Trent Thiede
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| Trent Thiede speaks at the 2006 Graduate Hooding Ceremony.
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Distinguished members of the faculty; honored guests, family, friends; dear classmates:
I am honored to address you this afternoon. On behalf of the graduating doctoral students of the University of Wisconsin – Madison School of Pharmacy, I would like to thank all the parents, significant others, families, friends, faculty, and staff who encouraged and supported us as we worked towards our degrees. I’ve thought long and hard about what a graduation speech should be so that I could make it worthwhile for everyone listening. I read recently that a graduation speech should have brevity, humor, and eloquence. After looking up the definition of brevity, I decided I couldn’t do any of those things. Instead I’ve decided to reflect on our years in school and to point us toward the future with a few inspirational messages.
I would like to share with you some of the memories that we take with us as we leave the School of Pharmacy:
First Year. . .
The memory of receiving the acceptance package from the School of Pharmacy and how blessed we felt to get it.
The memory of orientation day and reaching into that manila envelope and pulling out the Doctor of Pharmacy Student nametag.
The memory of memorizing the 23 amino acid structures and wondering what that had to do with pharmacy.
The memory of making friends in 420 lab triturating and pipetting to no end. The memory of riding the bus after Pathology and swearing that we broke the world’s record for most pharmacy students on a bus.
The memory of the White Coat ceremony and the Oath of a RPh and thinking we were professionals.
The memory of taking three final exams in a row and thinking, “If I can make it through this, I can make it through anything.”
Second Year:
The memory of Professor Tom Rudy and all the jokes he told.
The memory of Professor Judy Thompson and her pop quizzes given with the answers.
The memory of discovering that the only way to get coal tar off of a lab coat is with a scissors.
The memory of all-nighters with friends at College library.
The memory of dress-up days for lab and Professor Kopacek’s cookies after drug quizzes.
The memory of meeting friends at the local establishments after a hard exam.
The memory of having 5 final exams in a row and wishing that we could only have three.
Third Year:
The memory of thinking that the worst is behind us and then realizing that we weren’t out of the woods yet.
The memory of communications lab and wondering why Professor Chewning is so nice to us.
The memory of having pharmacy roommates and remembering how quiet and peaceful it was before exam time and how chaotic it was afterwards.
The memory of filling in that last multiple choice question on the last final exam that I would ever take.
Fourth Year:
The memory of thinking that we took our last multiple choice exam and then realizing that the NAPLEX was still ahead of us.
The memory of reflecting on our years at the School of Pharmacy and missing all the people who became our friends.
The memory of playing Frisbee golf with my friends.
The memory of getting ready for graduation and wondering if we are really ready for this.
Over the last six years of school a lot of things have transpired in the world. From 9/11 and the stock market crash, to the war in Iraq, from Enron and Worldcom, to $3 a gallon gas prices, Hurricane Katrina, the passing of Pope John Paul, and what pharmacists consider one of the most devastating things of all; Medicare Part D, a lot of things have happened. The world is an ever-changing place and not only do we need to adapt to what’s happening, we need to forge ahead and lead the way. Think about the changes in healthcare over the last six years and just imagine where it will be in the next six. Pharmacists are needed now more than ever and we need to be the ones that make a difference.
Too many people live life like a spectator sport, going day-to-day, without stopping to understand what makes us happy. I’m talking about living your passion. The Greeks don’t write obituaries, they only ask one question after someone dies: “Did they have passion?” Life has nothing to do with making money or having a nice house. It’s about enjoying what you do, so you’re never really at “work.” The pharmacy profession is so vast and the opportunities are endless, I am sure that everyone has a niche, whether it be hospital or retail pharmacy, an anticoagulation clinic or a veterinary pharmacy; we all have our place in this profession. Don’t be afraid to fail, because if we never push the limits, we will never truly succeed.
I recently read a book by Stephen Covey called the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. He suggests that when starting out, begin with the end in mind. What do you want people to say about you after you’re gone? Take a second, right now, to think about your future and realize it. Close your eyes and imagine yourself ten years down the road. Imagine every aspect of your own life from your job, to your family and friends. Don’t imagine the future towards which you are heading, but rather the future which you consider ideal. Ignore the expectations that are laid before us and concentrate on what you want. Now take the road that will get you there.
Today, along with the Doctor of Pharmacy Class, we have 11 graduate students who walked across the stage. Five students from the combined Masters/residency program and 6 PhD students. These students have invested in nearly a decade or more of higher education. From maximizing drug properties, developing new drug entities, understanding pharmacist behaviors and to being hospital pharmacy administrators, these graduates are dedicated to helping us support the profession for many years to come and for that, I think we should show them a round of thanks and congratulations.
Let me share a fact with you: only 1/100th of 1 percent of the world’s population achieves the doctoral level of education. Not only should we be proud of ourselves, but of our school, faculty and staff for helping us achieve our dream. In a profession with an average passing rate on the Naplex of 90%, the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy has a 99.8% pass rating. We should be proud of our school indeed.
Good luck, fellow graduates as you cross over the line from the safety of college and the reality of life. Grab this opportunity by the reigns and embrace it for what it is: an amazing opportunity to show ourselves and our abilities to the rest of the world. And remember, if you’re not ready for this challenge, that’s what residencies are for.
It has been an honor to be with you today.
Thank You