When I applied for my pharmacy internship at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), I was drawn in by the job description’s emphasis on professional development, mentorship, and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to patient care. The posting painted the position as a prestigious role—one that would challenge me academically while supporting me in becoming a confident clinician. The bullet points highlighted participation in interdisciplinary rounds, medication reconciliation, and compounding sterile preparations. These were all aspects that deeply appealed to me and aligned with my long-term career goals.
In many ways, the job matched that description. I was fortunate to gain exposure to complex patient cases and work alongside pharmacists in high-acuity hospital settings. I had ample learning opportunities and developed clinical skills that have made me a better future practitioner.
However, what the job description did not capture was the level of stress and workload that came with the position. From the first day, it became clear that the expectations were high and the pace was relentless. The learning curve was steep, and I often found myself overwhelmed trying to balance accuracy, speed, and professionalism under pressure. Additionally, the workplace culture was not quite as welcoming or supportive as the posting had suggested. While there were certainly some preceptors who were encouraging, others maintained a more distant or critical demeanor, which made it harder to ask questions or feel like a true member of the team.
Ultimately, while the position delivered in terms of challenge and experience, the emotional demands and culture were understated—and those are aspects I now pay closer attention to when evaluating future roles.
One reply on “Week 3 – Blog Post: Job Descriptions ”
Hi Catherine!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it definitely emphasizes the balance of expectations vs the reality of a role. The job description really did a great job of highlighting all the benefits that one might expect when pursuing the internship but unfortunately left out the elements of workplace culture and potential stress. Perhaps that is due to being relative? It’s one thing to say a position is fast-paced and will require significant levels of focus and dedication but can be difficult to publicly post that environment also comes with a negative workplace culture. I think this is an important reminder that job descriptions will often highlight the positives of a position but may not fully capture the challenges and emotional demands of a position. These are things to keep in mind when moving past the application stage and into the interview stage.
Kudos to you for embracing the challenges and coming out the other side with valuable experience!