Balancing Family and Career: Opportunities in Aesthetic Pharmacy

Dr. Cristianne Rodrigues decided to upgrade her career and invested in aesthetic pharmacy to be closer to her family!

“All of my professional experience as a pharmacist is in retail pharmacy, behind a counter, with exhausting work hours and no weekends. I have two small children and I can't be there as they grow up; I love my profession and I love my children, but I would like to balance the two”.

This is the reality for many women who work in health care and face obstacles in balancing family and work. That is because most jobs in this sector demand unconventional hours and full availability, which ends up directly interfering with these women's routines.

A survey released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) in 2019 showed that women spend 18.5 hours a week on caring for people or doing household chores. That was about 70% more time than men (10.5 hours).

A Decision That Transformed Lives

With a degree in Pharmacy and a postgraduate degree in aesthetic pharmacy from Nepuga/FAPUGA in São Paulo, SP, Dr. Cristianne Rodrigues dos Santos describes her routine before working in aesthetics: “I was sad because I wanted to go on nice outings, but I was too tired. I have a 6-year-old son and a 3-year-old son, and both of them grew up watching me work exhausting shifts”.

Thinking about improving her children's quality of life and her own, she chose to look for new career possibilities. “I have been a licensed pharmacist for 6 years. I started to become interested in aesthetic pharmacy when I got to know dermocosmetics at the drugstore where I worked, and when I realized how much professional and personal satisfaction this field can give us, I started researching the Postgraduate Program”.

Even though she was a professional with experience in the field and held a management position at the pharmacy, she was determined to pursue a profession she was passionate about and that would allow her to balance family life. “I love my profession, I am passionate about the health field, I started to learn about the dermocosmetics field and saw that it is in great demand. I realized that aesthetic pharmacy, besides improving people's self-esteem, also prevents many diseases”.

A New Career in Aesthetic Pharmacy

Unafraid of change and with a deep feeling that the decision to go back to school would be the starting point of a new beginning, she describes a new view of the field of aesthetics: “Good aesthetic care can lift people out of depression. Looking in the mirror and loving yourself again is priceless. And as a pharmacist I know I have a role in society of always guiding toward what's best”.

After a lot of research on Aesthetic Pharmacy courses, Cristianne found Nepuga. The student reached out to our team, who spared no effort to help her with her dream. “Having a diploma from a respected institution would already be a big step in this change for me. Once I finish the course, I plan to work in aesthetic clinics and have a flexible schedule”.

In 2019 Cristianne became a scholarship student and began her studies at Nepuga. After completing her Postgraduate Program in Aesthetic Pharmacy, she opened her own clinic in São Paulo and is very happy with the change. “I looked to aesthetic pharmacy for personal and professional satisfaction and a better quality of life. Handling my professional life and my career is much easier than everything I went through all these years. I can be a mom when I need to, be a pharmacist inside the office, and be happy without having to make choices.”

Also check out the story of Dr. Juliana Pedrosa, who tells about her experience opening her own aesthetic clinic, and of the student who made it to Harvard.

Success Stories>Aesthetic Pharmacy