Specialization in Clinical or Nuclear Pharmacy - Admission/Application Essay Example

Personal Essay. Coming from a family of healthcare professionals (both my parents are practicing physicians and my aunt is a pharmacist), my entire life has been pervaded by the ambience of the healthcare services. My exposure to the pain and trauma of my parent’s patients has made me particularly conscious of how physically vulnerable humanity is to the ravages of disease and has made me conclude that good health is the basis of happiness: everything else, including economic prosperity, comes in at second best!

Somewhere in my early teens, I became aware of the fact that my parents are not omniscient healers: the ability of their diagnostic and therapeutic skills to defeat disease is almost totally dependent on the tools at their disposal, and these tools are predominantly drugs. The miracle of medical science itself is undoubtedly founded on the preparation and accurate dispensation of drugs. It is pharmacy which is medical science’s fighting arm. My fascination with pharmacy dates back to this realization and has slowly, but surely, led me to a point in my life at which I am absolutely confident that pharmacy is the career path I want to follow.

My choice of pharmacy as a career has been reinforced by my deep admiration for my aunt, who is a renowned pharmacist in Jordan, where I spent the major part of my childhood. Pharmacies in Jordan are run along the lines of traditional community pharmacies, in which the pharmacist plays a major role as counselor and friend to her customers. The pharmacist is urged to independently prescribe drugs for sundry aches and ailments, dispenses advice as well as drugs and strongly influences the customer’s choices.

I spent some time assisting my aunt and was deeply impressed by the warmth of her personality, combined with her disciplined approach to the use of drugs. She has become my role model. My personal background has made me aware that impeccable educational qualifications are a prerequisite to any career. My family has also impressed on me the relevance of a work ethic which combines hard work with the efficient organization of time, but still retains some space for compassion. This has made me a dedicated student with a good academic record.

At the same time, my love of interpersonal interaction has involved me in the community and student life of my school. I am particularly involved in the student government and tremendously enjoy my role as student instructor. I think that academic success is the result of hard work and also a passionate belief that the subject one has chosen to study is that to which one wants to devote the rest of one’s life. Pharmacy, to me, is definitely that subject and this was unequivocally confirmed for me when I thoroughly enjoyed my stint in a Home Health care as an Oasis.

My immediate goal is to equip myself with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree as the first step towards preparing myself for specialization in clinical or nuclear pharmacy. A career in clinical pharmacy appeals to me as it seems to make the best of both my parents and aunt’s worlds. A hospital setting would enable me to interact personally with patients, as I monitor their drug regimens and also provide me with the opportunity to mentor nurses and medical interns. This would let me utilize my strengths in communication and mentorship, which I have honed over the past year.

While hospital pharmacy appears to suit my personality, I must confess to an inclination towards nuclear pharmacy as an alternate field of specialization: the world of radiopharmaceuticals beckons with promises of opportunities just waiting to be discovered! Anyway, whatever be my ultimate choice, my goal in life is to follow in my parents’ footsteps and alleviate human suffering. I aim to be a major contributor towards a future society in which good health will be within the easy reach of every man, woman and child.