Pharmacy Leader Provides Inspiration and Rules to Guide a Successful Pharmacy Journey

Dr. Megan Arbles, Director of Pharmacy Operations at KTA Superstores, served as the keynote speaker for the White Coat Ceremony for the inaugural extended, online Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD-XO) Class of 2031. The PharmD-XO pathway is designed for working adults with professional and personal responsibilities that preclude a full-time, on campus presence in Hilo to pursue their PharmD. Arbles, an alumni of another distance education PharmD program, shared some insights for success with this trailblazing class. The text of her speech follows.

“Good morning everyone, and congratulations.

You are the inaugural class of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy distance learning XO pathway - and that word inaugural matters. You are the first. You are the test case. You are the blueprint.

When I was asked to speak to you today, I was honored - but also a little nostalgic. Because I was once sitting exactly where you are now, just in a different program. I earned my PharmD through Creighton University’s distance-learning pathway - and because of that, this moment feels especially familiar.

Distance learning didn’t make my pharmacy journey easier - but it made it possible. And more importantly, it taught me how to think differently, learn differently, and practice differently. That’s what I want to talk to you about today. Instead of giving you the usual “study hard, time management, self-care” speech - you already know all of that - I want to give you something else.

I want to give you rules. And more importantly, permission to break some of them.

Rule #1: Break the Rules (But Not the Law) Let’s start with the most important one. Break the rules. But don’t break the law.

What I mean by that is this: Do not let pharmacy school - or pharmacy practice - put you in a box.

Distance learning is already breaking a traditional rule. You’re not sitting in a lecture hall five days a week. You’re learning in your cars, during lunch breaks, after kids go to bed, before shifts start. I listened to lectures while driving to work. I replayed difficult concepts again and again until they clicked. That flexibility wasn’t a weakness - it was a superpower.

So use it.

Learn creatively. Study differently. Figure out how you learn best and lean into it - even if it doesn’t look like how someone else learns.

And professionally - start thinking beyond the fill now, not after graduation.

Pharmacy is not just counting pills. It’s not just verifying orders. It’s not just metrics and queues.

You are training to be one of the most accessible healthcare providers in the system.

So instead of asking “What’s my job?” start asking “Where am I needed?”

Who is falling through the cracks - and how can you catch them?

Who hasn’t seen a provider in years - but sees you every month?

What problem keeps showing up at your counter that no one else is solving?

And what would it look like if pharmacists stopped waiting to be invited - and started leading?

Break the mental rules about what pharmacy has always been. But follow the actual laws - those matter.

Rule #2: You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out

Here’s a rule you may not hear often:

You are allowed to not know what you want to do yet.

Let me be honest with you. When I started pharmacy school I was certain I knew exactly what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be.

I wanted to be a hospital pharmacist. I wanted the Grey’s Anatomy version of pharmacy - white coat, running down the hallways during a code blue, Dr McDreamy standing at my side, saving lives.

That was the dream. But somewhere along the way in pharmacy school, I learned something about myself.

My jam…is retail.

I realized I didn’t love talking to providers as much as I loved talking to patients. I didn’t want to be in a basement verifying orders - I wanted to out front educating the community, answering questions, solving real-life problems, being visible and accessible.

And here’s the key part: I didn’t know that going into pharmacy school.

I learned it because of the experiences pharmacy school gave me.

That’s why I want to tell you this; Use this time to try things. All the things.

Especially: The things that scare you. The things you don’t think you’ll like. The things you don’t know how to do.

Those experiences - good and bad - are data points. They help you figure out who you are as a pharmacist.

And it is OKAY to dislike a rotation or an experience. In fact, that’s a good thing.

Every rotation or experience you don’t like brings you one step closer to the one that feels like home.

Years ago, I arranged one of my pharmacy rotations myself through Creighton at KTA Pharmacy. From the moment I was there, I knew - this is where I belong.

That didn’t happen because I had it all figured out from day one. It happened because I stayed open, curious, and willing to try paths I never initially imagined.

So if your plans change, that doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re learning.

You just might find your forever pharmacy home in a place you never expected.

Rule #3: Your Distance Does Not Mean Disengaged

Distance learning does not mean distant engagement.

One of the biggest gifts - and biggest challenges - of a distance-learning pathway is flexibility.

Because of that flexibility, during pharmacy school my class welcomed 14 babies and celebrated 2 weddings and we still all graduated with our pharmacy degrees. Because of that flexibility, I worked full-time in a pharmacy during my first two years of pharmacy school.

That hands-on experience of working so much was invaluable. It shaped how I thought, how I learned, and how I showed up as a pharmacist.

Now, I want to be very clear - I am NOT telling everyone here that you need to work full-time while in pharmacy school. That’s not realistic or healthy for everyone.

But here’s the real lesson:

This program will give you the flexibility to either slack or hustle.

And which one you choose…is up to you.

Distance learning doesn’t have someone constantly watching over your shoulder. No one is checking if you logged in early. No one is telling you what to do with every free hour.

You are in the driver’s seat of your own learning.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many pharmacy students through rotations at KTA Pharmacy including students from the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy - and there’s a pattern. The students who stand out are the ones who chose the hustle.

They’re the ones who: Ask, “What else can I help with?” Look for opportunities instead of waiting for assignments Stay curious. Stay engaged. Want more- not because they have to, but because they care.

Those students don’t blend in. They’re remembered.

Five of those students did their rotation with us. They were hustlers.
Today, all five of them are pharmacy managers at our five KTA Pharmacy locations across the island.

That didn’t happen by accident.

They were engaged. They were intentional. They showed up like professionals before anyone asked them to be. They treated their rotations and school not as something to “get through”, but as an opportunity to learn, contribute, and build relationships.

They asked questions. They looked for the next thing to do. They cared. And here’s why I’m telling you this:

The relationships you build during pharmacy school - especially the distance-learning pathway - can shape your entire career.

Every rotation is an extended interview. Every interaction is a chance to build trust. Every effort you put in compounds over time.

Distance learning doesn’t limit your opportunities. What limits opportunities is staying on the sidelines.

If you engage fully, if you hustle when others cruise, if you value the people you’re learning from - doors will open. Sometimes years later. Sometimes in ways you never expected.

My five pharmacy managers didn’t all start out knowing they would lead pharmacies across the island. They started by showing up and doing the work. And you can do the same.

Rule #4: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Everything about distance learning is uncomfortable.

You’re trying to look professional on top - business attire, good lighting, camera angle just right - while you’re rocking pajama bottoms below camera.

You’ll forget to mute your mic. Your mic will be on when you think it’s off. Your internet will fail at the worst possible time.

And on top of that, you’re managing time, work, family, and life- because life does not pause just because you’re in pharmacy school and you have class.

You’ll be stressed. You’ll be overwhelmed. At some point, you’ll wonder if you even belong here.

Let me tell you something important: that discomfort is not a red flag.

It’s a sign of growth.

One of the hardest classes I took in pharmacy school was pharmacy statistics.

First of all - math is not my strong point. Second - learning pharmacy statistics online was a whole new level of challenge for me.

I struggled.

So remember Rule #1: break the rules - but not the law?

I Googled. I watched You Tube videos. I had online study sessions with classmates. I wrote out all the formulas and equations and taped them to the ceiling above my bed so it was the first and last thing I saw every day. I called my professor during every single office hour he had.

And you know what?

That class is one of the most memorable classes I took in pharmacy school.

I put in the work. I learned a lot. And I walked away from that class feeling confident - especially with calculations.

The discomfort forced me to grow.

So when things feel hard - when you’re uncomfortable, overwhelmed, or doubting yourself - don’t immediately assume something is wrong.

It might mean you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Rule #5: Remember the “Why” on the Hard Days So if Rule #4 is about getting comfortable being uncomfortable—about pushing through the hard, awkward, overwhelming moments—then Rule #5 is about what carries you through those moments.

Because when things get hard—and they will—grades alone won’t sustain you. Schedules won’t motivate you. And willpower eventually runs out.

What will carry you is your why.

Here’s something I want to tell you that might surprise you: I never wanted to be a pharmacist. This wasn’t my dream career. This wasn’t what I imagined I would be when I “grew up.” Pharmacy didn’t find me. I found pharmacy.

After I graduated with my undergraduate degree, I was working at a store in Washington state in the beauty department because I needed a job while I was taking prerequisite classes. My plan was to become a psychiatrist. I transferred to the pharmacy department because the pay was better and started working as a pharmacy technician—and something clicked.

I loved the fast pace.

I loved that providers called and relied on pharmacists for advice.

I loved that patients needed us to help them manage their disease states—not just fill prescriptions.

I loved the relationships, the networking, the community.

That’s when I realized—this matters. This work matters.

My “why” wasn’t some childhood dream. It was built through experience, one interaction at a time.

And your why may look different.

Some of you already know exactly why you’re here. Others are still figuring it out. Some of you will discover it during a rotation you didn’t expect. Some of you will find it through a patient interaction you’ll never forget.

And some of you won’t fully understand your why until years after you graduate.

All of that is okay.

What matters is that when pharmacy school feels overwhelming—when distance learning feels isolating, when imposter syndrome creeps in—you pause and remember why you chose to keep going.

Because pharmacy isn’t just a degree. It’s a profession built on trust, service, and impact.

And if you stay connected to your why—however it shows up for you—it will anchor you through the hardest days and guide you toward the right opportunities.

So as you begin this journey as the inaugural XO pathway class, I want to leave you with a challenge. Not a challenge for today. Not a challenge for this semester. But a challenge for your entire time in pharmacy school.

Break the rules—but not the law. Learn creatively. Think beyond the fill. Question what pharmacy can be—not just what it has been.

Give yourself permission to change your mind. Try everything. Especially the things that scare you. Let your experiences shape you.

Stay engaged and intentional. This program gives you flexibility—but how you use it is up to you. Hustle when others coast. Build relationships. Show up like the professional you are becoming.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. The stress, the overwhelm, the doubt—they’re not signs you don’t belong. They’re signs you’re growing.

And finally—remember your why. Even if you haven’t fully found it yet. Even if it changes. Let it anchor you on the hard days.

Here’s the challenge:

Show up in this program like the path you want already exists—and you’re helping build it.

Because one day, someone will look at your journey and say, “Because of them, this pathway works.”

You are the first. You are the standard. And you are more capable than you think.

Congratulations, Class of the very first Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy XO Pathway. I can’t wait to see what you do.”