In this solo episode, Victoria steps away from interviews to share something personal: at 46, after 15 years out of the workforce, she is heading back to school for a non-traditional PharmD. She talks openly about how a change in her marriage made returning to work a financial necessity rather than a choice, what it has felt like to job hunt after over a decade at home, and why credentialing has become the missing piece between her pharmacy license and the clinical women's health practice she has been building through Women Mastering Midlife.
This one is unscripted and a little winding by design. Vicky wanted to document the process in real time, doubts included, in case it helps someone else who is standing at the edge of their own reinvention.
In This Episode
- Why Victoria is enrolling in a non-traditional, asynchronous PharmD program for already-licensed pharmacists
- The financial and personal circumstances that made returning to work necessary at this stage of life
- What job searching looked like after 15 years out of an employer setting, including the ageism and sexism she encountered along the way
- Why she leaned into health coaching and integrative wellness rather than practicing pharmacy after stepping away in 2011
- How her path through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and the Integrative Women's Health Institute shaped her coaching philosophy, particularly around behavior change and disordered eating patterns
- What credentialing could open up: working alongside cash-pay physicians, supporting between-visit care, and building toward a clinical women's health pharmacist role
- How two decades of guideline changes, new technology, and a completely different testing and onboarding process make this a different kind of pharmacy school than the one she left
- Balancing school with parenting two daughters, ages 15 and 17, without giving up the availability she has valued as a stay-at-home parent
- An update on her upcoming book, Women Mastering Midlife, which blends podcast guest wisdom with her own experience and closes with guided reflection questions
- Why she is choosing to see this stage as building on who she already is rather than starting over or reinventing herself
A Line Worth Sitting With
Victoria reflects that this chapter is not a rebirth or a reinvention. It is simply the next version of who she already is, built on the same intelligence that got her through pharmacy school the first time.
Resources & Links
- Learn more about Women Mastering Midlife:womenmasteringmidlife.com
- Women Mastering Midlife, the book (coming soon)
- Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn
A Note on This Episode
This episode includes personal reflections on divorce, financial pressure, and career transition. It is not intended as financial, legal, or medical advice. If you are navigating a similar transition, individual circumstances vary, and it may help to talk it through with a trusted financial advisor, attorney, or healthcare provider.
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Disclaimer
This podcast is for entertainment, educational, and informational purposes only. The hosts, guests, and experts featured are not your personal healthcare providers or advisors. The content should not be considered as professional, personalized medical, psychological, or prescriptive advice.
Always consult qualified professionals such as your physician, therapist, pharmacist, or coach for specific concerns and decisions related to your health or lifestyle. Women Mastering Midlife is not responsible for any undesired outcomes resulting from actions taken based on the content of this podcast.
