy. He completed his B.S. in molecular and cellular biology at Cedarville University, focusing research time supporting faculty in signal transduction and antibody medication therapies. His current interests include the advancement of pharmacy practice and collaboration in the healthcare setting for the promotion of patient advocacy and care.
The Cedarville University School of Pharmacy is equipping its Doctor of Pharmacy students to be on the leading edge of healthcare innovation. Cedarville’s Pharm.D. students are fully prepared to begin a rewarding career as a pharmacist and to use their calling to make a difference for Christ as they serve with excellence and compassion.
Posted in: Finances, Podcasts, Student Debt