Personal Reflection Of Passion And Empathy In My Life

What is passion and empathy? For anyone striving to work in a field where a single mistake can cost another’s life, I have long believed that they must exemplify those qualities. However, for most of my life, up until even my fourth year in college, I was still unsure whether I had those traits.

I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento in an upper middle class family. I was blessed to live in a house, never worrying whether or not I will be able to eat or have a place to sleep. My parents, who had emigrated here from China in the 80s, believed in working hard will lead to a successful future after having experienced it firsthand coming to America with little money. In their eyes, the ultimate profession was going into medicine, and I was

I was introduced to various people from all walks of life, both students and the people that lived in Berkeley. I had friends that grew up immersed in a different culture and friends whose families had been homeless relying on financial aid. This opened my eyes, realizing how many different paths people could take to be in the same institution I was in. However, even then, I was unsure of whether or not I would be able to spend the bulk of my life as a pharmacist. I knew there were many that did not grow up as well off as I did, but I still was unsure if I had the passion or empathy to go into the

There I was able to apply what I learned from my college winter break where I shadowed transition of care pharmacists at UC Davis Medical Center and learned what some clinical pharmacists do. I discovered they not only possess tremendous medical information but are a body of immense resources in general. Whenever I have a patient who cannot afford his or her, I will help apply a treatment prior authorization, find a manufacture coupon or help the patient to apply financial assistance with the manufacture. As a technician, I am constrained in my ability to give medical advice. However, I can assist in other capacities and that’s to lighten the patient’s financial burden. Many people can be a pharmacist, but to be a good pharmacist, one would have to have the patience, empathy, and the desire to want to help others. A patient thanked me for my service for without us, he would have not known how to take a potentially deadly medication. This spurred me to the realization that I did have the empathy and the passion to serve as a pharmacist. I am now confident and looking forward to continue my education at an exceptional college such as _________ to better equip myself for my future. My goals are to work at disadvantaged locations to provide the best care I can for