subject.

Those interested in computers pursue computer science degrees, those interested in insurance pursue insurance degrees, those interested in journalism pursue a degree in journalism and those interested in pharmacy attend pharmacy school.

Those students who travel a non-traditional route are subsequently misunderstood by the community in general.

After all, why pursue a liberal arts degree in anthropology if you want to be a journalist? Twenty-five-year-old Kareema Sharrieff was no exception to the rule when she pursued degrees in chemistry and management instead of attending pharmacy school.

Questions such as "what's that degree for?'' and "you're gonna spend all those years in school?'' were more frequent than positive feedback from locals who did not understand the value of a liberal arts education.

And now that she is pursuing her pharmacy degree at Northeastern University in Boston, Ms Sharrieff said she was no worse off than her counterparts who went directly to pharmacy school.

While she did not gain her pharmaceutical training in school, she worked in some capacity at the People's Pharmacy from 1996 -- first as a cashier, then a technician and finally interning as a pharmacist this year.

And this hands-on experience put Ms Sharrieff right on track with others who went to pharmacy school and specialised right off the bat.

Antoinette DeCouto, a pharmacist turned business analyst, worked with Kareema for many years at the pharmacy and said there was no difference between working with students who have specialised education and others, like Ms Sharrieff, who have a broad education and then need to be taught the skills.

Ms DeCouto, who got an undergraduate degree in pharmacy, said: "There is no difference. If you have a bright student you can teach him or her anything.

"I don't think the major has any bearing on a person's ability to learn skills relevant to a particular profession.'' Ms Sharrieff's involvement at the pharmacy gave her the specialisation she needed.

She said the most important thing she learned while working at the pharmacy was how to talk to people.

Ms Sharrieff also said she learned more from pursuing a liberal arts degree.

"In a liberal arts setting you learn so much more because all the subjects are inter-related,'' she said. "A liberal arts degree is just to say I can learn and think, know what am I good at and I can specialise in that.''