Watch the webinar replay here.

In this warm session with Tracy Dabbs (PharmD), Tracy shares details of her life and career journey. She talks about how we helped her move to a non-traditional career from retail that helped her achieve more work-life balance and the steps she took to do that.

Some background on Tracy:

Tracy Dabbs is an Emergency Preparedness Pharmacist. She was recently awarded the AIP award by the Georgia Pharmacist Association and the Carlton Henderson Award for her role in emergency preparedness and her academic contributions as a preceptor. Tracy was one of the first pharmacists that Alex coached after starting The Happy PharmD. She worked in retail for more than a decade before finding us at the Happy PharmD! Then her company downsized, which took Tracy out of her job.In search of jobs and alternative, better career paths, she met us.

Our Journey with Tracy: 

She recounts, “I loved working at my independent pharmacy. It was the only pharmacy in my town. My parents went there, and I remember going there as a child…it was that true hometown independent pharmacy feel.” She moved on to a retail chain where she spent 11 years. It was a wonderful experience until the company started downsizing. Tracy describes it as the scariest moment of her life. However, she decided to take action and researched transitioning. That was how she found Alex and the Happy PharmD.  

Alex walked Tracy through the coaching process patiently, as she puts it, learning about her past, strengths, personality, and values. Helping calm her down to face the entire process she described as “intimidating.” She became comfortable with interviews, preparing cover letters, and resumes. It helped improve her interpersonal, team-building, and communication skills – prerequisites for her current role. The big breakthrough came when she saw a posting for Emergency Preparedness Pharmacist at the Department of Public Health. Tracy recounts talking about curling during her interview. The interviewers mentioned she was the one pharmacist who mentioned an activity that they could relate to. She puts it this way, “It was a way for me to show how I can take something complicated and explain it as well to someone who wasn’t familiar with it, which is what I do on a daily basis now…and that was what they needed for that position.” Tracy got the job, and in her words, “It just really clicked.”

The Outcome:

Tracy moved from retail to being an emergency preparedness pharmacist. It goes to show there are many other career paths out there. Why does this transition matter? Because she is excited to get up every day for her job and doesn’t have to hit the snooze button on her alarms. She also enjoys a student loan forgiveness program, discounts on trips, and has a pension program. In her words, “I feel like my life wouldn’t be as whole. I feel a little bit more complete.”

If you are interested in seeking help for a career transition, schedule a call with us here.