Twenty-five pairs of student eyes rested on me, waiting for me to lead them in a test review. That was the semester, my first time as a biology teaching assistant, I gained an appreciation for education. After switching majors 3 times and considering a wide spectrum of careers, I finally realized I wanted to be an educator. Friends, co-workers and professors suggested that I pursue a PhD and become a college professor. However, I chose pharmacy.
Although I was told that education and medicine are separate disciplines, I know the two are intertwined. As a pharmacist, I can serve my community by using healthcare as a vehicle of education.
Through my volunteer work in the pharmacy, I have often noticed a lack of communication between patient, healthcare provider and insurance company. Experiencing this as both a volunteer and patient, I know how frustrating this can be. Patients do not know enough about their conditions, medications, and insurance plans. They feel helpless and lost. Pharmacists, with their knowledge of insurance companies and medication, are equipped to help these patients. I have seen Chuck, the pharmacist I volunteer under, assist stressed patients, helping them communicate with their insurance companies and doctors. By doing so, he teaches them how to deal with similar situations in the future.
This desire to
…show more content…
I assist patients at the cash register, deliver medication to post-surgery patients, and work with the head pharmacist. While delivering medication, I have learned to communicate with patients in a way that fosters trust and reduces stress. Watching Chuck at the pharmacy has taught me that clear and personable communication is the hallmark of a successful pharmacist. Chuck strives to create relationships with patients in order to improve patient understanding. My volunteer experience has taught me communication skills that I will utilize as a
My past has inspired me to pursue a career in which I can make maximum use of my education, attributes, and abilities. Becoming a pharmacist is an extension of my genuine interest in the welfare of others. Through my academic, work and volunteering experiences, I have been able to interact with individuals from many different cultures and ages. I am confident I will respond to future patients in an empathetic and respectful manner to attain the quality of life they deserve.
Wayne (2014), quoted that “People often think that nursing is just an easier alternative to becoming a doctor. When can we escape from this? Probably not, and that’s beyond our control. But this irrational assumption has proved nothing through the years. It only motivated nurses from showing the world their worth and how much of a difference nursing makes”. I also loved when she said that one of the most exciting jobs in the world is nursing and that we should wear the title with pride and that we, nurses, are unique. I totally agree with her, what nurses do is not easy. One of my favorite quotes is “Nurses don’t wait until October to celebrate Make a difference Day - they make a difference EVERY DAY!” (Nurseslabs). As a nurse we put a lot of knowledge, time, effort, and love in caring for our patients making sure that we give our 100 % sometimes even more.
As a pre-pharmacy student, I am aware that any pharmacist has a respected and trusted role in the community. To this end, I have given back my time to the community, working with the mentally handicapped in their daily activities and field trips
... tutoring, advising, and volunteer opportunities, I have developed a strong sense of leadership, confidence, and responsibility. A career in medicine will not only strengthen such attributes, but provide me with an ongoing opportunity to learn, not just from books, but also from patients; and to educate and serve those individuals as well. Though my journey began under dismal circumstances, I believe those experiences will specifically enable me to better understand quality of life issues in the under-served populations of my geographic region.
My desire in life is to become a highly successful pharmacist, and I know the key to attain that is having a standard education. As it is said in the holy Qur’an, “Who so ever kills a human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and who so ever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved all mankind” (Qur’an; Al Ma 'da:32). I believe pharmacy relates to this quote from the Qur’an as it is an area of science which uses the scientific knowledge of how a variety of chemicals work together to manipulate the body components while simultaneously contributing to an individual’s well-being. This appeals to me immensely because I am profoundly intrigued by how the evolution of science has contributed to the advancements of medications, such as how they function and how they influence society. The development of antibiotics has changed how society sees certain diseases, such as Tuberculosis. My belief is that medicines are not only used to save lives, but also to improve the quality of lives. Insulin is such a medicine as its production has given millions the opportunity to live longer, stronger and free of suffering. Having a standard education will allow me to reach my aims and bring out the greatness in achieving my goals in becoming a pharmacist. College education is quite expensive, but it is an investment that is worthwhile
When you ask people what you think when word “pharmacist” come to your mind? They often say pharmacist have to deal with variety of legal drugs. From my personal opinion, when I hear the word “Pharmacist”, I think of helping others. This inspiration came from my Health Science class I took in twelve grade. Until senior year of my high school, I did not know what I wanted to be. But it all changed, after my first shadowing experience at pharmacist station. There I learn about what exactly the pharmacist career is about, what are some of the equipments used in the field and how I can contribute the knowledge I receive here to help others.
“Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure we will get everything sorted out for you,” spoked the pharmacist to an overwhelmed patient. This was my first day shadowing a pharmacist at the UC Davis Medical Center during my winter break from college. I witnessed my shadowing pharmacist patiently consulted this patient on multiple medications, ensuring he followed the instructions with his take home prescriptions before discharging from the hospital. Over the course of this shadowing experience, I observed how pharmacists collaborated with doctors to provide the best pharmaceutical care and helped facilitate smooth discharge process. I was amazed at their extensive knowledge of not just pharmaceutical drugs but also on different disease states, social
The first role of communication in the pharmacy I think is important is having strong customer service skills. When the patient walks up to the counter or the drive-thru to drop off a prescription, we as pharmacy technicians need to be able to provide great customer services skills so that the patients have trust in that there medication will be filled correctly and in timely order. We must communicate with the patients to make sure that all there information and insurance information is correct in the patient profile so we know and they know that they are going to get the correct
I pleased to apply to the PharmD program as the program is one area that corresponds to my career dreams. Being part of this program gives one the opportunity to gain an excellent experience in working and collaborating with various health care providers in the ward. But more importantly, it facilitates a practical environment in dealing more closely with patients. Hence, it helps to provide the ultimate health care services to patients. Also, it permits me to carry on gaining different knowledge, skills, and values in addition to those I have already developed during my undergraduate studies. My interest in being a clinical pharmacist was first aroused during my SPEP rotation in the hospital setting where I was really impressed with the role of clinical pharmacists who provide a consistent process of patient care with healthcare teams to maintain the appropriateness, effectiveness and safety of the medication use. Unlike a pharmacist, a clinical pharmacist has a more diversified responsibilities and closeness to direct patient care. Moreover, provides
In high school, I was among those students who always indicated that I will be going college. However, unlike most people I seem to meet these days I did not know that I wanted to be a doctor. When it was time to head off to college, I was still unsure of what I wanted to pursue. As most college freshmen, I did not know what major best suits my personality. I desired a career that would define who I am and a career that is self-gratifying. However, the path that I should follow was unclear to me. Because of my uncertainty I failed to see that my parents dream became my reality. As I began my college experience as a nursing student, I felt somewhat out of place. I realized that my reason for majoring in nursing was my parents' influence on me. They wanted me to believe that nursing is right for me. I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field, but I felt that I needed to know how to choose a medical specialty that I feel is right for me. My first step was to change my major. I chose to change my major to biology. My love for science led me to this decision. I began to explore the opportunities open to biology students.
Utilize Pharmacist expertise – In a Connecticut study, Pharmacist worked with Medicaid patients to help manage the patient’s medications. “The pharmacists found 917 drug therapy problems, resolved almost 80% of them after 4 encounters, and saved an estimated $472 per patient on medical, hospital, and emergency department costs.” (Results) Accountable Care Organizations are using Pharmacists to help resolve the two most common drug therapy problems 1) additional drug therapy is required for prevention, efficiency or palliative care. 2) drugs need to be calibrated in order to achieve the intended therapy
As a way to prepare pharmacy students for real world practice, one of the assignments done in the P1 year is to perform a videotaped patient counseling session. Over the past few weeks prior to the counseling session we had various lectures and lab actives to help us prepare for patient counseling. In the following paragraphs, I will describe what I feel are my strongest abilities, my areas of weakness, and what I plan on doing to help improve these areas of weakness.
Like every career, pharmacists have certain qualities and skills. I feel that I fit many qualities of pharmacists, including an attention to detail, communication skills, and science and mathematic skills. I have also been a perfectionist, paying attention to each detail of my work. This is what helped me stay organized throughout high school, and earn a 4.021 cumulative GPA. Pharmacists must be detail-orientated to ensure their patients receive the right dosage, amount, and type of medication. An error in this could harm the patient, therefore breaking the Hippocratic oath. Furthermore, a pharmacist must pay attention to the patient’s other prescriptions and medical history to avoid any negative reactions. Next, I have earned strong customer service and communication skills from my job at Fareway Food Stores. Since I earned this job in May 2012, I have made it one of my goals to assist and brighten the day of my customers. As a pharmacist, I would need strong communication skills with my patients to fit them with the best prescription possible. Additionally, I would counsel them on the directions of their mediation, any potential side affects, and how to add new medications into their lifestyle with the least amount of stress. Apart from my patients, I would have to communicate my with pharmacy technicians and any interns I may have, as well as insurance companies. Lastly, I feel I have natural abilities in science and mathematics. I
I was also responsible for monitoring medication orders and reviewing patient profiles to ensure that the proper drugs and dosages were prescribed and that the pharmacy technician had prepared them properly. In many instances there were mistakes made in the preparation phase and sometimes even before, with incorrect dosages or drugs being prescribed and prepared, which could result in serious adverse effects for the patient. A clinical pharmacist’s role, however, is to make sure that these mistakes never reach the
During my time as a student I have been able to develop the way I learn and interact with others to a degree that has also helped me to mature into a better person. I have come to believe that this maturity will help me to develop into a better thinker as well, one that has the patience to listen and take consideration of what others have to say. I consider the act of learning a two way avenue that has to be taken seriously. It is one that involves the teacher, and the protégé. It has been, and will continue to be, my absolute goal as a student to become a diligent protégé and acquire all of learning my teachers have set in front of me. The way each of them have helped me to think about how my actions, and the way I choose to study my lessons and develop as a student, has made a tremendous impact on my life. This impact is one that I will carry into the future as I myself advance in my professional studies.