Formulary Book Club: The Happiness Advantage

Emili Anderson, PharmD Candidate ’24, has our November ’22 book recommendation

Story by Ryan McDaniel | Published November 29, 2022

Each month, the Formulary Book Club introduces a staff, student, faculty, or alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and gets their recommendation for a great read.

This month we meet Emili Anderson, PharmD Candidate ’24. Emili’s Formulary Book Club recommendation is The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.

“Shawn Achor is one of the leading experts on the connection between happiness and success, which inspired one of the most popular Ted Talks of all time.  This book helps to further expand upon his research to share tangible tips to rewire our brain for happiness to achieve more in our careers and relationships. I was prompted to read this book as part of an assignment for our Leadership and Professional Development class, however, I gained valuable lessons that went beyond the classroom. I believe that a lot of us live by the idea that we’ll be happy after we get into residency/fellowship, get our dream job, or finally retire, etc. But my main take away from the book was that happiness fuels our success, not the other way around. As well, everyone has the ability to increase our happiness baseline regardless of genetics.”

Emili Anderson is originally from Charlotte, NC and proudly claims the title of Tar Heel. She completed her undergraduate degree at UNC and was ecstatic to continue her education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Carolina Blue blood runs in the family as her mother, Susan Marchant, PharmD ’03, is also an alumna of the School. Emili currently serves as Student Senate President, where she is passionate about supporting the School community. She looks forward to moving to Asheville to complete her fourth-year rotations, develop her clinical skills, and apply for residency.

In her free time, Emili enjoys spending time with friends, trying new restaurants/breweries, and traveling. Her next planned trip is to Ethiopia with the Global Pharmacy Scholars program to learn more about oncology treatment in a different country.