The character allowance for my statement is 4500, but am in excess of about 1200. I would like advice on where and how to improve the wording and flow of the essay, along with what to exclude. I feel that the flow could be improved in the educational background and final paragraphs. The prompt is italicized at that bottom. Thank you for your time and thoughts.
During March 2010, I made a unanimous decision for a pharmacy career path after tapering off of medication treatment under the care of my physician. I was curious as to how this would affect me, so I referred to medical literature in the form of the 13th Edition of "The Pill Book." However, my curiosity was no longer limited to the therapy included in my former regimen, because I was excited to read about every other piece of information my eyes met with. I felt as though I had uncovered a long lost buried treasure, and was moved to share the news with my family and friends. Over the course of the next few months, I spent much of my free time researching chemical structures of drugs, mechanisms of action, brand and generic nomenclature, and contraindications. It was at this time that I felt a strong leading to pursue pharmacy.
This was a surprising change because, up to that point, my academic record certainly did not represent a student with ambitions that included admission to a pharmacy program. I was discouraged after investigating the statistics behind the average accepted pharmacy program applicant, so I wavered in my determination and felt there was little hope for admissions in my future. I was pressed by a family member to continue, however, when he reminded me where my passion lay. I then enrolled for the Fall 2010 semester at Century College and, from then on, have displayed an upward trend in academic achievement, study habits, and love for learning.
The Doctor of Pharmacy degree will allow me to utilize a competitive and state of the art education in a field of invaluable expertise to serve where there will be no shortage of needs. With this tool and accomplishment, I hope to fill the gap of an increasing need of medication therapy management in a hospital or long term care setting. In acknowledgement of the possibility that this hope may not be in my future as a pharmacist, however, the certainty is that I will contribute to the betterment of the health of a community.
One of the components of my personal background that will aid me as a pharmacy student and pharmacist is my long term exposure to medication from a young age. I, along with my family, have undergone different forms of therapeutic agents for a variety of pathologies and conditions. Family members with multiple sclerosis and recurring sciatica, whom I often visit, have helped me to recruit and develop some of the traits that a pharmacist ought to have through meeting their needs. Being familiar with some of the good and bad of medication use from this exposure, I have a greater burden to ensure patient compliance and safe use of medication in my future career as a healthcare professional. The aforementioned points are preparing me for and will provide familiarity with the pharmacy environment, along with the necessary supplementation of compassion with pharmacy education and practice.
My educational background reveals a positive directed change in academic success, which did not come about until my conclusion to become a pharmacist. The first sign of this change, in addition to simultaneous success in other classes, came about in the form of receiving an A in my first general chemistry course while having no high school chemistry background. A new love for learning was revealed when, after the first day of class during the Spring 2011 semester at Century College, I brought my textbooks home and was eager to read through all of the first chapters. It was then that I began to culture this love of academia, with the emphasis on chemistry and biology. In addition to such an exercise by investigating the proposed benefits of pharmacogenomics in an honors project, I will be performing pharmacy related research during Fall 2013 and present at a seminar during Spring 2014. I have learned more about my academic strengths and weaknesses in the course of the last few years, and how to mend the flaws that hinder efficient exam preparation and assignment completion. In spite of the positive change and outcome from my turnaround after initiating my pursuit of pharmacy, academic setbacks have yet surfaced. In Spring 2012, I had received an average mark in my second semester of calculus. I then made it my aim to develop new and better methods of study in order not only to prevent such an event from reoccurring, but to sharpen myself as a student and problem solver. The most difficult setback came about from an unawareness of the appropriate time investment balance between work and school, which resulted in a heavy conflict between the two throughout the Fall 2012 semester at UW-River Falls. Unable to make any changes to my work schedule, I received grades that were less than testament to my capability. However, I look back and see a valuable experience that has surely contributed to my preparation for taking on the busy roll of a pharmacy student, along with life as a pharmacist in the following years.
My professional background, like my personal background, will help me achieve my goals in that not only will I be more familiar with the field of pharmacy, but my eyes have already been opened to aspects besides pharmacology and therapeutics. Some of these include patience, servitude, and community, which I have the continual privilege and responsibility of nurturing within myself. I have the ongoing blessing, thus far, of watching how a pharmacist ought to interact with a patient in my experience as a pharmacy technician in a retail setting. In addition, my exposure to the clinical setting as a volunteer has more solidified my preparation for the variety of environments pharmacy encompasses. These, along with my time as a volunteer in Central America, pave the way for contributing to community health.
Your Personal Essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals. The personal essay is an important part of your application for admission and provides you with an opportunity for you to clearly and effectively express your ideas.
