Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived in the service to others is worth living”.
Many people might think a career in pharmacy is just “counting pills” and filling out prescriptions, but once you inquire about this field, you realize it is a career that provides health services to others. Pharmacy is an interesting and fast-changing field in today’s world. My interest in the pharmaceutical profession emerged from my desire to be involved in improving the health of others, to use my scientific knowledge and healthcare skills to help solve people’s daily problems, and to challenge myself by exploring what I can give through such a fulfilling career. Since childhood, my mother has been my professional role-model as a pharmacist. I have witnessed a pharmacist’s prominent role in the daily lives of the people in my hometown of Humacao. After the impact of hurricane María, Humacao has never been the same, demanding more healthcare professionals.
The attitude of always willing to help others went beyond familiar bonds, my mother always exhibited solidarity with her community. She provided everything for our family while being responsible with the community. These confirmed my life-long dream of pursuing this career.
As a short-term professional goal, the completion of my bachelor’s degree in General Biology this May will soon be accomplished. Additionally, to be immediately accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program because it is my personal aim as an individual and as a professional. This will allow me to become part of a successful group, focused on improving the lives of everyone in the community. As a health care professional, I will be able to create awareness about medical conditions affecting our country. Courses like General Biology, Anatomy & Physiology and Immunology provided the foundation about the functioning of the human body. As a pharmacist, I will complement everything learned so far and therefore, improve the health of everyone in need. My long-term professional goal is to be a pharmacy owner and identify the necessities of my community.
Something I was taught since I was young was that if you want something in life, you must work hard every day by overcoming difficulties and remembering where you came from. My family has always placed our values and traditions first; helping each other, being supportive and most of all, being understanding. This clearly explains the involvement I have had throughout these years with community service activities that focus on helping those in need. The happiness that one feels, making the difference in people’s lives, does not compare with anything in this world.
This is what a pharmacist experiences daily in this meaningful career. With the purpose of enriching my knowledge about how pharmacy works, I completed voluntary work during the summer of 2017 and fall of 2018. Among my responsibilities were shadowing the pharmacists, organizing paperwork and filling/delivering prescriptions. Throughout these experiences, I realized how being a pharmacist held multiple responsibilities, giving me the skills to become a future health professional.The field of pharmacy possesses a variety of skills. Team work, discipline, organization, time management and most importantly, to enjoy the responsibilities experienced daily.
These skills reflect the qualities of pharmacists because they work in collaboration with other health professionals to provide the best possible care to those in need. Also, being part of Humacao’s Swimming Team made me confirm the relevance of the pharmacist’s role in people’s lives. During every swimming event, parents and swimmers assumed that because I was the daughter of a pharmacist, I would always carry with me a bag full of medications and that I was knowledgeable about the use of these pharmaceutical products. They would always consult my mother, asking for ice packs to relieve pain, eye drops for irritation, medications for stomach ache, headache, ointments and glucose tablets for hypoglycemic patients.
It was truly gratifying that those relationships were established based on trust.Certainly, I have had very specific goals in my life. I have always strived to be a better person, exceeding academically and as an athlete. As Sai Baba once said, “no joy can equal the joy of serving others”; being part of the Doctor of Pharmacy program, will provide me with the opportunity to continue helping a community that has recently experienced incredible hardships, but is resilient and strong.
