Board Certification After Awhile

Was it worth it? I know many wonder this same question, and I believe it is. It is expensive to keep current. There is a yearly fee due to BPS every year. The required approved continuing education is pricey and complicated. 

The reason I continue to believe it is worth it is because prior to obtaining this, I feel like I had something to prove. Many newer grads felt or assumed I was a BS Pharm even though I was a PharmD. Many assume that because I have been out of school over 15 years, I am behind the times. Experience is sometimes not as valued in every job culture no matter what field it is. Bright and eager new graduates come out feeling as though we are behind the times, and sometimes they are right. 

Prior to obtaining my BCPS, I had no residency to point to. Yes, we had residencies back then, but my debt load didn't endorse another year of the same at half the price. The return on investment didn't seem good enough. If I was graduating today, I would definitely do a residency. 

What happened to me after the board certification is that I quit trying to prove myself to peers. I refocused my efforts on the patients by doing a better job in going the extra mile and also by noticing the system issues that aren't being exposed. I also have stopped trying to make my career the thing I work on the most and have let it fall to a healthier place behind God and family. What will be will be.  

Should a job in pharmacy open up where I can do more of the things I enjoy: clinical decision making, brainstorming, patient advocacy, and writing, I will be moved. Until then I credit certification to validating competiveness with newer pharmacists while also solidifying my belief that experience is king. I am glad I invested in myself and hope you will too!