A Personal Statement for Selecting Pharmacy as a Career

Many years ago, a famous philosopher by the name Plato was before the courts and was asked to defend himself why he like seeking knowledge instead of depending on gods for understanding. Plato answered that "there is nothing dangerous in the world like living an ignorant life and conscientious stupidity and yet there is room for engaging the mind and other available sources of knowledge for the betterment of people's lives"- Fred Martins. Plato's Defense Statement before the Court

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The above quote by Plato shows that people have the passion of searching for knowledge and understanding to solve problems affecting society. The motive behind the excerpt is the desire of getting a solution to the issues facing people through knowledge acquisition and research. Plato's response is the motivation behind my actions and decisions in life. I have the desire of seeking knowledge through research to get knowledge for improving the lives of people.

I had an aspiration of becoming a pharmacist from the experience of learning from Mrs. Powell Daly, a pharmacist, at the University of Maryland Health Center. The pharmacists were the true experts on medications and played a dynamic role on the team. I use to see professionals making efforts of assisting pharmacy learners to get an understanding and knowledge required for treating patients. Such experiences caused me to have the desire of taking a pharmacy because the course seemed essential for not only improving the quality of patient care but also enhancing the safety of drug use.

It was not easy in my school education as I was not good at science. I used to cram facts instead of understanding them. After the college course completion in biology and chemistry, I realized having the capability of succeeding in sciences. I started having ease in understanding facts, and I began to enjoy science lessons. I reflected on what how science has improved life and desired to be one of the scientists to improve the wellbeing of society.

Science courses increased the ambition for me to pursue pharmacy, but they lacked relevance in the patient care aspect which was my initial interest. My hands-on experience stemmed from interacting with patients helped me by working at Anne Arundel Medical Center; allowing me to engage myself interacting with patients on a daily basis truly. I had to take down which medications they were taking, and I learned how to communicate this information with the radiologists effectively. This brought me an appreciation for the communication skills required in professional settings.

Soon I was able to start expanding my experiences through research. I had an internship working with Dr. Thomas Hyde at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. LIBD is a research institute researching schizophrenia and other mental illness. I was able to observe brain dissections and join panels on important advances in medicine. I was able to learn how the correlation of drug use affected the size and structure of the brain's we dissected. We also conducted postpartum research depression to provide pharmaceutical companies with data help to advance treatments for neurological disorders. Through this, I came to realize how science contributes to saving lives. I as well perceive how life is fragile, a situation that caused me to have a passion for scientific research.

Conclusion

I was able to continue with research at the National Institutes of Health. I worked with Dr. Nadia Biassou to research brain cancer progression. By conducting my research project, I was shocked by how the field of cancer research is innovative. We experimented with new treatment methods, such as using Dynamic Contrast MRI and Gadolinium to track the rate of the tumor and mark them for early progression. I also participated in meetings held by guest lecturers who would give an overview of the use of Artificial Intelligence in diagnosing brain cancer. I became motivated by procedures used in the treatment of cancer. I aspire to learn about other treatments and how to apply them to patients in the pharmacy profession.