Scripts & Songs: Pre-Pharm Student Hits Her Stride

Alex Mcquade:

Welcome to Living the Pharm Life, the official podcast of Purdue University’s College of Pharmacy. I’m Alex McQuade, your host and PharmD candidate, here to highlight the inspiring stories of our outstanding students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who continually work towards excellence in all their pursuits.

Emme Langefeld is a second-year pre-professional student in Purdue’s pharmacy program. An out-of-state student, Emme is living her best pharm life while also being an active member of the Purduettes, Purdue’s primary treble choral ensemble. Listen in as she describes balancing her academics, participation in campus life, and pursuing her dream of becoming a pharmacist. Emme, thank you for joining us today.

Emme Langefeld:

Thank you for having me.

Alex Mcquade:

Emme, I’ve got to start with the big question. How did you know that pharmacy was for you?

Emme Langefeld:

Overall, I just think it’s something really interesting and there’s a lot you can do in the field, so that’s something that I was really interested in just exploring. I really like the science part of it. I like the community part of it. It’s a really great way, in my opinion, of combining my interests for science while also my interest for community and shaping, contributing overall to the betterment of my community.

Alex Mcquade:

I love that. I feel like a lot of echo from that, and maybe that’s because we have a lot of shared experience. We’re both out-of-state students, and so I was kind of curious, I know my reason for why I chose to be an out-of-state student at Purdue, but what made you choose Purdue here in Indiana for pharmacy school? And how did you know that this was the right place for you to pursue your career?

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely. I chose Purdue because of financial reasons. They gave me a lot of financial assistance and I felt like that was a lot, that was a big motivator for me to come here.

And overall, I thought this was a good place for me to pursue pharmacy because the school’s values are something that I really align with. I know that they emphasize patient-centered care and focusing on just really taking a mindful overall approach to improving the health of the community and not just one person, but just improving overall care, which I thought was really cool.

And I think that it’s a place that I really love to be a part of. And I think that the morals and everything and how the program presents itself, it really aligns with what I feel and what I believe.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s great. Yeah, we definitely have some really awesome values, especially in the pharmacy school and at Purdue University. There’s definitely a hometown feel about Purdue’s campus.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

And I think that brings everyone together to feel kind of like a family. So yeah, that’s kind of what drew me to Purdue in the first place as well. And also just our campus, it kind of feels small, but it’s also there’s so many places you can go, so many things to do. And I just love how the seasons change here, you really get to see all extremes of weather here at Purdue and-

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, so it can be really awesome. Let’s talk about what you’ve learned so far in your pre-pharmacy curriculum. What are some of the most interesting things that you’ve found out since you’ve started here at Purdue?

Emme Langefeld:

I think that’s kind of a broad question to answer because there’s obviously the academic part of it and then there’s the part of learning about myself and the kind of person I want to be and the kind of pharmacist I want to be. So I think academically, obviously it’s been very rigorous so far and it’ll only get more rigorous, but I’m really excited about that.

And I’ve just learned a lot about how to balance school and personal life and my personal relationships. And academically, I’ve really learned just how to enjoy learning and how to really take a nuanced approach to everything and promote long-term understanding of really complex topics and making it my own as opposed to just memorizing it just to memorize it.

So yeah, I think I’ve learned a lot over a lot of things. So there’s not really one thing in particular that I’ve just learned overall when I think about how to answer that question, if that makes sense.

Alex Mcquade:

It makes perfect sense because honestly, pharmacists, our biggest strength is that we’re learners all the time. I’ve heard that in previous episodes of this podcast, so listeners will know. There really is an emphasis in the pharmacy career about always learning, striving to learn more. So here at Purdue, I think the most important thing you can learn is how to learn, if that makes sense.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

I love that you’re already figuring that out now.

Emme Langefeld:

Thank you.

Alex Mcquade:

You are a pre-pharmacy student now, and I saw that you’ve also completed your application process. So how did that go? Where are you at now?

Emme Langefeld:

Overall, the process has not been that terrible. I think it was definitely what I expected it be. It was very manageable in my opinion, just writing an essay that I felt represented me as a person, just doing all, like crossing off everything. But yeah, it was not terrible. It might have seemed like a lot when just looking at it in August, but then when I took it step by step, it was very manageable.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, absolutely. It does seem like a lot when you first start.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

But especially the essay, it teaches you a lot about yourself too-

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely, yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

… because you have to really reflect on why you think you’d be a great pharmacist. So I think even just making that essay can be a great step.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah. So it’s really interesting to talk to you because I’m in the early stages of the program and you’re halfway through. So what are some things I can look forward to next semester when I start the Purdue PharmD program?

Alex Mcquade:

That’s a great question. So I think I already mentioned before that this campus, especially the pharmacy school, it feels a lot like a family. And you’ll notice that as soon as you start in the professional program. We have a great orientation program where you get to meet alums, current students and professors and really learn about what your experience is going to be like.

And in that orientation, you also get to start thinking about what organizations you want to be a part of. So I definitely recommend going to the pharmacy first nighter. I know pre-professional students can also go to that, but in pharmacy school, you can really get actively involved in those organizations and find what your niche is going to be in pharmacy, where you really want to go after school. So you can start developing that even now, of course.

But I think that the curriculum at Purdue, it really does set you up for success after school. You really do get a lot of resources to push forward when you’ve graduated.

And then same with the professors there. They’re all experts in their field, but they’re also down to earth. They don’t make you feel like you’re coming up to some famous pharmacist and you don’t get all the jitters and everything. You can go up to them, they’re just like people and it’s so easy to talk to them and get to know them.

And I think those connections once you get in the pharmacy program are almost impossible to not make, and so that’s really going to help you feel more at home. So there’s a lot to look forward to.

Pre-pharmacy can be really tough because you don’t have those connections as much. You’re with other pre-pharmacy students, but you’re also in classes with people all over campus, so it can be a little daunting. But I promise you, after this, things get a lot more homey, I guess [inaudible 00:07:03]-

Emme Langefeld:

Really? Okay, that’s really comforting to hear.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s great. I have to say that Purdue’s pharmacy program is still very rigorous. And you mentioned already that you’re excited for that rigor because you know there is a lot of responsibility with becoming a pharmacist. We have to know so much, so the rigor is kind of required.

But I think that it’s important to also be involved in things outside of school, like extracurricular activities, which we’ll get into a little bit more later. But the Purduettes is an organization that you’re part of, that you’ve been part of since you started at Purdue. Tell us a little bit more about the group, the Purduettes, and what you enjoy most about being involved in it.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, so what I enjoy most is the people. Oh my gosh, all of these girls in this group, and Jeff and Joe obviously, they’re all incredible and everyone is so happy to be there. And it’s just really awesome to be a part of a group where I can really learn from everybody I’m interacting with.

And everyone is so unique in their own ways and everyone is so intelligent and beautiful inside and outside in their own ways, and it’s just genuinely such a blessing to talk to these girls every day. And it’s just, that’s by far my favorite part being in the group. The people just make it.

And it’s just really cool to have that shared interest of wanting to do something for our community and wanting to make something beautiful. And it’s just such a gift to be a part of it and being able to learn from every one of these absolutely incredible people. They’re all just, I could gloat about them for hours, but these are all just amazing, wonderful individuals.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s so awesome that you found such a great community so early on into your college experience. But I’m also curious about when did you discover your love for music at first? And why does singing hold such an important piece of your life still today?

Emme Langefeld:

I think I’ve always just loved music, especially when I was a kid. I think that it’s not uncommon for children to enjoy music, like with Disney, just doing camps and everything, and I always did that. But I didn’t actually want to pursue singing specifically until I was about 12. And I just think I put a lot of work into it. It was something, it was my main extracurricular from 12 to 18, so it was just something I spent a lot of time in.

It was how I expressed myself because music does tell stories. And I think that it was a really special way for me to be vulnerable, to be able to share my story with people who want to listen. That’s kind of what made me stay with it. Obviously, all the glitz and glamour of it and the music, the beauty of it is what attracted me in, but being able to tell my story is what made me stay.

Alex Mcquade:

I love that. And obviously you’re here in the Purduettes, but also do you have any other musical talents, musical interests that you have? Anything you do outside of Purduettes, like singing on your own or playing instruments?

Emme Langefeld:

No. I can play a little bit of piano, very, very, very little. I can maybe find like two notes, but I am absolutely not… I’ve taken some piano lessons, but I’m absolutely not, like I will not claim to be good at piano. I will not put that as a skillset of mine, but that’s probably the furthest. But I’m pretty limited to singing and Purduettes is kind of the only place where I sing.

Alex Mcquade:

Well, I’m kind of the same way. I can barely play the piano just to find a pitch or something, so I totally get you, it can be… Already, Purduettes is such a commitment and you really do sing a lot, and I feel like that on its own is just exciting enough, you don’t even need something else.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, that’s awesome.

Emme Langefeld:

If I remember correctly, you sang in the University Choir, so how has music helped shape your experience at Purdue? And do you have any funny stories that just stay in your mind even after you graduate that you know you’re just going to be telling people for the rest of your life?

Alex Mcquade:

That’s a great question. Honestly, PMO felt like a transition from high school into college because I was very involved in choirs in high school. So when I came to Purdue, I was really excited to be part of University Choir. And I started my first day at Purdue, my first activity of the day was University Choir. So immediately, I felt immersed into the experience.

The singers, like you said about the Purduettes, the singers are just amazing people and everyone just has such unique characteristics and you really get to know people from all different walks of life. And I love that about choir, it brings a lot of people with different experiences together to make one unified sound, which I think is so amazing. Some of my favorite memories are just when we really got that perfect practice and we were ready for the concert.

Emme Langefeld:

That’s the best feeling.

Alex Mcquade:

Just that feeling of we’ve been working so hard. And even if you feel like you know the notes, you know the rhythms, just when everyone else were all in synchronous and everything, it’s just so perfect.

But I guess for funny moments, I actually met one of my best friends still to this day in University Choir. And I remember the first time we met, we immediately started joking around with each other at a concert as if we had known each other for years.

Emme Langefeld:

That’s so special.

Alex Mcquade:

And it was just so silly. We could not stay serious in the all PMO concert in the fall, and so we were just laughing in the stands and it’s like, “Be quiet, there’s a concert happening,” that kind of thing. But that’s just kind of how PMO is. Everyone really gets to know each other and there’s a lightness to the air, but we’re also able to work really hard together as a group.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, I love that you are also part of PMO and it’s a big part of your experience too.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely. It definitely helped a lot with my transition to college.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s awesome. And speaking of transitioning into college and becoming part of groups, balancing a demanding pre-pharmacy curriculum is very hard, especially being involved in something like the Purduettes. So I’m kind of curious, how do you manage your time? And how do you stay organized and involved?

Emme Langefeld:

Well, I guess the biggest thing that comes to mind is trial and error, because as much as I would love to say there is a simple hack, and if you do this, you will be guaranteed to succeed, there is not. Every person is different and you just kind of have to be okay with expanding your study strategies, expanding how you manage your time, just failing a little bit, and then learning from that. It’s a learning curve.

And I think that the biggest advice I guess I would have to give is have an open mind and give yourself grace for failure and give yourself room to grow. And just kind of keeping an open mind really determines how you look at things, and it really helps with how you approach problems, how you approach failures, how you approach hard things. And if you’re able to do that and approach it with a place of growth and a place of gratitude for being able to grow, because a lot of people are not able to grow, and it’s really sad. And I think if you’re grateful to have experiences, it really shapes how you approach things and how you can be disappointed if things go wrong, but don’t sit in it for too long, and use it just to make yourself better.

But I guess the advice that worked for me specifically is I love my planner. I have a paper one for academics, and I have a digital one for personal life and I love it. I think just setting aside time that is being fully committed into one task. Like I have time where I’m fully committed to studying, time I’m fully committed to spending time with my loved ones. That’s probably the easiest way to give advice to someone because that’s a good way to be consistent across all types of learning types, all types of people with different life situations. Just kind of being mindful of what you’re doing and trying to compartmentalize everything so you’re not all over the place all the time, because I’ve been there and it’s not fun. So yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s great advice actually because-

Emme Langefeld:

Thank you.

Alex Mcquade:

… I think it’s important that especially as you’re going into a rigorous program like the PharmD, you’re also going to have to know how to set aside time for yourself as well. So having that planner and also what you said about dedicating yourself to one thing at a time is really, really great advice because you sometimes need to just say, “I’m shutting off right now. We’re going to do something that’s not pharmacy, or we’re going to do something for ourselves.”

So it’s nice that you have that built-in time with the Purduettes. That’s time you have to set aside from pharmacy. But also too, you know how it is when you have Purduettes and pharmacy. It’s a lot to manage, so also knowing exactly how to shut off and have something else on your schedule is really good too.

So I’m glad that you’ve also already figured that out. You’re very prepared.

Emme Langefeld:

Thank you, I try. A lot of trial and error.

Alex Mcquade:

Can you point to a specific time in your pre-pharmacy experience where you might’ve felt stretched thin? And how did you overcome that challenge?

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, so first semester I was doing very poorly in a chemistry class, my general chemistry class. It was just a lot. I didn’t know how to study. I was just dealing with some new adjustments in my life at the time, my first semester of freshman year, and it was just really hard to manage that and really hard to decide where to put my energy because it was a lot of new things at once.

And that was a time where my academics were really struggling and I had to really make a plan to fix it and decide to fix it, and that was probably the hardest thing. But doing it really made a difference and asking for help when I needed it really helped. And just kind of learning from mistakes, like I said, and just kind of understanding your strengths and understanding your weaknesses and putting the time to improve your weaknesses by utilizing your strengths that are already there, which sounds kind of complicated because it just looks different for everyone, but that was definitely a time where I struggled the most.

Alex Mcquade:

Well, I think a lot of people struggle with that transition too,

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

And there might be some listeners out there who are prospective students. And I love what you said about you took time to analyze what happened, you reached out for help, which is so important. As soon as you feel that things are kind of falling behind or you may be not on top of things, you can’t just hold it all in yourself. So I’m glad that you’ve kind of had that experience and have been able to grow from it because having that early on has, I’m sure, taught you a lot. And especially now that you’re here, you’re accepted into the PharmD program, clearly you’ve overcome those difficulties and now you’re onto a really exciting new chapter of your life. So I’m really happy about that for you.

Across campus, students are encouraged to be involved in extracurriculars just like the Purduettes, but there are so many offerings here at Purdue. We have a very large campus with lots of opportunities. So what advice would you give to incoming students, current students, anyone thinking about coming to Purdue, what advice do you have to them about balancing extracurriculars and also academics and staying successful and healthy?

Emme Langefeld:

Well, health is really hard to define because there’s so many components of it. I guess for staying physically healthy, just sometimes you have to really force yourself to do things. You have to force yourself to go outside, force yourself to eat because sometimes you’re too busy to eat or you’re too stressed to eat. At least that’s something that I’ve experienced. So I think sometimes you just have to literally force yourself to do things, which is not fun in the moment, but you need to do it.

And mental health is a big thing, and I think it’s really easy to isolate yourself in college because I’ve seen it happen to people I care about. And it’s really hard to watch because when you isolate yourself, you’re closing yourself off to people who are willing to help you and people who will sit with you. And they won’t fix the problem for you, but they will be there for you and make it better.

So I think just being open to connections and being okay with having uncomfortable conversations, being okay with being vulnerable, showing emotion. That’s okay. And just makes you human, that doesn’t make you weak. And I think being okay with that. And I think some people, it’s easier than others. But I guess that’s probably the biggest piece of advice I’d have is just being open to new connections and just putting your whole self in there and just taking leaps because sometimes it’s okay if you miss. You’ll get back up. You always do. And you have before so you can do it again. So I guess that’s probably the biggest thing I’d have to say.

But with balancing the academics is just, like what I said earlier, compartmentalizing makes a huge difference because it prevents you from letting things from one section of your life bleed into the other section of your life and helps you just manage everything and makes huge, daunting tasks that seem impossible to complete more manageable. And I just think that makes a big difference in how you approach your everyday life.

Alex Mcquade:

Absolutely, and I love what you said about taking big leaps into new things and just making those connections because there are a lot of opportunities and sometimes you have to kind of sift through what’s going to be right for me. But the best way you can find out is just by-

Emme Langefeld:

Trying. Yep, absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

… jumping in trying it. So I love what you said about that because you tried the Purduettes and now you’re still here and you love it so much, and it’s like there’s going to be a lot of things that people don’t realize they’re going to like to do until they try it and they just jump in. Yeah, so I hope that people listening take that advice and really get out there and meet new people because this is the time to do that. This is when you have all those opportunities.

Emme Langefeld:

I will say people can really surprise you sometimes.

Alex Mcquade:

Yes.

Emme Langefeld:

It’s so easy to have pre-existing opinions about people like, “Oh, this person definitely doesn’t want to talk to me. This person wants nothing to do with me.” You’d be very surprised because one of the best things I’ve heard about being a freshman in college, honestly, in general, everyone else craves connection like you do. Generally, people will, if you approach them and you talk to them, they will talk at you back, unless they’re mean, and that’s okay because sometimes people will be mean and that’s okay. But it’s generally people do crave that connection.

And it’s scary to initiate it, I struggle with that, absolutely. It’s something I’m really trying to work on. But people can really surprise you. And just be okay with having your opinions about someone change because trust me, they can change so fast. But yeah, and it’s really unfortunate to think that you could have missed out on a really incredible friendship or relationship because you closed yourself off and you were too scared. And it’s better to try and fail than to just not try at all.

Alex Mcquade:

Absolutely. And like you said, you’ve got to give people the chance, but also this whole experience at Purdue is all about growth.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

And like you said, people can change and they do. Everyone who comes to Purdue is going to change and hopefully in the positive way, I think most people come out of here as a better person. And I, for sure, already feel that I’ve grown a lot in a positive way just from being here at Purdue.

And speaking of growth and evolving yourself as a person here at Purdue, what specific lessons have you learned being part of the Purduettes that you’re hoping to bring with you into your PharmD curriculum?

Emme Langefeld:

A big thing that Jeff encourages us to do before we sing is you don’t know what someone in the audience needs from you. And I think singing for people instead of singing at people, it’s really shaped how I view performing. And sometimes it really helps if you, because you’re always going to have something going on. It’s just not easy, and that’s okay. But if you do something to help someone else feel loved and help someone else feel seen and valued, that is the best way to go into things.

Going into things to think someone might really need this positive uplifting song right now. And that’s just a great way to go into performance and doing it for other people, because doing it for yourself is sometimes going to be enough and sometimes it won’t because sometimes you’re going to be very unmotivated and that’s normal. Everyone goes through patches of amotivation, but sometimes it helps that little extra boost to do things for someone else because it makes you feel better about yourself. It makes you feel like you’re contributing to something greater than yourself.

And that’s probably the biggest lesson that I’ve taken away from Purduettes is being a part of something that’s greater than your needs in the moment or your wants in the moment, and doing something for the team in general and not just yourself. It’s very special. And I know that my career is going to be like that too, and family is always going to be like that. Friendships are going to be like that sometimes. And I think it’s just a great way for me to practice shifting my mindset, if that makes sense, into doing things just for something greater than myself, like I’ve been saying. It’s just that’s how I like to approach life, and I think it helps, honestly.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, you picked up on something great there because sometimes we aren’t going to feel at our tip-top shape going into work as pharmacists. It can be a stressful job, but knowing that what you’re doing can really affect patients in a positive way just every day coming in, the impact that you can have. Just having that mindset of, I’m coming in here, maybe not for me today, I’m coming in for them. That’s so amazing that you’ve isolated that.

And I remember when I was in University Choir, Jeff Vallier we’re talking about, he’s the director of Purduettes.

Emme Langefeld:

Best.

Alex Mcquade:

Yes, he’s so awesome.

Emme Langefeld:

He’s awesome.

Alex Mcquade:

And University Choir as well. He’s just a bundle of joy is what I like to say. He always uplifts me when I come in the room.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

But Jeff, he would always tell us in University Choir, and I think probably the Purduettes, just find one person in the audience and sing to them. And just watching the one person you’ve isolated as you’re singing at them, if you’re watching them and seeing their smile light up, or if you’re singing a sad song, seeing them have emotions, it can really be powerful because you’re like, “Wow, what I’m doing is impacting somebody.” And yeah, that’s something, we’ll touch on that later, but pharmacy and music have a lot in common when it comes to the impact they can have.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

And speaking of impact, I just want to hear about a performance that you’ve had in the Purduettes that’s been impactful to you. And how has being involved in music influenced your life beyond just Purdue in general?

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah, absolutely. So notoriously in Purduettes, all of us look forward to this one performance every year, and it’s our Westminster performance. And for those of you who don’t know what Westminster is, it’s a nursing home and they are by far our best audience every year. Never have we ever sang to a group of people who are more happy to see us, who are more just filled with just love and gratitude to see us. And it’s so special.

And every year, I’ve performed in two Westminster performances and they are just such a delight. And singing to them specifically, it’s just so special because genuinely, it brings them so much joy and you can see their faces change. You can see someone feel seen. And I think that’s the most beautiful thing.

And these people, after, they get to talk to us and they’re like, “It was so much fun. This is the highlight of my day.” And it’s just so special to be a part of that. And it’s so special to see someone’s face change and see someone go from feeling just sad or they’re having a hard day and being able to see, hey, someone cares about me. If a complete stranger can care about you, then you must be a pretty special person.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, and there’s nothing that brings people together like music.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

I love that story so much because singing for people is exciting, but singing for people and it’s their event of the week, it brings a whole other energy in the room.

Emme Langefeld:

Absolutely.

Alex Mcquade:

And I notice we sing better when we know our audience is really excited about it.

Emme Langefeld:

Oh, yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

So yeah, those kinds of performances are the best.

Emme Langefeld:

How has your music experience helped shape how you are going to approach your future work in pharmacy? Because we talked a lot about me, and I’m very curious as to someone who has gone through the program longer than I have, obviously, but I’m really curious to see how you would answer that same question.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s a great question, and I think it’s a good theme for this episode because maybe some people might be listening and are like, “I don’t really see how music really connects with pharmacy.” But I originally wanted to be a musician before I wanted to be a pharmacist.

Emme Langefeld:

Interesting. Okay.

Alex Mcquade:

And I think what drew me to pharmacy was that impact that we can have, which we touched on earlier. But there’s something about music, especially in a choir setting or a musical or anything where you’re singing as a part of a team, there’s this energy where you’re all contributing to one goal, which is to make a unified sound or to create an environment or an atmosphere with the songs.

And in the pharmacy, we’re trying to create a positive atmosphere as well, because we are the most accessible healthcare providers. So when people come into our pharmacy, they might be having the worst day of their life, and we have to find a way to make them feel a little bit better in any way we can. Obviously, we can’t have monumental impact every single day in every single case, but by having a great positive energy amongst us as a team, we can spread that energy to our patients. And that also comes in with care and how we work together as a team to create the best care.

And I think that same principle really follows through with music. In a choir, I’ve never felt like myself as a solo singer could have nearly as much impact as singing in a group or singing in a musical, like I said.

So I think both fields are really about teamwork, and so you learn a lot as a singer, as a Purduette, you’ve learned a lot already about teamwork that other people may not have coming into pharmacy school. And you’ll be surprised in the ways that it kind of comes up and you’re like, “Oh, I’m comfortable public speaking because I sing all the time,” or things like that.

Looking ahead, how do you see your passion for pharmacy and your experiences with the Purduettes intersecting in the next four years? Do you have any specific goals or dreams that you’re working towards to combine those interests in any way?

Emme Langefeld:

As of now, no, because I think I need to actually be in the field a little bit before I kind of can see what that future might look like for me. But I think everything you were saying about teamwork really resonated with me because I feel the exact same way. And I think that that’s probably the biggest thing. I think it’s just the passion for contributing to something greater than myself, being part of that team, like shaping someone’s day and just really even knowing, doing it despite knowing that there’s a chance that even the person that you’re interacting with may not appreciate it or may not get a lot out it, that’s okay. You can still do it.

And just because you won’t have a monumental impact in the moment, like what you were saying, you might not every day, and that’s okay, and you can still do it because there’s a chance that you might. And that’s worth it. And I think that that really stuck out to me. So everything you were saying I just completely agree with, so yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

Oh, that’s awesome. Yeah, and I think too, we don’t have to find a way to directly correspond being part of a group like the Purduettes and pharmacy. But also, do you see yourself singing in choirs when you graduate? Or I always thought like, “Oh, I’ll be a pharmacist by day, singer by night.” Anything like that that you’ve been thinking about?

Emme Langefeld:

As of now, no, just because I don’t know what my life is going to look like-

Alex Mcquade:

Of course, yes.

Emme Langefeld:

… after that. But again, being open to new opportunities, just saying maybe. So I’m never going to keep that door closed, I’m going to just keep it cracked. So we’ll just see what the future holds. I just can’t have a definitive answer yet, so I’m just we’ll see where… We’ll see, but yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, absolutely. Because music, it’s kind of hard to think about that now because you never know what city you’ll be in, where you’ll be, how you’ll be doing, but there’s always going to be that little bit of music influence that creeps into your profession, and then who knows? It might ignite a spark later in life where you’re like, “Oh, I want to sing again. I want to get…” You never know.

Emme Langefeld:

Yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

So do you think your experience in music, especially with the Purduettes, will influence how you approach your career as a pharmacist? I know we’ve kind of talked about that somewhat, but any other thoughts on that?

Emme Langefeld:

I definitely think being a part of music for so long has helped me with how I approach negative feedback and someone saying, “You’re not doing this right, you need to do better. Or you need to give more.” Because that’s like, that can be a hard thing to hear sometimes, but it’s definitely helped me think about how I can approach things and be better and give more. When I literally think that I physically cannot, I always can give at least the tiniest bit more. And sometimes that’s enough, and sometimes it’s not.

And I think just being more receptive to feedback and being more receptive to someone telling me if I’m doing something wrong or what I need to do better. And I think just having that experience of someone being able to criticize me in a valid way, it’s helped me be more open to criticism and open to changing myself and just not taking things as personally. It’s been a really good exercise for that, and that’s something I’m still learning, and I think we’re all still learning as humans. So yeah, I think it’s just something I’m eager to explore more in the professional field because I’ve had a lot of it in the musical field, so I’m excited to see how it intersects and how I can use those skills in the future.

Alex Mcquade:

I love what you said about negative feedback. I feel like one thing about negative feedback that other professions, they don’t really get it as much as we do in music fields and in pharmacy too. We’re going to have a lot of experiences where we need to grow and we need to adapt. So being open to changing our methods, that’s something that maybe other people might not be as comfortable with. But as singers, every single day we have to change our methods. We can’t just sing the same song the same way every day. So I love what you said about that, and I never really thought about it that way.

Okay, so to close out today, we always do a fun question here on Living the Pharm Life. So I had a question about if you could perform a song or musical number with the Purduettes that encapsulates your experience as a future pharmacist, as a future Purdue pharmacist, what musical number would that be?

Emme Langefeld:

Oh, gosh. That is a really hard question to answer. I’m trying to think a song that we’ve performed in a group setting, because that’s probably what’s most likely on my mind. That’s a really hard question to answer.

I think that a song that we sing, it’s a choreographed tune. Actually, no, I’m changing my answer. We sang For Good last Year from Wicked, which it’s a very popular song. Most people have heard it. Even if you don’t think you have, you probably have. But I think that that’s a really good song, it’s about someone changing you for the better. And just like an experience, and that’s made you a better person.

And I think that that’s probably how I see Purduettes and pharmacy overlapping. Change is good. And even if it’s not good, it’s still something, because some change can be bad. That’s true, that’s just an objective fact. But just overall, change is okay. And just sometimes people can change you for good. And just taking advantage of those interactions with people and just really holding them close to your heart. And I think that that’s a song that I definitely think would be the most appropriate, so yeah.

Alex Mcquade:

Yeah, theme for today’s episode, embrace Change.

Emme Langefeld:

Yep.

Alex Mcquade:

That’s awesome. Emme, thank you so much for being on the Living the Pharm Life podcast today.

Emme Langefeld:

Thank you. Thank you for having me.