Personal Statment - Essay Example

Personal ment As a in high school, a number of my friends seemed surprised that I was leaning toward a career in pharmacy. Most of them had ideas of doing something exciting and important with their lives – maybe being a pilot or a doctor or a high-powered businessperson. I guess they didn’t view pharmacy as having a chance to make a significant change in people’s lives, but I knew better. Throughout my life, it seems I have always been aware of how creative, challenging and important being a pharmacist is so I remained dedicated to my goal.

My primary reason for wishing to become a pharmacist stemmed from hearing my uncle. He always seemed to know how to help one of us feel better whenever we were sick and was so knowledgeable about how different medications we were each taking might interact with other medicines or herbal remedies my mother might be trying. I remember thinking how smart and intelligent he was. I could see that it probably took a great deal of creativity to understand the various medications on the market and how they might interact with each other.

He had to constantly study to remain updated on the latest drugs coming out on the market, which indicated to me that his job was challenging and exciting. Yet it wasn’t until I actually had the opportunity to start working with my uncle that I truly began to appreciate the depths of the job. Beginning in the summer of 2006, I started working with my uncle at his pharmacy. More than simply being aware of the various forms of medications that were on the market, my uncle had to know about the main properties of the herbal remedies people will often take as a substitute to medicine, particularly when they can’t afford doctors.

He also had to be able to answer a tremendous number of questions that the patients would ask about their medications, about possible side effects, about the other things they’d like to try and about things completely unrelated to the illness for which they were picking up medicine. It was my uncle’s pride and privilege to be able to help these people and become their friend. Through the relationship he built with them, my uncle was able to help many people avoid potentially dangerous mistakes and I was certain that this was the field for me.

I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than being a pharmacist. Working toward this goal, I spent three summers working with my uncle in his pharmacy in order to help me gain real-world experience and knowledge regarding what it truly means to be a pharmacist. During the school year, I attended UNC Pembroke having achieved my Bachelor’s degree in Biology in December 2008. As a student, I served as the co-vice president for the Health Career Club from 2004-2008 and was an active member of the International Student Organization during the same time span.

This year (2008-2009), I also served as a team captain for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event at Pembroke. With my four-year degree in hand, I am now ready to work hard while continuing my education toward achieving my life’s dream of helping other people in a creative, challenging and highly interactive environment.