Graduate / Deep brain storming has made me finally find out what I want to, a pharmacist. [2]

Personal Statement
"Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives. Choice not chance, determines your destiny." Aristotle. This is very similar to the words of an Arabic poet "Who wants to reach the sun should knit its threads into a ladder and climb". The practice of this aphorism made me diligent besides my love towards work.

I was only 8 years old when my interest in pharmacy started. It happened as my father took me to a pharmacy to fill a prescription for compounded cortisone cream for my allergic dermatitis, a simple skin condition that couldn't be easily treated due to economic conditions in Iraq back then. As the pharmacist was weighing and mixing the ingredients, I watched very carefully; a process seemed fascinating for me. I applied the the cream that night and as my allergy fainted, a spark inside me was growing. It was that day I decided to be a pharmacist and the seeds for a journey of an excellent education were sown that day. The role of that event is unforgettable in molding me and motivating me towards keen career advancement.

At secondary school years, I developed an inclination for problem solving and a desire to know more. Here, I was equipped with the right level of maturity and self-confidence.

Fighting off tough competition and being among the top of my class, I managed to secure a seat for Bachelor of Pharmacy in College of Pharmacy/ University of Baghdad, one of the top five best colleges in Iraq. This college with its wealth of facilities and faculty kindled the embers of interest into flames that consumed every bit of information provided.

When I was accepted to the Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq (HCED) scholarships program, the idea about my choice of university took shape through extensive discussions with vast array of international students and deep looking into each university's history through the world wide web after which the University of Cincinnati became my first choice destination since it is an institution with a rich history in discovery and research as well as historic faculty and alumni that provide an inclusive environment where innovation and freedom of intellectual inquiry flourish. It will be an honor to work under the guidance of such eminent scientists.

My first encounter with Nano-technology was during a hair conditioner advertisement on TV a couple of years ago which claimed that the conditioner used Nano-technology to moisturize the hair. I asked a friend who had a Master degree in Physical Chemistry about the meaning of that claim and he told me that the conditioner contained nanometer-sized particles to penetrate deeply into the hair cracks. His simple explanation had raised many relevant questions in my mind: what if that technology is used in drugs, could it overcome the absorption issues? What about the blood brain barrier could a particle that small pass through it unconditionally? That is when I started to read more and more about Nano-technology approaches and I found myself very much interested about the intricacies involved in the area and realized that out of size-dependent physical and chemical properties of Nano-materials, optical and magnetic effects are the most used for biological applications.

Now, I would like to pursue a Master's program in Pharmaceutical Sciences/ Pharmaceutics so that I can have a deeper understanding of Nano-carriers and their applications in drug design and I strive to better myself in this field.

I am particularly interested in translating research into realistic drugs that can benefit humanity by developing treatments for various diseases through partnership between academia and industry since once I graduate, I plan to work for Samara Drug Industry in Iraq and engage research opportunity to become a productive member of society making use of my intellectual talents that will be shaped in the labs of your institute.

I believe that there is only one path to success i.e. hard work combined with determination. It is with this desire and promise I navigate through obstacles to secure a brighter future for myself and my country.