What being a pharmacist brings to my work on council
What being a pharmacist brings to my work on council
A lot of people know me as a pharmacist or as a New Hope City Council member. This article from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy connects those two parts of my life and gives a little background on how I got here.
When I was going through my residency and leadership training, I didn’t know I would eventually serve on city council. But I use what I learned there all the time.
In patient care, I can know the research and have a recommendation in mind, but I still need to understand the person sitting across from me. What matters to them? What are they worried about? What have they already tried? A plan only helps if it makes sense for their life, including what they can afford and realistically manage.
Council work asks me to think in much the same way. A proposal can make sense on paper, but we still need to ask what it will mean for the people who live here. What problem are we trying to solve? What are the tradeoffs? Is there another way to accomplish the same thing?
My work also involves bringing people together to improve how we provide care. That takes preparation, clear communication, and a willingness to work through disagreements. Sometimes it means advocating for a change. Sometimes it means recognizing that an idea needs more work.
Those are skills I bring to the council table. I’m comfortable digging into complicated information, asking another question, and explaining how I reached a conclusion. I also know that someone can understand my reasoning and still see things differently. That’s part of working with people, and it’s a reason to keep listening.
The article talks about the mentors and experiences that helped shape my approach. Reading it again reminds me how much my patients and colleagues have taught me, and how much of that I carry into serving New Hope.