Five money milestones for pharmacy students
It runs in timeline order, taking you from your final years in school, through into your full time practice.
- 01Final two years of school
- 02During rotations and internships
- 03Graduation to licensure
- 04First 90 days of your first job
- 05By the end of your first year
If you only do five things
Three of the five, word for word from page 2.
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Arrange disability insurance when you start working, not years later.
Your future income is your largest asset, and coverage is cheapest and easiest to qualify for while you are young and healthy.
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Hold your student lifestyle for the first two years of practice.
Send the gap between student spending and pharmacist pay to debt and savings before it becomes your new normal.
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Build a cash buffer for the stretch between graduation and your first full paycheque.
Exam fees, licensing, moving costs and months of intern-level pay all land at once.
Who it’s for
- Final-year PharmD students
- Second-last-year PharmD students
- New grads in their first year of practice
None of it needs a big income or a finance background.
About Brad
I’m Brad Norman, CFP®. I do tax-aware financial planning for pharmacists, and I work alongside my clients’ accountants and lawyers, not around them.
Before that I was a clinical epidemiologist working alongside medical professionals, so I understand the world you are heading into.
Questions
Is it free?
Yes. Enter your name and email, and the next page has your download link.
Is this financial advice?
This is general information, not personalized financial, tax, insurance or legal advice.
Does it apply in every province?
Not every item applies the same way everywhere.
Provincial student loan interest rules and licensing fees vary by province and are not listed here. Figures are current as of October 2026.