Dear Graduate Pharmacist Colleagues!
Dear Parents, Family Members, and Friends!
Dear Colleagues!
As I try to recall my now graduation ceremony back in 2005 I can remember only two things. Actually, two feelings only. These two feelings were: the assuring feeling of “I have arrived somewhere!’, and the confusion regarding “what will I be able to bring out of my career?”. If you allow me, I will build on these in the next few minutes, hoping to be able to articulate three messages worth remembering for the respected graduates of 2023, their families and friends, and my kind colleagues attending the graduation ceremony.
Yes. Evidently, we have arrived somewhere. Probably we can all agree this is not a final destination rather a milestone. A significant milestone as this is the time and place from where you can officially say “You know, I’m a doctor of pharmacy graduated at the university of Pécs”. At the same time, this is the day parents will likely send numerous pictures of their sons and daughters to relatives and friends and explain how happy and proud they are.
And as in the here and now we are experiencing these strong emotions of satisfaction, excitement, being proud and loved; I invite you to think forward. Beyond the milestone, as we are always in process, always on a journey. But what are the elements of this journey?
This process of changing, growing, and learning evidently contains uncertainty and challenges, but at the same time - I would say more importantly - possibilities to grow. To develop in your personal life, to improve your human relationships and to build your professional career.
For this continuous journey - which personally as father of three lovely kids and an academic leader and a pharmacist, I find exiting and motivating -, I would like to give you the following three thoughts to take away and consider:
1. Be aware of your potentialthat is coded inside all of us
I have brought you a pine cone. If you observe this cone closely, you can identify small seeds incorporating all necessary ingredients and genetic information to become an enormous pine tree.
We all, each individual in this room and humans in general, have the potential to become someone who can contribute to human kind. You fresh graduates of the pharmacy profession are in the favorable position to contribute to society and the healthcare system during your everyday work as a community, hospital pharmacist, a researcher or an industrial pharmacist. You create inevitable value each day.
Related to the analogy of the pine seed, imagine your pharmacy education as a pot of fertile soil where you, the pine seeds, have been cared for for approximately five years. In this safe environment the seeds started to grow and soon leaves appeared reaching up to the sun. During the past years the roots of the small pine trees have filled the pot and may become several meters long in total, however the pine tree visible to the external observer seems to relatively small. Now, as you are entering the “real world” you are planted outside in nature where the pot no longer limits your growth. Please keep in mind, each seed incorporates a gigantic pine tree. You have all the potential needed to become who you dream to be, the only thing required is to allow yourself to grow each day. This growth requires awareness and constant learning. Nothing more. Openness to constantly develop yourself as a human being, as a family member, and as a respected healthcare professional in society.
2. Think in the positive
Many often the greatest obstacles of growth and the negative reflections about our dilemmas or actions originate within ourselves. Not the outside world. Evidently, unfavorable external events do happen, but not as often as self limiting beliefs do. The main reason is thinking in the negative and negative self-talk. If you are like most people, you have more than 6000 thoughts every single day. That’s a lot. And the good thing about self-talk is that the content of the conversation depends only on yourself. It’s only up to you. It is in the power of your influence.
We are all excited, happy and motivated to be part of today’s celebration, and here comes the exciting part: because we have decided to be happy and excited. We were and we are thinking in the positive. I now invite you to take this mindset with yourself for your future career. See every obstacle or new challenge in your career as an opportunity to learn new things and develop. Or if you have a conflicting experience with your patients or colleagues, consider these scenarios as possibilities to improve your communication and human skills.
3.You are always part of a team
The last thing I wanted to share with you today is, according to my belief, one essential element of the pharmacy profession. Pharmacists are not lonely soldiers or ununderstood heroes of the health care system. In the XXI century you can only reach the peak of your performance if you rely on others, work in a team and collaborate with all stakeholders. As you have a positive attitude towards possibilities to grow, your collaborative efforts will allow you to achieve more than you could have achieved as an individual. Consequently, 1+1=3.
Understanding and truly believing you are a member of a team will not only increase the impact you can have, but will also provide you with an assuring and safe environment to work and live in. Think of your classmates sitting together with you now in this room as part of your team, think of medical doctors and other healthcare professionals as collaborators who can help you and rely on you. Further think of your patients also as part of your team, as you all have the shared goal of improving the safety and efficacy of medication therapy. Finally, think about us: your teachers and the university also as team members. Similarly to your parents and family - whom we must also thank for their support - we will always be here for you if you need us.
Now, as you have successfully completed all requirements of your pharmacy education, and we are celebrating together this important milestone of your professional journey, I’m asking you to take home the unlimited potential to grow illustrated by the pine seeds. Also keep in mind your personal power over your thoughts and the opportunities offered by a positive mindset. And finally, I suggest you unlock the potential of a collaborative environment when you are working in a team.
I myself, in the name of the Faculty and the University congratulate you for your pharmacy diploma and wish you all the best in your personal and professional life!