Twin pharmacists-in-training bring shared vision and dedication to Walgreens internships

Sean Bly and Stephen Bly are pursuing pharmacy careers side by side, inspired by family and fueled by purpose.

Sean Bly and Stephen Bly don’t think it’s a big deal that they’re identical twin pharmacy interns. Yes, they’re going through the same pharmacy program at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. Yes, they’re both pharmacy interns at Walgreens and recipients of Walgreens’ Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program scholarships. But to them, sharing that journey is nothing out of the ordinary.

“We’re known as the pharmacy twins,” Sean Bly jokes. “But to us, it’s just going to school and work, like any other student. We’re learning how to navigate it all by struggling and succeeding at the same time.”

While their paths run parallel now, pharmacy was not always in the cards for either sibling. Stephen Bly took a pharmacy class in high school that sparked his interest in the field early on.

“Most kids out of high school have no idea what they want to do when they go to college, but I always knew I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Stephen Bly says. “With pharmacy, I was able to get my feet wet early with a class in high school, and it made me realize this is really what I want to do the rest of my life.”

Sean Bly, on the other hand, thought he’d go into medical research. But pharmacy clicked after finishing his undergrad at Michigan State University. He took a gap year and worked at a local Walgreens. He was inspired by the pharmacists around him to pursue the profession.

“They really kind of pushed me to go into pharmacy, they all wanted me to do my best,” Sean Bly said. “I took that and ran with it.”

Their commitment to healthcare is rooted in their grandmother’s influence. A dedicated nurse and patient with diabetes, she often demonstrated her care routines, instilling in them the importance of patient empathy.

“She used to inject insulin in front of us and explain what she was doing,” Sean Bly recalls. “She wanted us to understand if we went into the medical field, this is what our future patients might go through.”

Before she passed, their grandmother learned of their decision to enter pharmacy school—a moment Sean Bly describes as “the best news she could receive.”

“She was so happy,” Sean Bly says. “We were always her babies, the only other ones in the family that chose to go into healthcare. It was a full circle moment for her.”

Fast forward to today, they’re working toward the finish line. During summer, spring and winter breaks, they both intern at Walgreens. Sean Bly interns at the Walgreens inside Harper Hospital, while Stephen Bly works at a specialty pharmacy site in Detroit. Their responsibilities in their respective pharmacies are similar, with a focus on patient consultations and medication adherence.

Despite the challenges of pharmacy school, they lean on each other and their family for support.

“Our parents are three hours away, but they call us every day to make sure we’re doing OK,” Stephen Bly says. “Our older brothers also call to check up on us and are there any time we need them.”

Looking ahead, both hope to become full-time Walgreens pharmacists. They admire the resilience and dedication of their mentors and are eager to meet the demands of the profession. Whether supporting patients through an adverse reaction to a medication or welcoming new patients from nearby closing pharmacies, patient care is at the heart of it.

“I have incredible respect for other pharmacists, especially those I work with,” Sean Bly says. “Being able to adapt to the situations they face, they handle challenges with grace and passion—and come back every day ready to do it again.”