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RxLink
LLC
February 2003
From : To RxLink From Winston-Salem
State University
Why I
decided to pursue pharmacy school? S.W.
I selected
pharmacy school because I felt this choice was best suited for me as
an individual along with providing a career in which I could develop
allowing my strengths to flourish. I have always had a
peaceful, amiable and servant-minded heart eager to share with
individuals. While growing up I have always wanted to assist
people in any way possible. In middle and high school my
greatest area of interest of was science so I realized upon entering
college I would major in the sciences. Late into my junior year
of college, I accepted a position as a pharmacy technician in a local
pharmacy. This pharmacist took me under his wing providing me
an opportunity to learn and observe various aspects of
medicine/pharmacy differing from standard classroom instruction.
In addition, working in that pharmacy provided valuable
comprehensive knowledge about the industry of pharmacy while yielding
a holistic approach of understanding drugs and their actions.
This job peaked my interest by intriguing me beyond merely knowing
drug names but understanding more about them. His passion and
interest for his profession left an indelible influence on my
life. Unbeknownst to him, he had planted the seed in me for
pharmacy practice.
As a
pharmacist I will solely commit to educating patients about their
medications and working with clinicians to promote effective use of
drugs. With unprecedented advances in medicine/ drug discovery
linked together with exciting new interdisciplinary approaches to
scientific discovery, the roles of pharmacists have become more
comprehensive. Being a pharmacist is not just being a
"dispenser of drugs"as times have progressed to bringing to
surface a new class of pharmacists. Pharmacists are now making
drug therapy decisions, selecting medications for patients, providing
expert drug information, monitoring and assessing patient adherence
and compliance, taking active roles in prevention and wellness,
assessing drug therapy treatment outcomes and a host of other
provisions. I am confident in my abilities to perform as a
well-trained pharmacist. With this acceptance I have asked
critical questions of my matriculation process. Can I permit
myself to enter into the private world of my patients, explore their
feelings and concerns without judging them or succumbing to
partiality/bias and in some significant and ethical way respond in a
manner assuring them that I have listened while seeking to provide
the necessary assistance and comfort I possibly can? Can I see
person as unique in his/her reaction to illness and disease?
Can I see what is different and similar about this person so that any
insight or assistance I may provide is the most useful and beneficial
to my patients needs? Upon asking these questions of myself, my
answers remain perpetual and consistently yes. I chased a dream
which produced a vision which yielded a path of direction and now
today I stand-a third year pharmacy student.
|
To: RxLink |
|
"What
contribution will I make to my profession when I graduate?"
12/17/04
From: C Q
Washington
State University
PharmD
candidate 2006
My
contribution to my future profession is a gift that stems from my
family and my experience from different pharmacy related fields. The
experience began three years ago when pharmacy school began to
challenge and expand my horizons. When I first entertained the idea
of applying to pharmacy school I was a technician at a local
independent retail/compounding/infusion pharmacy. After working there
for only a few months, I realized the massive potential that the
career held. My store not only consisted of retail and compounded
bio-identical hormones; they had cornered every pharmacy related
niche including: durable medical equipment, oxygen therapies, CPAP
and BIPAP therapies, and motorized wheelchairs. I realized that t
there was a whole lot more to pharmacy than counting pills by five
and counseling on antibiotics. I soon took a pharmacology class at
the local university to augment my pharmacy interest; I began
applying to pharmacy schools and was soon accepted at Washington
State University. The first summer back from school I immediately
found a job at the local hospital learning about the acute care
setting. I went on rounds with pharmacists and learned even more
about the diverse roles of a clinical pharmacist. I interacted with
patients and learned about specific drug related protocols. In one
specific case I was running an errand in the hospital and this man
approached me. He was contemplating suicide and needed to talk to
someone. I asked my supervisor if I could take my break early. I
bought the man a candy bar and simply listened to him and his story.
That day I realized the importance of becoming a healthcare professional.
The second
year of school was exciting. The classes became more saturated with
useful and practical knowledge. January of that year I had applied
for an internship at Biogen-idec Inc. Spring came soon enough and
finals were just around the corner, I didn't think I would hear from
Biogen-idec but sure enough the phone rang. The lady said, "I am
offering you the internship, how would you like to work in
Cambridge:. I was enthused about the job and immediately thought
about working in England! After talking to the lady from Biogen-idec
she informed me that there job was not at their UK site, but rather
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Nonetheless, I was still excited and
within a week after finals my bags were packed and I traveled 3,000
miles away to Cambridge. I was eager to learn about the
pharmaceutical industry. I reported tot he Regulatory Affairs
department and I was handed a number of projects to accomplish and
present before the summers end. I went through training on the drug
development process from discovery to FDA approval. I learned the ins
and outs of the companies' drugs and what the extensive regulations
were when developing a drug. Our group worked on the drug Tysabri,
also then known as Antigen. It was undergoing phase III trials at the
time and it was very exciting times for the company and the world of
Multiple Sclerosis. As of today the FDA has approved Tysabri and it
will soon begin to reshape the current therapy for Multiple Sclerosis.
After my
fascinating and educational summer, my brother was unfortunately
diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The news impacted our family and
we naturally formed a support network to embrace the impact of the
illness. In many ways it has made our family grow stronger.
Professionally, it also helped me grow as now I can better appreciate
and relate to the impact of disease on a more personal level. My
brother will be one of the first patients in our area to receive
Tysabri. He will receive the drug at the infusion center I once
worked for.
The beginning
of my third year in pharmacy school I looked at my career path with a
whole new light. I decided to volunteer at the Spokane hospice. I
have been assigned to a patient and help out whenever I am available.
I also make pharmacy recommendations with the guidance of a hospice
nurse on general health and wellness. My peers and even my professors
were skeptical of my new outlook on volunteering and always wondered
what was influencing me. I respond to these people, "I do it,
simply because I care and have the ability to help out".
I have
realized through my experience what the great potential and rewards
this career has to offer. One of the greatest rewards, however, comes
from the satisfaction received from caring, My pharmacy experience
has taught me that whatever pharmacy setting I choose I can make a
difference by caring. When I graduate and become a pharmacist I will
continue to care for my patients in the same fashion as I do for my
brother and family. Hopefully others, including my fellow colleagues,
will realize their greater potential and together we will enhance the
care-giving potential of our profession. Caring, in my eyes, makes us
better people and is the greatest powerful contribution anyone can make. |
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