Of all the time in the world...

... that i have, now, 48 hours left to the dreaded triple-battery PDP exams (Patho, DFD, Pharmaco),

i shouldn't be blogging.

Well....

Was talking about what to take next sem with nuan. She wasn't feeling too well just now, so i'd thought i'd cheer her up a bit. So we talked about this. Promised to take at least one module with her in NUS. Finding it a bit difficult, considering the fact that her break clashes with my lesson and vice versa this sem. Life is hard. Also, most of what i wanted to take (e.g. psychology), she had taken, and because of this, some modules are not available to me but available to her.

The only exception is marketing. Was deciding between mkt2401 and pr1301. however, pr1301 is not offered next sem (shucks). Checked the timetable for mkt2401, the prognosis is so far good, the tumor has not metastasized.

The only thing dragging me back is that mkt2401 is a very heavy module (although i've wanted to take it at some point in my uni life) and coupled with my four other not-so-interesting (esp. Pharmacotherapy I??? asking for death???) modules, you can cut my throat one sem in advance. Projects, assignments, research, etc etc.

The only good thing is that, mkt2401 is no-exam (according to this sem). Well, we'll have to hear the diagnosis from junice first.

***

And with that, made me think about what i wanna do in the future... there are at least three paths.
1) Retail / Hospital Pharmacist; sit in pharmacy, dispense drugs, advise people on ADR, look for drug interactions, "advise" doctors, get scolded, get intimidated by drug addicts, fawn rich people.

The pay isn't very good i heard, and there's CPE. But what comes with it is the relative job security (some pharmacists do get axed, esp. if they screw up big), the regular or fixed job hours it provides, and the satisfaction (well, almost) to see someone's illness get cured, partly due to your doing. When the day is over, go back and fetch the kids, help to prepare dinner, and be a good daddy.

I recently read the blog of a retail pharmacist, and it was quite inspiring - a very simple, quiet life, filled with anecdotes of the little charming things in and outside work. Sitting in the pharmacy and watching the days and customers go by while sipping a cuppa (in the back room), greeting customers with a smile, and seeing them leave with a smile. I met the guy once in person, although we never really talked, but one could see that he radiated an aura. Of calmness?

2) Throw away the license and go into business, manufacturing or regulatory, etc: seems even more remote. The range of pay is much larger than being a pharmacist (i think), but you're on your two hands, treading a tightrope day by day, at least that's how i would feel. But the dough you knead is good. All the people i met at the Pharmacy Congress - that's what they chose, and those who were there truly lived to tell fantastic tales of how they started from scratch to build their business empires. I am no born businessman, though. I wish money would fall from the skies, haha. $500 per day would be good.

3) Others: well, i haven't given much thought to this yet, since i have presented with no other talents and disciplines...

Hmm, i entered university without much of a thought of what i would become - and now, i am still lost.