3 Lessons on Pharmacy, Productivity and Teamwork from Louis Chan
This 24-year-old has experience being the NUS Pharmaceutical Society Head, an APAC Business Development Manager (Consulting) at Impact Consulting, a sustainability changemaker, a model and much more. How does he do it all?
As part of SAGE Chats, I recently approached the past president of NUS Pharmaceutical Society, Louis. Back in secondary school, I had known Louis to be a conscientious and consistent student who worked hard to achieve his goals, often placing first in school examinations.
What struck me most throughout the interview was Louis’s commitment to learning and exploring new things. From consulting to pharmacy to fashion modelling and muay thai; here is a man who enjoys enriching himself with activities beyond his lot in life.
I am reminded of something Epictetus once said: “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows”.
Louis explained that his diverse interests enriched and value-added to his skillsets. He emphasized that the process was step-wise and incremental, with each endeavour adding a little more to his holistic growth. Citing consulting as an example, he explained that he learned how to conduct and structure research as well as to tell convincing stories to convince his clients. These skills proved to be useful when he embarked on his final year project in pharmacy.
“I feel like all the skills I’ve picked up between internships are easily transferrable from one thing to another.”
On Pharmacy
Initially, Louis chose his major in pharmacy because of his interest and aptitude for chemistry. “Doctors are often thought to be superior to pharmacists, but I think that is not an apt comparison”.
He opined that Pharmacists were the drug experts while doctors had a greater part to play in diagnosis and prescribing. Pharmacists can also work directly with patients like a doctor, in such clinics as a smoking cessation one. Contrariwise to public perception as a person who “sits behind the counter and adjust drug doses”, a pharmacist can also play an active role by working with the patients to meet certain clinical goals.
“I think that the pharmacy journey is a tough one because there’s a lot of things you have to memorize. You won’t see the impact of what you are doing immediately. It’s important to make more friends, interact with one another, to network and learn from the perspective of others as in the workforce you’re often forced to work with people you don’t know.
The professors in pharmacy are very approachable! Go in with the mindset that you’re there to learn, to impact and serve in society in the future. Know that pharmacy is not the only thing you can do. There are many opportunities out there!”
Reflecting on his 4 years in pharmacy, Louis observes that his journey while at times “stressful” and “seemingly pointless”, played a part in shaping his holistic development. While working with hospitals and polyclinics, he got the chance to work with patients. In his opinion, the most important element in pharmacy is the passion and heart to serve the community.
On Time Management
Louis explains that he likes to segment each day into 3 periods- a morning, an afternoon and a night. By breaking his day into parts, should he lose motivation, he allows himself the rest of the segment to recharge, thus saving the day from being ruined.
“Be committed to what you say, and maintain a high degree of ethics to what you do. A lot of us agree to things without thinking about the responsibilities that come with them. When I join an organization, I have the responsibility to do my best for the cause. That’s why I’m picky about how I use my time.”
Productivity Tips:
- Segment your day into three parts! Don’t let what happens in the morning affect your afternoon. If you don’t feel ready in the first part of the day, take a break, rest, but when the afternoon comes around, it’s time to get up and go!
- Stay ahead of the curve and prepare for contingencies. For example, if you have a project due two months away, get it done a month earlier so as to avoid last-minute scrambling. This is also better for mental health.
- Learn how to reward yourself. If you feel overwhelmed with work, learn to give yourself an off day and do some of your favourite activities
- Exercise more! (Louis highly recommends this!) Many studies have already shown the benefits of exercise on our physical and mental well-being.
On Conflict Management
As the popular adage goes “It takes two hands to clap”. Louis thinks that all conflicting parties have a part to play in the outbreak of a conflict.
“Conflicts signify a difference in opinion, and it is this difference that drives growth. Agreeing simply for the sake of agreeing would on the other hand hinder growth and get us nowhere.”
He cites miscommunication as the primary reason for a conflict. While we cannot control how the other party thinks, a mutual agreement must be reached between conflicting parties in other for the discussion to reach a meaningful conclusion. Practising empathy helps immensely since it helps us see things from the perspective of the opposing party. Doing regular checks and balances with team members can clarify doubts and reduce any misunderstandings.
“A project that I joined in Year 1 had precisely this problem. As a committee member, there was a lot of micromanaging going on from top-down. There was no clear direction and I wasn’t sure where theproject was headinf. We also had to give weekly updates on what we were doing without seeing the big picture.
Looking back, I think I should have said something to the director. From their perspective, they may have been oblivious to what was happening, and I could have given suggestions to change the status quo and improve working styles. As I picked up more leadership positions afterwards, I got a better idea of what I found was good and bad leadership.”
When asked what superpower he would like to have when humanity was on the brink of extinction, it came as no surprise that he said he would like to be a mind-reader.
“I think a challenge is to know what everyone is thinking, I would like to be able to address the particular concerns of people at different points in time…”
“…But I would also like the option to turn off this power,” he says after a while.
He warns that conflicts must be dealt with swiftly since they would hinder the vision of a company and can be harmful if left unattended in the long run. Better to nip the problem in the bud early than to risk any misunderstandings from growing, which can cause an organizational structure to break down.
Quick Summary
We have seen the effects of what good time management can do for us. Having good routines and persistence can set us apart from the rest.
1) Take Breaks
According to a famous study that was conducted in 2011, a group of Israeli judges was examined to determine the effect of breaks on decision making. It was discovered that judges granted more paroles to prisoners after taking 2 daily breaks than if they had skipped on taking breaks for the entire day. Decision fatigue had a direct relation with their performance, and after some time, the judges simply stopped granting paroles, since it was the safest option to simply say no-0% rate. In other words, decision fatigue can lead to poor decision making.
2) Try exercising
This one has been proven time and time again. Exercising can aid in the release of serotonin and boost mood levels. Additionally, it reduces the risks of many health issues of sedentary lifestyles.
3) Do the things you love
Trying new things can broaden your perspective and uplift your spirits. A study by the society of behavioural medicine has shown that taking part in leisure activities can reduce negative feelings and depressive tendencies.
You can go for a hike, get creative with your journal, or go for a good meal, do whatever makes you feel best!
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References:
1)Extraneous factors in judicial decisions (Danziger, Levav, Liora 2011)
2)Real-Time Associations Between Engaging in Leisure and Daily Health and Well-Being (Zawadzki, 2015)
