Pharmacist Personal Statement

¬ My decision to become a pharmacist first started with the death of my grandmother. She had battled cancer twice, but, unfortunately, the complexity of the second cancer was too much to overcome. Over the next few months, I watched as the chemotherapy slowly began to deteriorate her. Before I knew it, she was slipping away, and there was nothing I could do to stop the pain and suffering. After a valiant fight, cancer overtook her, and she died five months later. From this point on, I no longer wanted to feel helpless while someone I loved dearly was in pain, and, in doing so, I first started to ponder becoming a pharmacist. Through the death of my grandmother, I witnessed what cancer fighting drugs and other medications can do to lessen the

On top of maintaining my GPA, I have also been able to balance two jobs and other extracurricular activities. My ability to balance these aspects of my life while simultaneously putting forth my best effort in each area have taught me important time management skills that will be essential for pharmacy school. Also, as I have worked tirelessly to learn the material in my undergraduate courses and put all the information into long term memory instead of just memorizing it, I know that I have best prepared myself for pharmacy school. By using this style of learning, I will be able to recall the information I have learned and easily apply it to pharmacy-related materials. Outside of school, I volunteer at the Macoupin Center for the Developmentally

Through my experiences of working with the campers and faculty for more than ten years I have learned a few things: patience is an asset, do not take anything for granted, and the littlest actions can result in the largest impacts. All three of these simple mantras will help me in the future as a pharmacist. At Camp I have learned the importance of presenting information in multiple ways. The perspective and background experience of others are varied. So, I have learned that having a “one size fits all” approach to communication can lead to confusion and frustration. I know that being a pharmacist will be hectic at times, but taking the time and the patience to understand and develop relationships will lead to less misunderstanding and stress. Due to the age and health conditions of some of the campers, I have learned not to take things for granted because I have learned first-hand that life is too short. When I become a pharmacist, I hope to provide medication to others so that their lives are not cut too short. Camp Goodtimes has shown me that making small gestures such as a hug or a compliment create a larger impact on others than any materialistic items ever could. Thus, the reason I want to become a pharmacist is so that I can make and do little things, such as filling prescriptions, which will have a larger impact on people, such as preventing pain or altering their