Teach and Be Taught

J C P H – Vol. 59, n 1 – fevrier 2006 56 As I listened intently to what the students were saying, I learned that one of their main reasons for pursuing hospital pharmacy practice is the highstandard, professional patient care environment found in most hospital pharmacy departments. This seems to be a main driver for their career path. Although the need for hospital pharmacists’ salaries to be competitive is still a concern, being given the opportunity to provide clinical patient care is definitely non-negotiable when students are considering a career with a potential employer. At the end of the day, I was grateful to have been able to teach something to the students about the role of hospital pharmacists and to have been taught by the students the key conditions that are required to attract them to hospital pharmacy. A patient-focused care environment . . . create it, and they will come!