Personal Statement on Why I Want to Join Pharmacy School

I have for a long time been interested in drugs and their interactions. As a child, I remember my younger brother being allergic to crustaceans. This meant that I would always go to the drugstore to purchase anti-allergy drugs which would bring him relief. His allergy resulted in severe physical symptoms like: swollen face; difficult breathing due to reactions in his respiratory tract; and rashes all over his body. It always amazed me and my brother how the medicine seemed to work like magic and this aroused my curiosity about how it worked. This inspired me to take Biology at the University. At community college, I unfortunately achieved a low GPA of 3.0 due to the difficult circumstances under which I was studying. This was because my father developed stomach cancer and had to undergo surgery. This left me to work hard and support our family; I had to work at my father’s tire shop during the week and weekends. Thankfully, my father’s condition improved and by the time I was transferring to 4th year at university, my GPA improved to 3.53. This was because he was able to come back to work, leaving me with more time to study, though I still continued to help out at the shop. I want to join pharmacy school because of the interest I cultivated in childhood. As an adult, my interest changed into passion; I am intrigued by drug discovery and design. The passion and drive which I have for pharmacy will enable me to work very hard in pharmacy school. Since January 2011, I have been working as a lab technician for a company which manufactures a variety of dietary supplements. This position requires me to test for the chemicals in the dietary supplements. Working as a lab technician has enabled me to understand the various components of the dietary supplements and their various interactions. This job has confirmed my passion for pharmacy and ignited a desire to join pharmacy school so that I can learn more and make a contribution to the great science of pharmacy. It is my great aspiration to be part of a team in developing a new drug after completing Doctor of Pharmacy. I am part of a volunteer organization called HGME in Northridge which provides support and services for children with autism. HGME operates a program which helps autistic children to adapt to society with the active support of volunteers. Each volunteer has to complete the requirements by SGPV Chapter of the American Red Cross for adult, child, and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (CPR). Working with autistic children has taught me the value of patience and selfless dedication; one cannot expect great short term changes because observing changes in autistic children can take a long time. These values will be priceless as I pursue a career in pharmacy because patience and dedication are necessary in the long and grueling process of drug design. In conclusion, I believe a career in pharmacy will be a natural progression for me in my life. Since my childhood, my interest in pharmacy has been ignited and fuelled. My family experiences with my allergic brother and sick father also served to fuel my passion. My job as a lab technician cemented my burning desire to become a pharmaceutical scientist. I am eager to study hard and make significant contributions to the world of pharmacy in service to humanity. Works Cited Bureau of Labour Statistics. Pharmacists: Occupational Outlook Handbook. Web.14 June 2011. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm