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Best Pharmacy School Personal Statement Examples

Check out top 4 sample statements.

Pharmacy school personal statement examples demonstrate that pharmacy school applications require many different documents to adequately assess you as a potential candidate. In addition to looking at your CV , transcripts, letters of recommendation , and any other required materials, most pharmacy programs ask you to submit a personal statement. After gathering so many materials together, a one-page essay may seem like a trivial item to check off on your application to-do list, but beware of treating the personal statement too lightly! Gaining admission to a graduate pharmacy program certainly requires top grades, competitive test scores, and glowing letters of recommendation from referees who know you well, but these aren’t the only components that admissions committees take into account when evaluating your profile. 

Keep in mind that most pharmacy school applicants already have stellar academic records, impressive test scores, and fantastic recommendations. These sorts of accomplishments are important, but are more or less a given in the application process. Furthermore, grades, test scores, and other people’s perceptions of you and the quality of your work are insufficient to determine if you are up for the challenge of the rigors of pharmacy school and the work that follows graduation. With something as serious as pharmacology, it is crucial to determine whether who you are would make you a good fit for the profession. Your knowledge, experiences, and attitudes all play a key role in deciding if you would thrive as a pharmacy student, and eventually, as a pharmacist serving your community. With so many applicants each cycle, admissions officers need some way to gauge these factors in order to narrow the applicant pool down to those they would like to speak to in person, or these days, over the internet. This is where the personal statement comes in! Keep reading to determine what a pharmacy school personal statement measures and how to create one that will make you stand out from other applicants.

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Article Contents 24 min read

4 pharmacy school personal statement examples.

Three days after my thirteenth birthday, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The next twelve months were the toughest in my life, but this experience also gave me something I am forever grateful for—an unwavering passion for pharmacy. I always accompanied my mother to her chemotherapy sessions, where I performed plays for her and the other patients, trying to make them smile. I took an immediate liking to the pharmacist, who returned repeatedly to ask my mother how she was feeling; he explained in detail how these chemo drugs worked and how they interacted with others she had been taking. I listened raptly, entranced by the seemingly magic properties of this medication. It was difficult to watch my mother lose her hair and become frail, but she ultimately made a full recovery, thanks to the wonderful team of medical professionals and to these life-saving drugs. While I lost the naivety of youth that year, I gained a profound new sense of purpose. I was inspired to become a hospital pharmacist and to help patients in times of extreme uncertainty and pain.  

Anyone who has ever faced a challenge has probably heard about the deflating nonexistence of a “magic pill” solution. Want to lose weight? There’s no magic pill for that. Trying to learn a new language? No dice. Hard work is always touted as the solution, and rightly so. As a preteen who struggled with confidence, I desperately yearned for a magic pill solution that would make me the bubbly, carefree girl surrounded by laughter in the cafeteria. Instead, the only bubbly aspect of my lunchtime break was the gurgling, broken faucet inside the girl’s restroom. Though unaware of it at the time, the bathroom was not a refuge from the scary, hormonal social scene of junior high, but from my ever-increasing social anxiety. As for a magic pill to rid me of that affliction? I think you know the answer to that.

Though there may not have been a magic pill to rid me of my mounting social anxiety, hard work seemed like an unlikely solution, too. For months, I put on a happy face, trying to convince myself that there was nothing to fear in locker-side conversations and that my worth was not determined by what a group of gangly middle-schoolers thought of me. Eventually, my parents took me to see a psychiatrist, and after many sweaty-palmed conversations, I was diagnosed with social anxiety and handed a prescription for anti-anxiety medication. Of course, the medication I received was no miracle, but with other coping mechanisms, my world began to seem a little more welcoming. Gradually, I interacted with peers more, who became friends. I still had to work hard in therapy, but the capsules I took in the morning each day removed my constant, debilitating worry.

Without the shadow of anxiety darkening my every social interaction, I felt as though I was beginning to become the version of myself I always wanted to be. Years later, I actually was the girl surrounded by laughter in the high school lunchroom. More importantly, though, I took my first chemistry course and discovered my passion. The ways that elements on the periodic table could combine to create entirely new substances fascinated me. I realized that, just like myself, the world around us is in a constant state of flux, with elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing. As I changed from a high school chemistry novice to a university student, one thing remained constant: my passion for chemistry. Delving into how chemistry can be used as a tool inspired me to pursue it as a major, and I worked in various labs on campus investigating how different combinations could be put to use to solve problems, just like my psychiatrist helped me find ways to deal with my social anxiety.

Through my lab work on campus, I grew close with Dr. Johnson – the principal investigator in a campus lab and a faculty member in the pharmacy program. One evening, as we were locking up the lab, Dr. Johnson asked me if I had ever considered becoming a pharmacist. Initially hesitant, I finally accepted Dr. Johnson’s offer to facilitate a shadowing opportunity with one of his former colleagues. My first day in the pharmacy was overwhelming. The rattling of pills in bottles served as the backdrop to the near-tangible pressure of making sure no life-threatening mistakes occurred. I was intimidated by the responsibility, but excited by the chemical interactions that the pharmacist discussed with me. This was the ultimate problem-solving chemistry I had been seeking! 

After months of shadowing a pharmacist, I was convinced that I wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy. My experiences with Dr. Johnson and his colleague piqued my interest in what seemed like a never-ending field of discovery. Elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing, but in the human body! Figuring out the puzzles of chemical reactions had always been intriguing, but knowing that I could combine that with helping people recover from sickness, manage chronic disease, or even find the strength to leave the middle school bathroom and have lunch with other students was empowering. The medication I took as a preteen may not have been a magic pill for my social anxiety, but there was certainly some magic in it. I look forward to putting in the hard work to bring that magic to others as a pharmacist. (724 words)

‘I want to do more than just counsel on the proper use of Levothyroxine’ was what I told my father when he asked me what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be. He died shortly after, and it saddens me to think that I cannot tell him now how my vision has evolved. Now, besides being someone in charge of educating patients about their medications, I see pharmacists as scientists who design and produce medicines, evaluate lab results and drug interactions for the benefit of the patient, act as a trusted link between doctors and their patients and, ultimately, impact patients’ lives and contribute to their wellbeing. Pharmacists need to be team players, good communicators, detail-oriented problem solvers, and culturally sensitive professionals, and these are some of the characteristics that I have developed through different endeavors.

As the captain of my soccer team in high school, I was put in charge of leading the team both in and outside of the game. On the field, I acted as a mediator between the players, coach, and referee. Successfully guiding players on the strategies dictated by the coach required excellent communication skills. In my team, I was not only a player; I was a key decision maker and a motivator. Making tactical decisions while supporting everyone in their position showed me the true meaning of being a team player and taught me how to handle pressure well. When I look back at those times and think about the titles we won for our school, I know that the characteristics I developed while I led my team to victory will be put to use when I have to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in the future.

In college, while volunteering at a local pharmacy in my hometown, I helped the pharmacist handle prescriptions and dispense a variety of medications. It became clear to me that following a methodical approach and paying great attention to detail were essential in pharmacy. I made it a point to learn from him, and with time, I found myself being thorough, accurate, and organized not only at the pharmacy but at school as well. I also sought to understand both the cause and the effect of a situation, which is an ability that has guided everything I have done since then, including my research work and my academic activities as a Biology major. Seeing the pharmacist interact with patients was truly rewarding. I watched as he explained the treatment, potential side effects, and desired outcomes to them while evaluating the interactions between the drugs they were taking in order to avoid any harm. This showed me that, besides being a problem-solver and having analytical abilities, pharmacists need to be empathetic and care for their patients. Very soon I found myself interacting with people who visited the pharmacy and exercising the same skills the local pharmacist possessed.

This interaction with people helped me refine different characteristics that I bring with me to this new journey. One of the most significant is, perhaps, the cultural awareness that I developed in my shadowing work at the university hospital. Having a patient who does not speak the language, calming them down, and finding a translator, for instance, or understanding how different cultures view certain health practices and looking for ways to respectfully adapt to them has allowed me to learn and practice cultural sensitivity, which is crucial in a multicultural society, such as in Canada, where the population is becoming more diverse. By seeing pharmacists in action in the university hospital setting, I gained insight into the every-day lives of healthcare professionals who work with patients from every background imaginable. Moreover, I also came to realize the pressure to which pharmacists are exposed when the correct medication has to be provided with extreme urgency. Working under pressure is something I do well since my soccer days, so instead of deterring me, this motivates me.

If anyone were to ask me today about the kind of pharmacist I want to be, I would have a much stronger answer than the one I gave to my father many years ago. I want to be the kind of pharmacist that uses their knowledge, skills, and compassion to improve their patients’ health and one that works with other health care professionals to maximize health outcomes. Furthermore, I want to have patients trust me enough to let me become involved in their lives as I guide them on their medications and help them improve their quality of life. Besides all this, and on a much more personal level, I want to be the kind of pharmacist that will make my father proud. (781 words)

“Why would you want to be a pharmacist?” was the question my father asked me when I shared my decision to pursue pharmacy school. This was a question I had asked myself many times as I solidified my decision to pursue this dream. I shared my experience standing in line at a local pharmacy to fill a prescription. This was something I did every month, and not an experience that I had given much thought, however; when I saw the person in line in front of me experience great distress at learned the price of her daughter’s prescription, I realized that not all patrons had the same experience as me. To many, a trip to the pharmacy may be filled with questions over how their medications will affect their body or their ability to afford groceries for the month. The woman in line was worried about the high prescription price in light of other expenses in providing for her family. As I saw the pharmacist assist her in finding a less costly alternative, and the ease come over the woman as she learned that her family would be alright, I had my first glimpse into my future profession as a pharmacist. 

This day sparked my interest in attending pharmacy school, but also a desire to further explore what it meant to be a pharmacist. While donating blood to the Red Cross, I learned of the growing need for pharmacist volunteers, with many underserved communities necessitating additional support. As I was giving blood, I talked with a current pharmacist volunteer, ‘Samantha,’ who recounted her responsibilities to me when I expressed an interest in wanting to learn more. ‘Samantha’ explained why she felt pharmacists made wonderful volunteers in the community. She reflected that pharmacists have the knowledge to make an impact and valuable experience conversing daily with people of all backgrounds. As I talked with ‘Samantha,’ I thought about my own capacity to strike up a conversation with people I had not met before. I recalled that my friends often joke about how I could talk to anyone about anything, a trait I admire in myself. Everyone is skilled in different ways, but my ability to talk to anyone I come across will be an asset to my future as a pharmacist. I look forward to new experiences every day and speaking with new patrons to get to know their needs and concerns. In addition, I hope to volunteer in my community as a pharmacist to expand the number of people I can impact with my loquacious disposition as I guide them towards safe medication use. 

With the personality to be a efficacious pharmacist, I looked to build my experience in the healthcare profession. I secured a volunteer position aiding a hospital pharmacist in educating health professionals on drug side effects. I was responsible for designing educational posters for use in counseling patients about their medications. I was eager to use my artistic talents to help people seeking to understand their prescriptions, like the woman in line ahead of me at the pharmacy. As I designed posters, I asked my friends and family to look at my drafts and provide feedback. I asked if the information was conveyed in a clear, approachable way and I learned that what is clear to one person – such as myself – can be viewed differently by another person with a different background or set of life experiences. As a pharmacist, I will utilize educational materials that have gone through arduous testing to ensure they can deliver the necessary information, but I will also aim to understand community members’ experiences and how this may impact their understanding and outlook towards their medication.   

I explained to my father that, to me, pharmacy is about conversation. As patrons share with you why they have come in to the pharmacy that day, or what is troubling them, it is important to truly listen. This is the starting point for the conversation needed to understand their concerns, provide appropriate medication, and educated them as to how best proceed. Although my friends joke about my ability to talk to anyone, this is a trait that will go far in serving my community as a pharmacist. (702 words)

Here're some more tips for your interview:

Pharmacy school personal statements are a crucial aspect of your application because they help to separate you from the crowd of other accomplished applicants. After all, grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation only go so far in presenting who you are and your talents and strengths. Even a CV does not reveal enough about you and your experiences to adequately reflect your ability to succeed in pharmacy school and beyond. Imagine trying to measure a candidate’s level of motivation or ability to persevere through adversity by looking at his or her GPA! Luckily, you have the power to present the strengths and qualities that would make you an incredible future pharmacist and make your case for admission through your personal statement.

Essentially, this short essay asks you to reflect upon who you are, what led you to want to study pharmacology specifically, and why you would be great at it. Most pharmacy programs in the United States use a central application portal called PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) to distribute application materials like transcripts, test scores, and personal statements to individual university programs. Personal statements for PharmCAS must be 4500 characters or less, including spaces. It is crucial to draft a personal statement that is within the character limit because the online portal will not allow you to save or submit a personal statement that exceeds 4500 characters. As you prepare to write your personal statement, be sure to verify that your program(s) of choice use PharmCAS for receiving application materials. If you find that your university does not utilize PharmCAS, check the program’s website for specific instructions regarding the character or word limit for personal statements.

Canadian pharmacy program application expectations differ from school to school. The University of Toronto’s PharmD program, for example, does not require a personal statement of any kind.  

A common mistake that pharmacy school applicants make is relying upon cliches to discuss their motivations for pursuing a career as a pharmacist. Cliches read as tired and don’t reveal anything meaningful about an applicant. Moreover, many personal statement cliches like expressing a desire to “help people” are so vague that they fail to address an applicant’s desire to study pharmacology precisely. There are a multitude of careers that help people: teachers, doctors, non-profit workers, and more. Similarly, a fascination with science applies to any number of medical professions, researchers, scientists, and so on. In your personal statement, you must clearly express why you want to go to pharmacy school specifically.

Additionally, admissions officers want to ensure they admit only those applicants who demonstrate their capability of handling the demanding course work as well as possess the correct attitude and motivation to pursue a career in pharmacy. You’ve probably heard that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future behavior, and for good reason. For instance, if you have already persevered and exhibited your resilience, work ethic, and determination in past experiences, chances are you will exhibit those same skills in a pharmacy program, no matter the challenges you may face. Showing your skills through relevant anecdotes and relating them to core attributes you possess that will ensure your future success as a pharmacist goes a long way to separate you from an already qualified pool of applicants.

Pharmacy personal statements also assess the value you will add to your matriculating class, the program, and the institution overall. You want to prove you are a mutually beneficial fit for your pharmacy program of choice. As you craft your personal statement, you will likely need to create several versions that cater to each of the institutions to which you plan to apply, highlighting the attractive elements of each program that motivated you to apply and explaining how you would thrive in such an environment and contribute to the program’s culture and mission. Prove that the school would be missing out on an exceptional candidate if you were not offered admission!

How Are Pharmacy Personal Statements Structured?

Although each program has different requirements, pharmacy personal statements are generally around a page long, or 4500 characters for most applications in the United States, and should be structured similar to a traditional, academic paper. Your personal statement should have a clear introduction, a body composed of about 2-3 paragraphs, and a marked conclusion. It is important that you transition well among each of these elements to enhance the flow and overall readability of your statement. The logical progression of your ideas should also be well-defined so that admissions officers can easily follow your train of thought. Keep in mind that each individual reading your personal statement will be looking at many, many personal statements in any given sitting, which can get exhausting. Make their jobs easier by ensuring that your statement is easy to read and makes your points both concisely and clearly. Given the myriad personal statements each admissions officer must review, your statement must be quite unique and engaging in order to stand out and be memorable.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the best choice to start your statement at the beginning by working on the introduction. Part of the reason you should avoid starting with the introduction is because an introduction typically sets the stage for what you discuss in the body of your statement. If you don’t have the content of the body prepared, it is unlikely that you will be able to craft an appropriate introduction. Rather, you want to plan out the body of your statement first by creating a rough outline of the topics you wish to address in your statement to give the reader an overview of what led you to pursue pharmacy school, as well as the experiences and qualities that would make you an excellent addition to the program of your choice, and ultimately, a great pharmacist. Utilizing an outline to plan out your response also takes a bit of the pressure off of you as a writer so that you are not focused on making every single sentence perfect until you have a general idea of where you are going with your statement. After you have the “bones” of your statement planned out via an outline structure, begin to add the “meat” little by little, gradually expanding your outline with more substantial content, including anecdotes that serve as evidence or justification for the claims that you make.  

Pharmacy personal statements are an opportunity to show the admissions committee your personality, values, and goals. With this in mind, think carefully about which experiences you want to emphasize and the skills and values you want those experiences to illustrate. “Illustrate” is a key word here; be sure to show your readers what you mean instead of telling them. For example, don’t just say you are a lifelong learner. Show your readers evidence that demonstrates you are a lifelong learner by narrating and reflecting upon experiences in which you were continuously eager to learn new information. One of the most important tips to remember as you plan the outline for and later write your pharmacy personal statement is to be true to yourself. When applicants communicate what they believe admissions committees want to hear, or in this case read, their inauthenticity is blatantly evident. Being genuine not only serves you in the short-term by creating a personal statement that reads as truly authentic, which is always more convincing and impactful, but it is to your benefit in the long run as well. After all, pharmacy school is 4 years long, which isn’t exactly an insignificant time commitment. You should aim to gain admission into a program that wants you for who you truly are and the potential you’ve demonstrated, and the only way of guaranteeing this is to show who you truly are through your personal statement.

Once you have crafted a full outline, begin to write a rough draft of your body paragraphs. At this point, you still do not need to worry about choosing the best words or making sure that the stylistic elements of your body paragraphs are top notch. Focus on getting your thoughts out on paper in a way that makes sense and flows well in terms of a logical progression of ideas. So, how many experiences should you write about in your personal statement? While there is no concrete number you should aim for, do be selective about which experiences you choose to include. Think quality over quantity. Essentially, as you answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?”, trace the origin of your interest in studying pharmacy through each stage of its development. Given the 4500-character limit, at least for most pharmacy programs in the United States, you will have to limit your discussion to two to three experiences, depending upon the level of depth of your discussion of each experience.

Which kinds of experiences work best? Keeping in mind that the experiences you decide to address and the way in which you write about them should be authentic to you, aim for experiences that involve exposure to the field. Of course, exposure to pharmacy can come in many forms! Perhaps you were exposed to pharmacy and the positive impact it can make in people’s lives through your own use of prescribed pharmaceuticals to treat a chronic illness, which inspired you to learn more about how medications work. Or, maybe you were considering a career in either medicine or pharmacy, decided to shadow physicians and pharmacists alike to accrue more knowledge about the day-to-day responsibilities of each profession, and found yourself enamored with your pharmacy shadowing experience. In any case, make sure that you are specific about which aspects of your experience were particularly influential in your developing desire to study pharmacy and what convinced you that you would make a great pharmacist yourself!

Once you have completed your rough draft, take a day or so away from your statement so that you can achieve mental distance from your writing in order to review it with fresh eyes the next time you read it. With this new perspective, revise your body paragraphs, choosing the strongest vocabulary possible to convey your meaning. Remember, though, that it is important to be authentic, so don’t abuse your thesaurus! Work on strengthening the wording of your statement and try reading it out loud to see how well each sentence fits together. Rinse and repeat.

Tip #1: Be authentic.

The personal statement should explain why you want to study pharmacy, so your discussion of this should be true to your experiences. Instead of writing what you think would be appealing to admissions officers, present a genuine account of why you want to be a pharmacist and the experiences that led you to that conclusion. Inauthenticity is actually quite easy to detect, so it is always preferrable to be authentic.

Tip#2: Start early.

The strength of your personal statement is crucial, and with limited space to show the admissions committee who you are and why you are passionate about becoming a pharmacist, you will likely go through many drafts before you arrive at the final product. In order to accommodate multiple rounds of edits and give yourself time to gain mental distance from each draft before revising again, you must start early.

Tip#3: Get expert feedback.

Notice that we suggest expert feedback, not just feedback in general. Everyone can give you an opinion on the strength of your pharmacy school personal statement, but only a select few can give you constructive criticism that will actually serve to improve your statement. Trusted professors, pharmacist mentors, or admissions experts like the ones at BeMo are all great choices to give you informed and insightful advice.

Tip#4: Be concise.

Since you have limited space to convince your reader that you are passionate about pursuing pharmacy and would make an excellent future pharmacist, every word counts. Recount your experiences in a succinct manner so that you can maximize your character count and include valuable reflections that will demonstrate how strong of an applicant you are!

Tip#5: Avoid cliches.  

While it can definitely be tempting to rely upon commonly used motivations for pursuing pharmacy school like “to help others” or “to give back,” leaning upon these cliches will only hurt your application. Even though part of your motivation for becoming a pharmacist may genuinely be to help others, you need your statement to stand out. If hundreds of other applicants express the same sentiment, your sincere altruism may be lost in the crowd of other personal statements communicating the same thing. Further, helping others and giving back can be achieved in various careers. Your job is to convince the reader that you want to make that impact through pharmacy.

If you are applying to pharmacy schools in the United States, check out PharmCAS’ website to see if your program utilizes this application service.  If so, your personal statement will be restricted to 4,500 characters, including spaces.  If not, check out the program’s website to discover that school’s specific personal statement requirements.

On the other hand, if you are applying to pharmacy schools in Canada, you will need to go directly to that school’s website to see its specific requirements.  Some programs don’t require a personal statement at all.

No, some schools like the University of Toronto don’t require a personal statement or essay of any kind.  Double check the website(s) of your program(s) of choice to see what the specific requirements are.

Unless directed otherwise by your program of choice, your pharmacy personal statement should be structured like a traditional academic essay.  Include an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Please see above for further details.

Overall, your personal statement should answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?” or “Why do you want to go to pharmacy school?”  Your answer to this question should show your reader why you want to pursue this career instead of telling them.  Show your desire to become a pharmacist by discussing key experiences that sparked your interest in pharmacy and developed that interest into a true passion.  Include experiences that exposed you to the profession, whether that is as a patient, working as a pharmacy assistant, or shadowing a pharmacist.

Although it may seem illogical, your introduction should be one of the last things that you write.  The introduction of your personal statement must introduce the content that appears in your 2-3 body paragraphs, so it makes sense to write your body paragraphs first in order to know which content you are introducing.  In order to capture your reader’s attention from the very beginning of your personal statement, the first sentence of your introduction should employ an opening hook that uses some sort of creative element to generate interest in your statement.  Opening hooks often use relevant quotes, pieces of dialogue, or vignettes of a particularly impactful experience to “hook” the reader and make them more invested in the document before them.  Following your opening hook, you should discuss the significance of it, whether that is how a quote relates to your life or an explanation of the significance of the situation described in your vignette.  Finally, your introduction should establish your interest in pharmacy and set the stage for the more substantial content that will follow in subsequent body paragraphs.

The conclusion of your personal statement should not just be a summary of the content covered.  Rather, it should be comprised of reflections upon the experiences you’ve described, draw connections among your experiences, and/or discuss future goals in the field of pharmacy.  Make sure that the last sentence of your conclusion leaves the reader wanting to know more about you.  How memorable your statement is depends heavily on your last sentence, so you should use a creative approach as you did with your opening hook.  Some applicants find it useful to refer back to their opening hook in a creative way.  Try out different endings and see which works best with the statement you’ve written!

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How to Write a Compelling Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Written by Kelly Tomory

July 12, 2022

If you’re applying to any higher education program, you’re most likely going to run into something called a “personal statement”. Pharmacy school is no exception, and learning how to write a compelling and unique personal statement is a key part in getting accepted to school. Read on to find out how to write one that stands out! 

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement serves as a way to highlight your skills, interests and experiences. Personal statements tend to be somewhat autobiographical, but it is not just a lengthy personal essay of your entire life story. 

Personal statements are also not a regurgitation of all the information you’ve already included in your application and cover letter. Think of your personal statement as more of a narrative, but still keep it informative. 

In writing a personal statement, you’re aiming to give the school or program you’re applying for a snapshot of who you are and why you want to be considered for whatever position. They are as much about how you write as what you write. Schools will receive hundreds of personal statements– make sure yours stands out!  

What is the Difference Between a Personal Statement and a Cover Letter? 

A cover letter generally serves as a means to sell yourself to a company or school. It introduces your resume and all your relevant school and employment history. A personal statement, however, is meant to be more creative and introduce the school to you as a person in an engaging format. 

While an application can come off as just a list of what you’ve done, a personal statement frames all your accomplishments in a way that connects your real-life influences with the dates and degrees on your application. 

What is the Best Format for a Personal Statement for Pharmacy School?

Think of your personal statement as a narrative essay outlining how you got to where you are today, as well as where you want to go next. Within this story, relate back to pharmaceuticals and medicine and healthcare fields in an organic way. You’ve chosen this path for a reason, what are the steps that got you here? 

What Questions Should I Answer in my Personal Statement? 

Some helpful questions to aim to answer throughout your personal statement are:

✅ Why do I want to be a Pharmacist?: Think through the times where you have admired pharmaceuticals or where they have most impacted you. Or, think about when you fell in love with medicine and helped people through pharmaceuticals.

✅ What different pharmaceutical paths would I be interested in pursuing?: Are you interested in nuclear pharmacy? What about private pharmaceutical production? If you have a specific niche in mind for a career path, use this space to talk about your interest.

✅ What makes me an excellent and unique candidate for this program?: Have you taken any specialized courses that make you uniquely qualified for this program? Have you had any outstanding internships or positions within the healthcare world?

✅ What are my strengths?: Where do you excel? What specific strengths could you bring to the program and the team you work with? Use this space to highlight your gifts.

✅ Are there any gaps or inadequacies in my application? How can I explain them here?: If you have anything on your application that may confuse someone not familiar with your life circumstances, try to concisely explain it here. Admissions counselors want to be able to give you the best shot possible at being accepted, and sometimes this requires you being up-front about gaps or missing pieces to your work history. 

What Should I Avoid in My Personal Statement? 

❌ Don’t just repeat what you’ve said in your application. There’s a place for a more sterile, list-based amalgamation of your achievements, but your personal statement is not this place. Admissions staff will learn a lot more about you if you’re creative with your personal statement.

❌ Don’t steal someone else’s work. Plagiarism will disqualify you from admission to pharmacy programs, and it’s also just bad practice for life in general.

❌ Avoid cliches throughout your writing. It may have been a dark and stormy night when you were born, but that is neither relevant nor original. Find fresh ways to tell your story and engage your readers.

❌ Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes. These can be avoided through several rounds of revision

What Are Admissions Counselors Looking for in a Personal Statement? 

What makes a good candidate may vary from program to program, but there are some general things that admissions counselors look for when reviewing personal statements from applicants:

• How have you grown over the years?
• Is your personal statement well-written? Does it show care, consideration and edits?
• Are you up for the challenge of Pharmacy school?
• Do you fit our program? 

What Are the Steps to Form a Compelling Personal Statement?

The creative process for a piece like this may vary form applicant to applicant, but the general steps are as follows

1. Brainstorm

This step can be messy, and is generally the most customizable of the process. To start your brainstorming process, think about all the reasons you’re considering pharmacy school and why this program should consider you. This is also a good place to start thinking about what makes you stand out from other candidates, as well as beginning to organize your education and work history. 

Since personal statements are more narrative than list-based, start to think about how pharmacists have influenced your life and family. Compelling stories from your own experiences will help admissions counselors see you have a full-bodied connection to the program and career field.  

As part of your brainstorming, look at successful personal statements. Websites like Studential and ApplyToUni can give you a good idea of what spelled success for past applicants. Or, if you know anyone who went to pharmacy school already, you can ask them for their best tips. 

2. Outline and Draft

How do you make sense of all the information you just brainstormed out? One of the best ways to sort through your thoughts is by looking for natural connections between events in your life. Be sure to highlight the aspects of your career and schooling that will make you stand out the most. 

Make sure you’re outlining your statement in a way that makes the most sense for both your story and your reader. Linear outlines with clear progressions through your life story usually work best, but that’s not to say you can’t jump around in the story a bit, especially if pharmacology has played a lot of different roles throughout your life and you’re looking to highlight its effect on you over time. 

There are different types of personal statements, generally prompted or unprompted, but they all tend to be between 400-1,000 words long. 

Check your personal statement for basic grammatical and spelling mistakes, as well as making sure your tone is both professional and friendly. Make sure your organization makes sense. A good way to ensure this is to have someone else read it and suggest edits. The more sets of eyes you can have on your personal statement, the better chance you’ll have of submitting a flawless piece. 

Running your personal statement through a program like Grammarly or Hemingway is another good way to weed out mistakes and make sure your statement is clear.

4. Final Revisions and Submission

Do some final checks of your personal statement. Try to read it as if you’re reading it for the first time, with no context as to your own story. An early start in the writing and drafting process is key for this step, so you can take a few days away from your statement before this final revision if necessary. 

If your personal statement was one with a prompt, use this check to be sure you have answered all the questions as fully and uniquely as possible. This is another great place to ask for a second set of eyes to review your statement. 

Finally, submit your personal statement with your application to pharmacy school. Be sure that you’ve submitted it before the deadline! 

How Do I Close a Personal Statement?

In closing your personal statement, include one last push for yourself and why you’re a good fit for the program. Try to naturally conclude and wrap up all that you’ve said about yourself and your story. Be sure to highlight your interest in the program specifically and give a quick “thank you” for their consideration of your application. 

What Now?  

Now that you know how to write a great personal statement for pharmacy school, you should narrow down the schools you want to apply to. If you haven’t already, consider NEOMED’s College of Pharmacy ! Our program will prepare you to make an impact on those around you for the better, whether locally or globally. Graduates from our programs boast high NAPLEX test scores, excellent network connections and a deeper understanding of the communities they serve. Apply to NEOMED ! 

Want to learn more about pharmacy school at NEOMED? Our pharmacy program guide will help you determine if pharmacy school is the right path for you, and how NEOMED can help you begin your future.

Access our eBook "Begin Your Future in Pharmacy at NEOMED" to learn more about what it takes to become a pharmacist.

About the author

Kelly tomory.

Assistant Director of Admission

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Pharmacy Personal Statement Examples

What is a pharmacy personal statement?

Writing a personal statement for pharmacy is a chance to sell yourself to the admissions tutors and show them why you would make a great phramacy candidate.

It’s a place to describe your skills and strengths, as well as your career plans.

You are allowed up to 4,000 characters to explain why you are applying for a pharmacy degree, so you need to make sure your statement is as polished as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How do I write a good pharmacy personal statement?

Good pharmacy personal statements always use evidence to support their claims. You need to convince admissions tutors that you’re a good match for the programme, so if you claim to be committed or inquisitive, then use examples from your life to back it up.

To write a great pharmacy personal statement you need to start early, brainstorm some ideas, and then begin your first draft.

This will then need to be carefully revised and edited before asking family and friends for feedback. Incorporate their comments and suggestions, and see how it is improved before asking them to look at it again.

Read through our pharmacy personal statement examples to give you an idea of what a good pharmacy statement looks like.

Make sure you proofread your statement for grammar and spelling before sending it off, and if you feel you need a little extra help, take a look at our personal statement editing services .

What should I include in my pharmacy personal statement?

Many students choose to start their statement by picking a specific aspect of pharmacy and explaining why they enjoy it, e.g. drug chemistry, cardiovascular and renal systems, etc.

Admissions tutors want candidates that are as passionate about the subject as they are.

As well as your motivations for studying pharmacy, think about your hobbies and extracurricular activities too. What skills have you learned from these and how will these help you in your pharmacy degree?

Talk about any work experience placements you have completed, e.g. shadowing a doctor or nurse, or someone in a similar medical/clinical profession. What did you take away from this experience? Do you feel you have all the necessary personal traits and qualities that make a good pharmacy student?

Your wider reading is also important, so it's worth mentioning anything you've read recently that you found interesting and why. Generally, admissions tutors like students who express their views and opinions, and can back them up with evidence.

For more help and advice on what to write in your pharmacy personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

What can I do with a pharmacy degree?

There are many different career options open to those wishing to study pharmacy at university. These include:

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Community pharmacist
• Hospital pharmacist
• Research scientist

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Clinical research associate
• Higher education lecturer
• Medical sales representative
• Medical science liaison
• Pharmacologist
• Product/process development scientist
• Regulatory affairs officer
• Research scientist (life sciences)
• Science writer
• Toxicologist

For more information about careers with a pharamcy degree, please see Prospects and the National Careers Service .

What are the best UK universities for pharmacy?

Currently, the best universities in the UK for studying pharmacy and pharmacology are:

For more information about pharamacology university rankings in the UK, please see The Complete University Guide and SI UK .

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Writing the Personal Statement for Pharmacy School: A 5 Step Checklist

You’ve likely written a personal statement at some point in your life. Perhaps while applying to your undergraduate program, some of your schools required you to include an essay describing your achievements, yourself, and what you hope to accomplish in your time at their university. Similarly, many pharmacy programs will require you to write a personal statement for their application. 

This, however, is different. You will be able to highlight your relevant accomplishments and address why you want to become a pharmacist to stand out truly . With so many applicants during each cycle, admissions officers use this personal statement to gauge whom they wish to speak with for an in-person interview.

At this phase of the application journey, you've narrowed down the pharmacy schools you’re applying to. Your transcripts are in, letters of recommendation are ready, and it’s time for your pharmacy personal statement. The good news is that, unlike undergraduate applications that sometimes have different prompts, you must answer for various schools; your one pharmacy school personal statement will be sent to every program through your PharmCAS application . That also leaves an exciting challenge: Even if you have a favorite, you must consider how you want to write this personal statement, as it shouldn’t be tailored toward one specific school. 

1) Determining the Narrative

When writing a pharmacy school personal statement, the most common pitfall students experience is the need for more effort placed into their writing. While your grades may be exceptional, and your letters of recommendation prove that your student-teacher relationships are healthy and you are a pleasure to have in class, having a generic pharmacy personal statement doesn’t differentiate you from other qualified applicants. If all applicants have already covered the first two things, the personal statement may be the shining piece of the application. For most students, writing this statement will be the most challenging part of the application process. 

Begin to formulate your narrative. Lay out the structure and the different sections. There’s no specific format that pharmacy schools are looking for, so make this personal statement unique to yourself. As mentioned, the “cookie cutter” approach to this part of the application is where most students stumble. Use your time wisely and start early . Additionally, you can easily find a sample personal statement on various websites to help structure your thoughts. However, remember that these should be used only as samples and that you shouldn’t rely on them to format your statement.

2)Crafting a Unique Story

Each pharmacy school program wants students who demonstrate tenacity, which will help them succeed in their respective programs. One way to approach writing your pharmacy school personal statement is from the point of view of the admissions committee. Anyone charged with reading thousands of applications will focus on specific questions that signal a level of quality about the rest of the personal statement.

First, what's the reason that this student is choosing pharmacy as their career? Are they doing this for income or a genuine interest in providing the best care for patients? Does the applicant demonstrate a thoughtful understanding of their strengths and weaknesses? Do their ideals align with the mission statement of the school of pharmacy? Each reviewer may concentrate on different questions, but they want to see you feel a personal drive for a career as a pharmacist . Place yourself into the seat of an application reviewer and formulate different questions you could ask students. Try answering these questions and see how genuine your answers are. How you answer may decide if you want to continue to pursue this pharmacy school path.

3) Focus on Your Opening

One universal method many writing courses teach you is always to have a solid opening statement. I'd like you to please use this as an opportunity, to begin with a personal story about why you decided that pharmacy is the right career for you or maybe an inspiring quote that has always resonated with you. The reviewer may have reviewed several applications, so your first few sentences should stand out. You want to be able to make an impression from the beginning while showing an earnest drive to spend a career as a pharmacist.

Once you’ve effectively engaged the reviewer, it’s time for the “meat” of the personal statement. What do pharmacy application committees genuinely want to hear? 

4) Getting to Know You

They want to learn more about you before meeting in a live interview. Tell your own story succinctly but without cutting corners. Briefly describe how you learned to overcome obstacles like that to better yourself and those around you. Sure, you can write about your most relevant academic accomplishments. But go beyond that.

Discuss how certain clubs and organizations have helped you progress through your undergraduate experience and how those organizations may have led you to pursue the path of pharmacy school. Highlight the leadership positions you may have held in college that have helped mold you into the leader you see yourself as today. After setting those up, discuss the skills you’ve acquired to help you in pharmacy school and how they’d make you a better pharmacist.

When you mention your relevant academic studies, please keep repeating the pharmacy college admission test (PCAT) scores or the 4.0 GPA you achieved. The committee has this information before them as they read; they don’t need to be reminded.

Talk in detail about your relevant work experiences, such as research or a part-time job in a pharmacy. Discuss how these different work experiences furthered your commitment to the profession. Identify what aspects of the pharmacy setting may have attracted you and what you have learned from these experiences. Some students come into this part of the application process without work experience. That’s okay. You can highlight any volunteer work related to healthcare or pharmacy. 

5) Close with Confidence

Finally—and we can’t stress this enough—keep your writing professional. You’re making an impression on a professional committee, and as much as you want to make your statement sound lighthearted, remember that the reviewers’ time is at a premium for reviewing the essays and interviews in the next round.

Be succinct, direct, and human.

Remember to keep our advice top of mind:

The goal of your personal statement is to showcase why you would be the ideal pharmacy student and why your traits/qualities reflect those of a pharmacist.

Be as authentic as possible when detailing why you want to be part of the PharmD program. 

GPA and PCAT scores can only get you so far. Your personal statement is a chance for you to stand out in front of the other applicants who apply to the same pharmacy program as you. 

Remember, perfecting the personal statement takes time and your admission may depend on how much effort you ultimately put into your writing.

Hong Chen, PharmD

My name is Hong Kui Chen and I am a graduate of The Ohio State University Pharmacy Class of 2022. I am currently working as a clinical research associate at Medpace, Inc, a contract research organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio. My work mainly consists of traveling to various sites around the country and providing protocol training on new clinical trials or monitoring data. While I enjoyed the traditional pharmacy role of working in retail or hospital, I wanted to expand and pursue this non-traditional role to see how clinical trials operate. I have a passion for being able to impact patients in a grand scale and even though I don’t have the 1-on-1 patient interaction, the work that I do can have long lasting contributions to overall patient health. 

Opinions and information published by the author here on PharmDDegree.com are of my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer.

Do Not Sell My Info

Pharmacy School Personal Statement Tips

Many programs require a personal statement as part of the pharmacy school application. This is essentially an essay that addresses why you want to be a pharmacist, and how your personal background and achievements support this goal. This writing sample provides the only opportunity to express yourself in writing to differentiate your application from your competitors. A significant effort should be made to have the best possible personal statement that addresses the interests of the admissions committee.

• How to write a pharmacy school personal statement

PharmCAS provides general guidance on how to craft a personal statement. Each year, they provide a prompt that directs the topic of the statement. They recommend that applicants do not tailor their writing to one program, because you will only be permitted to submit one personal statement per application cycle. PharmCAS will send this statement to all programs to which you are applying that year.

For many applicants, the personal statement will be the most difficult part of the application preparation. Applicants know this is important, so they may overthink it or suffer from writer’s block. A useful exercise before you begin writing is to think about the answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to be a pharmacist? You should demonstrate a genuine interest in the profession and helping people.
• What experiences have prepared you to be successful in this career?
• What qualities do you most admire in pharmacists? Can you demonstrate that you have these same qualities through your academic achievements or work experience?
• What makes you stand out as a unique candidate? Do you have real-life experience? Have you volunteered in health care settings?
• Is there any deficiency in your application that you want to proactively explain? This may be your only opportunity to explain any low grades, gaps in education, or suboptimal PCAT scores. However, do not make excuses; own your mistakes and show how you have learned from them.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student. Mission statements of the schools to which you are applying can help direct your writing, but you should keep the statement general enough that it can resonate with the admissions committees of any program.

Ultimately, the personal statement is a story that will show the admissions committee that you are a unique person who is worth more than their GPA and PCAT scores. The statement should be an authentic representation of your story and give the reader a glimpse into what you would be like as a pharmacy student and professional. The text should show, not tell, the reader what you bring to the table. A strong opening is important: Grab their attention with a relatable anecdote or quote.

One approach to writing the statement is to brainstorm all the questions above, taking notes as you think of the answers. Then, sketch an outline of the statement that will help get the juices flowing. Try to write the first rough draft in one setting, not worrying about the exact words. You can go back later to refine wording, add details, and revise. Lastly, you should proofread the statement multiple times. Essays riddled with grammatical errors and typos send a message to the reader that you do not pay attention to detail , which is an important skill for pharmacists. Consider having another person who is unbiased proofread it. Numerous companies offer professional essay proofreading and editing services, such as Scribd .

• What does a school look for in a personal statement?

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same.

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same. Diversity is desirable, so don’t pretend to be something you are not because you think it is what they want to hear. Admissions committees can see right through disingenuous statements. Content that schools may be looking for include the following:

• Is this person applying to pharmacy school for the right reasons? You won’t be happy or motivated in a job that you are doing only for money, job security, or to meet someone else’s expectations.
• Do they understand the job and its demands? Speak to any relevant experience you have working, volunteering, or shadowing pharmacists.
• Has the applicant demonstrated personal growth in the years leading up to their application? If your grades improved in the last year, you can explain that it shows your commitment to education and renewed work ethic. If you took on new extracurricular responsibilities or work assignments, highlight any leadership skills you’ve developed.
• Is the essay organized and clearly written? Communication skills are important for pharmacists, because they communicate with customers, physicians, and insurers daily.
• Has the applicant explained any weak points in their application? Admissions committees realize that life can be messy. Be honest if personal circumstances affected your grades or PCAT scores. Make it clear that you’ve moved past these circumstances and they won’t impact your ability to be a successful pharmacy student. However, don’t make excuses for shortcomings that don’t have a good explanation.
• Do they demonstrate a “fit” for the values of the program? Use anecdotes to demonstrate that you live their values and mission.

Learn More about Pharmacy School Requirements by State

• AR Arkansas
• CA California
• CO Colorado
• CT Connecticut
• DE Delaware
• IL Illinois
• KY Kentucky
• LA Louisiana
• MD Maryland
• MA Massachusetts
• MI Michigan
• MN Minnesota
• MS Mississippi
• MO Missouri
• NE Nebraska
• NH New Hampshire
• NJ New Jersey
• NM New Mexico
• NY New York
• NC North Carolina
• ND North Dakota
• OK Oklahoma
• PA Pennsylvania
• RI Rhode Island
• SC South Carolina
• SD South Dakota
• TN Tennessee
• VA Virginia
• WA Washington
• DC Washington, DC
• WV West Virginia
• WI Wisconsin

• What should you avoid in a pharmacy school personal statement?

Admissions committees have numerous applications to review. You want to make sure every sentence in your personal statement adds value and has no chance of leaving a negative impression. Here are examples of things to avoid:

• Don’t repeat your transcript and PCAT scores. They already have these in their file. Essay word counts are limited, so make the most of every word of your essay to provide new information.
• Don’t write off topic. Tell your story directly and concisely. Going off on a tangent or adding words just to make it appear longer will distract from the message you are trying to convey.
• Don’t include irrelevant academic achievements. No matter how proud you are that you won the geography bee in fifth grade, it isn’t relevant to your aptitude for success in a pharmacy career.
• Do not plagiarize. This is a major sin in academia. It will get your application tossed to the “no” pile without a second thought.
• Avoid clichés. Cue eye roll from the admissions committee who is forced to read hundreds of statements, many with poor attempts to use clichés or humor.
• Do not talk about controversial topics. The essay should be professional. Topics like religion, personal emotions, money, and politics have no place in the workplace.
• Don’t have grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Hire a professional editor to proofread your writing, or use a do-it-yourself tool, such as Grammarly .

Pharmacy school personal statement examples

Personal statements are one of the most important components of your application. They are your only opportunity to show the admissions committee that you are more than your GPA and PCAT score. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd. The quality of your essay will be determined by how much work you put into the writing. Several examples of essays from students who were accepted to pharmacy programs can be found on the internet at sites like Studential and Applytouni . Reading these can give you an idea what a good statement looks like before you begin writing your own.

• Additional Resources:
• Pharmacy School Directory
• Pharmacy School Letter of Recommendation Tips

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• How to Write a Winning Pharmacy Personal Statement with Ease
• Great Ideas for Writing a Killer Pharmacy Personal Statement

Why is it so important?

Why consider the target audience, how to write the best admission essay for a pharmacy school, the role of an introductory section, why use attention grabbers, your self-reflection, get a second opinion, how to impress your admission officer, dos and don’ts of creating the best pharmacy personal statement, what is a key secret, check compatibility, pharmacy personal statements examples, sample of pharmacy school personal statement – describing the development of student’s interests from the beginning of school, explaining my interest in pharmacy and how i am fit for this college – one of the most popular pharmacy school personal statement topics, my critical view on the current state of the pharmacy science – an alternative pharmacy school essay example., final words.

Writing essays can be difficult for some students. Creating an impressive pharmacy personal statement is a challenge. It’s hard for many people to do the following:

• Come up with an interesting subject;
• Organize important information;
• Make reasonable personal statement conclusions ;
• Grab readers’ interest;
• Reflect related skills or a life experience.

Realize the role it plays in the future career of pharmacists and take your pharmacy school personal statement very seriously. There are many people who want to pursue this career. Most of them have high test scores, good grades, personal achievements, and other strong sides, but only a few of them capture the attention of admission officers.

Use your pharmacy personal statement as a chance to succeed. It should present your personality to the committee. Make sure that it turns uninteresting information, such as awards, grades, courses, and test scores into prominent traits of your individuality. Your personal essay for a pharmacy school should highlight not only your academic accomplishments but also show you as an asset to its community. It makes your application noticeable.

Pay close attention to your target audience because you submit a personal statement to study pharmacy to admission officers who will read and evaluate it. They spend only a few minutes of each application. That’s why your paper should stand out. They analyze not only personal statements, but they also check science GPAs, research projects, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc. Officers search for candidates with these basic traits:

• Strong analytical skills ;
• Critical thinking;
• High intellect;
• The ability to learn fast;
• Suitable personality for helping people.

Your pharmacy application should leave a lasting impression.

How to write a good personal statement  to the chosen pharmacy school? The answer is simple - make sure that:

• It contains a catchy introductory paragraph;
• You use a strong opener;
• It includes a lot of self-reflection;
• You get a second opinion.

The introduction plays a decisive role because it can either grab readers’ interest or ruin your application success. Write it when the main body is ready. This paragraph serves many important functions, such as providing the audience with a short plan of what you will tell them further.

Use catchy attention grabbers in your opening lines or sentences to add more color to your paper without overdoing with intrigue. Opt for neutral starters if you share a really meaningful experience.

The best application to a pharmacy school involves a lot of self-reflection, sincerity, and honesty to make it easier for readers to relate to it. You may find it hard to share your life experiences and feelings, but it’s something you need to do to stand out. Don’t go overboard.

Ask other people (your friends or family) to read your final draft and share their opinions. Their advice can help you transform a mediocre paper into a brilliant and winning one because they encourage you to look at it from different angles. Otherwise, you may revise your essay many times in vain.

"Before I answer this I’d like to state upfront that there are three hurdles that applicants must clear to gain admission to the top colleges. So bear in mind that you can’t focus on just one quality for your candidacy at the expense of others. This said, most admissions officers to whom we have spoken agree that demonstrating fit is the one quality that most impresses them when reviewing applications. This means showing the school that you understand what makes it unique as well as what you have to offer and, consequently, why you sincerely want to attend that school. Far too many applicants view the admissions game as purely numeric. Smart applicants realize they need to put 100% of their best effort into each stretch school they target. Consequently, they understand why it is better to apply to 10 schools with each application reflecting 100% of their best effort than to get stretched too thin and apply to 20 schools with each application only reflecting 50% of their best effort. So, in conclusion, be sure to spend the time to demonstrate a strong fit with each stretch application you submit. Quality will triumph quantity every time." By admission consultant David Petersam.

If you lack enough experience in this field, look at dos and don’ts because they will guide you in the right direction. What should you do?

• Start early to set aside enough time to complete all stages;
• Keep the target audience in mind;
• Use a correct structure;
• Organize all ideas to keep readers’ interest;
• Use proper punctuation , grammar, and tone;
• Mention future goals;
• Reveal your true personality;
• Edit and proofread a final draft a few times.

What are the things that can ruin your admissions essay?

• Repeating the same ideas (they make your application to a pharmacy school boring and weak);
• Including a tangential discussion;
• Being in a hurry;
• Exceeding a word count;
• Making excuses;
• Using redundancies and fillers;
• Expressing your viewpoints on controversial topics;
• Underestimating the chosen profession;
• Making your pharmacy school statement too emotional or personal;
• Listing irrelevant achievements.

Take into account the basic criteria that define the overall success of your pharmacy school application:

• Appropriateness;
• Time management.

The key secret of writing a successful application is to convince admission officers in your interest and dedication to the chosen specialization. How can you do that? Tell them about the impulse that led to this decision. Explain your desire to pursue a pharmacy career path clearly to let the committee understand your reasoning and logic behind it.

Know why you want to prosper in this profession. Give the answers to some basic questions to determine the following:

• What attracts you in this field?
• Why did you choose pharmacy?
• What does a pharmacist do?
• What inspires you to study hard?
• The life event that spurred you to choose this career.
• How you differ from other applicants?

Helping people was my passion beginning from studying in elementary school. At first, it was mostly assisting my parents and neighbors but later I began reading the special literature and even developed a specific interest in chemistry and microbiology books (as well as related free online content on related Web resources). This was a powerful motivation for me to achieve higher grades during my studies because of understanding of the necessity to enter a higher education institution afterward. After graduating from high school I had to choose between medical sciences and pharmacy services fields and finally decided to stay with the latter.

Applying to this college means a lot to me. I believe that after studying here I can obtain the most valuable knowledge and support to pursue my career in the area of my interest and also to bring some real value and positive results to the society which generally summarizes my ISAT personal statement on this decisive day. Pharmacy terminology is like a special language which I have started to learn and hope to master completely quite soon.

Looking for dental school personal statement  or personal statement for residency ? Browse our library, you will find everything there with ease.

Chemistry and biology were my favorite subjects during the whole process of studying, particularly because some of my relatives have been working in these spheres. There were a lot of specialized books (not only in the English language) on related subjects at my home so as a passionate reader I have explored all of them early enough, during my free time. Eventually, it led me to building solid plans of continuing my learning in a pharmacy college, improve my medical skills and obtain great experience.

After graduating from my high school with a diploma with honors, I feel prepared to enter this college and to successfully obtain a degree which will allow me to proceed to higher levels of scientific research and reach the maximum of content because of this knowledge. My skills include all basic kinds of chemistry operations, basic knowledge about microbiology, familiarity with most widespread kinds of germs and medicine (antibiotics and others), first aid services, vitamins and their influence on children and adults, volunteering, etc. In this letter of intent, I would like to express my hopes and dreams which might come true as a result of this application day.

Unlike many people I know, I’ve never regarded science as something far away from daily life, especially pharmacy and chemistry which are so much involved into everyone’s existence. Observing tangible effects of work, bringing support to the society and helping out people that are close to me – these are the main factors motivating me to proceed with professional studying in the U.S. or international pharmacy field. This is the first of my personal statements for this college and I am happy for this opportunity to be free to speak up.

Apart of basic chemistry and biology knowledge received in the process of my general learning and additional online training, I have read a lot of specific research works and eventually became familiarized very well with the history of pharmacology theory and practice in the U.S and Canada beginning from the late 19th century up to the modern day, particularly with problems and challenges which have been noticed lately in this sphere ( antibiotics overuse is one of the brightest examples). My dream is to play a notable part in dealing with those challenges and making certain contribution to the development of better results of medicine services for everyone!

Your admission essay is a great chance to show who you really are and focus on your positive traits. What if you can’t write it yourself? Get expert help not to compromise your academic future. Hire professional personal statement writers to do this job and let them help you succeed and submit an impressive application and cool personal statements that support you with ease.

If you are applying for a nursing degree at university, then you should attach a personal statement to your application and take care of its stellar content. Being one of the most important selling points in your bachelor degree application, your nursing personal statement should demonstrate that yo...

Some students think that the residency personal statement (RPS) is the same as the graduate essay, but it’s not quite right. Personal statement residency is one of the great ways to share your character and abilities and plans for your career as a physician. One of its goals is for applicants to add...

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Pharmacists may not have to write many essays in their day jobs, but many of them had to write an essay to get into pharmacy school. Like any form of writing, follow the rule of showing, not telling. Give the admissions committee examples of your abilities and past successes so that they can trust you’d make an excellent addition to their newest student cohort.

Grab the Committee’s Attention

The admissions committee has to slog through numerous essays that will probably sound alike. You have to grab the committee’s attention. Just keep in mind that there are negative ways to grab an admissions committee’s attention, and there are positive ways. On the negative end of the spectrum, you could write an essay that has spelling and grammatical errors from the get go or that makes offensive remarks. On the positive end of the spectrum, you can write an essay that leads with an interesting anecdote, a thought-provoking quote about pharmacy, or memories of what first inspired you to pursue this profession.

Show How You’ll Succeed

You have to strike a balance between showing how much you want to be in pharmacy school, and showing the pharmacy school how much they should want you. Finding this balance means making it clear that you have the right skills and ambition to contribute to the school and that the school has the right curriculum and teaching environment to contribute to your professional goals. Every relationship is better if it’s symbiotic, and the relationship between pharmacy schools and their students is no different. They’re happy to build your career if you’ll build their reputation, so convince the committee that you’ll help them succeed by succeeding yourself.

More than A Prescription-Filler

Pharmacists do more than what doctors tell them to do -- that is, they do more than prepare medication. In some respects, they often know more about different medication and healing remedies than other health care professionals. Unless someone has a medical emergency that he needs treated right away, he’ll often go to pharmacists for advice rather than book an appointment with his family doctor. In your admissions essay, demonstrate that you want to help people get well by sharing your knowledge and expertise with them.

Show Great Research Skills

To give people the best health-related advice possible, you can’t stop learning as soon as you graduate from pharmacy school. Pharmaceuticals is a fast and ever-evolving industry. You need to stay on top of the latest health news and research. Show the admissions committee that you’re a good researcher with excellent critical thinking skills and an aptitude for absorbing lots of information. They want to know that after you complete their program successfully, you’ll continue building on what you learned throughout your career.

• University of California San Francisco: School of Pharmacy Admissions Overview
• University of Michigan College of Pharmacy: The Science (and Art) of PharmD Admissions

Living in Canada, Andrew Aarons has been writing professionally since 2003. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Ottawa, where he served as a writer and editor for the university newspaper. Aarons is also a certified computer-support technician.

Defending an Undergraduate Thesis

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Personal Essay

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In this section, write a personal essay that addresses 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.

Do not personalize your essay for a particular pharmacy degree institution. You cannot edit your personal essay after you submit your completed application.

Requirements

• Keep your essay topic general : Follow the prompt to write your statement. Keep the statement general as this essay is sent to all the programs you apply to. If you plan to only apply to one program, we still strongly recommend keeping your statement general in case you later apply to additional programs. Once you submit your application, the statement cannot be edited or changed.
• Do not exceed the maximum length : You can see both the word and character count below the field in the application. The right-hand number shows the maximum number of characters that you can use in your essay. As you type, you can see how many characters are still available and the associated word count. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation. You cannot save your essay if it exceeds the 4,500 character limit.
• Use your own words : Plagiarizing any part of your essay is a violation of the Applicant Code of Conduct and may subject you to sanctions. See the Plagiarism section below for more information.
• Use simple formatting : Formatting such as tabs, italics, multiple spaces, etc., will not be saved. To delineate paragraphs, type a double return between each paragraph.
• Copy and paste from Notepad : Some formatting characters used in Microsoft Word (i.e., angled quotes, accents, special characters, bold, underline, or italic text) do not display properly in PharmCAS. We recommend copying and pasting your statement from Notepad, or a similar plain text editor.

Proofreading

Be sure to read over your essay several times to catch any spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., errors before submitting. Once you submit your application, you cannot edit your essay. If you find an error after submission that you believe could have major effects on your application, we recommend sending a corrected copy directly to the programs you applied to.

Your personal statement is subject to a similarity review via iThenticate/Turnitin (an online plagiarism checker used by PharmCAS) for detection of plagiarism and other potential violations of the Applicant Code of Conduct. Submitted personal statements and other materials may be used as source documents in the iThenticate/Turnitin for Admissions reference database solely for purposes of detecting plagiarism of such documents.

The Pharmacy Personal Statement Guide w/Prompts & Examples

The Importance of Writing a Great Pharmacy Personal Statement

To become a pharmacist anywhere in the UK, you’ll need to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and have, at minimum, a master’s degree from an accredited university. This requires you to enter into a graduate-level programme for pharmacology. When applying to these types of programmes, it’s very important that you have a strong pharmacy personal statement.

When it comes to applying to a pharmacy programme at the graduate level, there are many requirements to meet. Many of these come in the form of prerequisites you need before you can be considered for grad school.

Pharmacy Programme Prerequisites

The  common prerequisites  for applying to university for pharmacology mostly involve classes you should’ve taken before applying to the programme. These classes include three (3) A-levels in the following subjects:

• and various Maths

You must receive a grade of B or higher in each of these for it to meet the prerequisite.

You must also take five (5) General Certificates of Secondary Education, otherwise known as GCSEs, in the following subjects:

• Various Maths
• English/Language

For these courses, you must have received a grade of C or higher.

There are a few alternate routes you can take if you don’t meet the above listed prerequisites. These include having a foundational degree in the field of pharmacy, having an HNC, HND or BTEC with a science focus, having earned the equivalent qualifications at an Irish or Scottish university and a few others. Having work or internship experience with a pharmacist also helps.

Depending on the particular Uni you plan on attending, you may have some additional institutional requirements. These will be listed on the university’s website and/or in the admissions packet for the school.

Steps to Obtaining Admission

Once you’ve covered all your prerequisite courses, it’s time to start the actual process of admissions. Do your research first; find the best Uni for you and check the website to see what types of admissions requirements they have in place. Some universities require you to take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) and earn a certain score before they’ll consider you for admission.

If you’ve not already taken the PCAT, though, check the admissions requirements for your particular Uni to see if you need to do so. Several universities across the country are eliminating the PCAT requirement, and there’s no reason to take it if it isn’t a requirement for your specific school. The next step is to fill out and submit an application to the school.

Applications require a lot of personal information, including your name, contact information, educational history, professional resume, personal and professional references, and a pharmacy personal statement, which is one of the most important parts of the application packet. Some universities require you to pay a fee or provide them with a fee waiver when submitting your application.

After you’ve submitted your application, it’ll be reviewed by the university’s admissions team. At this point, they may call you in for  an interview . After that, you should be ready to enter the pharmacy programme.

But how do you make sure you get to the interview stage? Aside from having good grades and an impressive personal resume, writing an exceptional and memorable pharmacy personal statement is the best way to make sure you’re called in for that final step.

What is a Pharmacy Personal Statement?

A pharmacy personal statement is a personal essay you write about yourself. Many unis will give you a specific prompt to help guide your writing. For those few that don’t, there are  several things you’ll want to include , such as why you want to pursue pharmacology, what about that particular university’s programme appeals to you, any achievements or awards you’ve received, any relevant internship or work experience and why you’d make a good candidate.

There are also  attributes about yourself  you’ll want to mention in your personal statement. These are things you can’t simply write out in sentences. Instead, you’ll want to discuss relevant topics and tell personal stories that show that you have these qualities without you directly saying, “ I work well with others and have good communication skills. “

These important attributes include, but aren’t limited to:

• Excellent people skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Honesty and integrity
• Good communication skills
• The ability to work on a team
• Leadership skills
• Strong organisational skills
• Highly motivated to succeed
• A strong sense of responsibility and professionalism

All of these qualities make you a good candidate for a pharmacy programme. The more of these you can show you have, the more likely you’ll be called for an interview.

What is a Prompt, and Why Should You Follow It?

If your specific university provides you with a prompt, they’re simply giving you a question to help focus what you write about in your personal statement. There are several different prompts unis use, and we’ll discuss some of the most common of those later.

No matter what the prompt is, it’s important you answer it completely. Most universities use prompts relative to your interest in pharmacology, your educational history, or attributes that would make you a good candidate for their programme. There will occasionally be a prompt that surprises you though. In those cases, still, answer the prompt.

Be as honest and as thorough as you can, and remember, even if the prompt is something strange or unusual, there are usually still ways to work in stories that show you in your best light. You may just have to be a little more creative.

Below, you’ll find a few of the most common prompts for writing your pharmacy personal statement on your admissions applications.

Pharmacy Personal Statement Prompts

Prompt 1: tell us about yourself (kings university london).

Many universities use a very vague prompt that just instructs you to talk about yourself. As Kingston University London puts it, “You are the main topic of this essay.”

This is a great, easy prompt to get. Don’t be afraid to be honest and really talk yourself up in this kind of statement.

For this particular prompt, you’ll want to cover everything we mentioned above, particularly why you’re interested in pursuing a career in Pharmacy, what education you’ve had that qualifies you for the programme, any relevant work or leadership experience that would make you a good candidate and anything that showcases the attributes we listed above.

Again, be honest and as thorough as possible. Remember, the goal of this statement is to make you memorable and desirable. As a result, talking about all the great accomplishments or achievements you have isn’t bragging or boasting. It’s what’s required if you want to stand out from the other applicants.

Prompt 2: Demonstrate your commitment to pursuing a career in Pharmacy, and tell us why you’re better suited to the programme than other applicants (King’s College London).

This prompt is quite similar to the above “Tell us about yourself” prompt. In it, you’ll cover much of the same things, especially when you start talking about why you should be chosen for the programme over other applicants.

Just remember that there’s a direct question about why you want to work in pharmacology. Because it’s being asked directly, you want to spend a bit of time giving a complete answer. You can talk about why you became interested in pharmaceuticals in the first place. Was there a specific event in your childhood that inspired you to want to help take care of sick people? Have you had a strong love of chemistry for as long as you can remember? What inspired you to choose this field over all the over available career fields?

This prompt also allows you to talk about your career goals. What do you want to do with your MPharm once you get it? How is this degree going to help you in those goals, and how are you going to use your skills and your degree to make the world better once you do get a job? It would also benefit you to talk about the classes you’ve already taken and the work you’ve already done to work towards your goals.

Prompt 3: What benefits do you expect to gain from admission into our programme? (Cardiff University)

For this prompt, you can still talk a little about why you chose pharmacology and what you hope to do with your degree once you’ve earned it. More importantly, though, you’ll want to answer the actual question the prompt asks. What are you hoping to gain from this particular programme that sets it apart from all the other pharmacy programmes you could have chosen instead?

Talk about specific courses or labs for which this programme is well-known. This is a great way to showcase that you’ve done your research and really looked into what this university has to offer. By highlighting particular aspects of the programme, you prove to the admissions team you didn’t just pick this university on a whim or because it was the closest one to your flat. Instead, you did some reading and compared the programme to those at other schools and decided this one was the best fit for you because…  You fill in the blanks!

Proving to a school that you know something about the school and that you hope to gain the actual knowledge and skills they’re famous for providing to students is a huge point in your favour. This specific prompt allows you to do that.

Prompt 4: Tell us about any work experience, internships, leadership positions you’ve held or outside activities that would support your application for admission (The University of Manchester).

This prompt is another one that’s similar to the “ Tell us about yourself ” prompt. In answering this prompt, you’ll be able to talk about yourself, your history, your past accomplishments, your interest in pharmacy, and more. You’ll want to put your largest focus, though, on the actual work you’ve done to prepare you for entrance into this programme.

This could include any of the following:

• Working in an actual pharmacy or closely related field
• Internships, volunteer experience or other placements within a pharmacy or related field
• Any work experience you’ve had where you were part of a team or, even better, the leader of a team
• Educational experience that would prepare you for the programme
• Any honours you’ve received that show you to be exceptional in any relevant field

These are only a few examples of things you could discuss in response to this prompt.

Standard Pharmacy Personal Statement Format

No matter the specific prompt you’re given, there’s a general format you’ll use for most personal statements. Occasionally, a university will provide you with specific formatting instructions. If they do, you always want to follow those instructions exactly. If you aren’t provided with instructions, this is the general format preferred for most UK unis and their US counterparts for essays and/or personal statements:

• MLA formatting guidelines
• One-inch margins on each side of the page
• (For the UK) Any professional font as long as the italics are noticeably different – most students use Times New Roman, Arial or Courier
• (For the US) Times New Roman or Arial font
• Font size – 12 pt.
• Double-space, but add no extra lines between paragraphs
• Indent the first line of each paragraph

Additionally, you’ll use the standard Intro-Body-Conclusion format that most MLA essays utilise.

Step 1. Introduction

Depending on the specific prompts people are given, each introductory paragraph will be a little different for each student. Generally, though, this is where you’ll introduce yourself and talk a little about why you’re interested in studying pharmacology in general and why you’re interested in studying at that university specifically. You’ll also want to catch the reader’s attention immediately, in the opening line if possible, but without using gimmicks or something overly dramatic.

According to a how-to guide on the  Birmingham City University website , “The most effective opening sentences are simple, to the point and personal to you.”

You’ll also want to  avoid writing in cliches  or using overused phrasing that everyone else uses. Be original. Be specific. Really help the admissions team understand your drive and passion for pharmacology.

Step 2. Body Paragraphs

Your body paragraphs are where you’ll put the majority of your information. These are the paragraphs where you’ll really dive into answering the question(s) the prompt asks. Unless you’re asked to write an abbreviated personal statement of just a couple hundred words, you should never have less than two body paragraphs, and it’s better to have between three and six.

You want to be comprehensive in your writing; include everything the admissions team might need to hear to sway them in your favour. This generally takes more than a couple of short paragraphs. Remember to indent the first line of each paragraph, and make sure they’re written in an order that makes sense. Don’t jump around from paragraph to paragraph. Make sure each transitions smoothly into the other.

Step 3. Conclusion

In the conclusion of your pharmacy personal statement, you’ll want to bring your entire essay to a smooth, sensible close. Don’t use your conclusion to restate everything you’ve already written. Instead, use it as a place to briefly touch on how entrance into the programme will help you succeed in your future goals.

Also, if it feels appropriate and doesn’t detract from the overall feel of your personal statement, take the time to thank the admissions team for reading it and considering you for application into their school’s pharmacy programme. Be aware that this isn’t always appropriate. If, after adding in the thank you, it seems forced or like it was written just to add more words to an essay that was a little too short, take it out.

Examples of Pharmacy Personal Statements

Example personal statement 1.

“I have gained valuable knowledge studying Chemistry, Biology and Maths which will be beneficial for the Pharmacy course. In Chemistry, I have done a series of experiments which require analytical and evaluative skills such as accurate reading when using burettes. I find the organic Chemistry module rather interesting as I enjoy studying the different reactions of aldehydes and ketones and how these reactions and organic products differ due to the different functional groups present in each compound. Another aspect of chemistry I enjoy is the purification of organic compounds.”

– Read the rest  here

This is the second paragraph of a pharmacy personal statement, and it’s a great example of how to answer a prompt that wants you to discuss any relevant experience you’ve had that could help you in the programme.

This student mentions many of the different science and mathematics courses she’s taken in pursuit of her pharmacy degree, but she doesn’t just list them. She goes into great detail about some of the things she’s done in those classes.

This is excellent for a few reasons. First of all, it’s evident in her writing that she greatly enjoyed the classes she took. This shows that she has a passion for the work she’ll have to do to obtain her MPharm. Universities much prefer to have students on campus who are truly invested in and enjoying the work they’re doing.

Additionally, she uses specific terms – “ketones,” “burettes,” “aldehydes” and more – which shows she has actual knowledge and understanding of the field. We can tell that she’s a knowledgeable, hard-working student who has, thus far, retained the information she learned in her undergraduate courses. Everything about this personal statement was done well.

Our Verdict:

Example Personal Statement 2

“I am interested in the Masters of Pharmacy (MPharm) Programme because I am interested in the modules on which it is based. I want to do the MPharm programme so as to extend my knowledge in Medicines. I would like to get a deeper understanding of how to formulate and administer drugs safely.

I would qualify for the Mpharm programme because I have recently completed BSc in pharmaceutical Science which has given me good understanding of how drugs work. The modules I have undertaken In my BSc Pharmaceutical Science will help me navigate successfully in the MPharm programme.”

This personal statement is a little less impressive than the first one. First of all, there’s not really an opening line. When writing a pharmacy personal statement – or a personal statement of any kind, for that matter – you want to have a nice first sentence that breaks the ice and starts the statement off in a fluid manner. This student just jumps right in and answers the question being asked. There’s no lead-in, no story being told.

The grammar in this particular sample isn’t great either. There are randomly capitalised words (“undertaken In my BSc”) and missing words (“given me good understanding”) and a few other problems that could have been addressed by good editing. This is a testament to why you should always  proofread and edit  your papers before submitting them. It’s even better to give them to a new set of eyes to edit for you if possible.

The two most bothersome things about this sample, though, is that it’s vague, and the sentences are choppy. The student mentions things he’s done (“ recently completed BSc in pharmaceutical Science “) and why he wants to be in the programme (“ because I am interested in the modules on which it is based “), but he gives absolutely no specifics.

He doesn’t talk about anything he learned in his BSc courses that furthered his love of pharmacology, and while he says he’s interested in the programme’s modules, he doesn’t mention a single specific module or why it interests him. We’re just given the bare minimum with no detail – the burger without the cheese and veggies. It’s boring.

Finally, his sentences are horribly choppy. With the exception of one single sentence, each of his sentences starts with the word “I” – “I am,” “I want,” “I would.” There is no variation at all to his writing. It’s boring and makes the reader lose interest. You’ll want to change up the flow and style of your sentences regularly. It adds a little flair and makes your personal statement less monotonous.

Example Personal Statement 3

“Pharmacy has the ability to change people’s lives. Whether it is at the level of the community pharmacist offering the best advice possible to common illnesses, to high-level research into drugs that could cure a range of chronic or life-threatening diseases, the role of the pharmacist cannot be overestimated. As a motivated and hardworking individual, with a desire to understand the fascinating human body along with a joy of helping other people, I strongly believe that studying pharmacy will give me one of the final and most important step towards a rewarding career in the developing field of pharmacy.”

This is another stellar example of what a pharmacy personal statement should be. The writer begins strong with a unique and memorable opening sentence. He tells us, right from the first sentence, one of the reasons he wants to work in the field of pharmacology, but he does so without monotonously and obviously saying, “ I want to be a pharmacist because I think pharmacy can change people lives .” Instead, he simply and concisely says, “ Pharmacy has the ability to change people’s lives. “

It’s a great opening line, and it gives us insight into his reasons for going into the pharmacy field as well. He follows that up with a sentence that shows he’s knowledgeable about different career opportunities in the field of pharmacology.

Then he smoothly transitions into why he, himself, would do well in this field. He tells us he’s hardworking and motivated, but he does so in a way that doesn’t just state those facts outright without context.

He then once again tells us about his interest in the field and also shows us he is someone who enjoys working with and helping others. Finally, he sums up his introduction by leading into what he hopes to gain from the programme.

Although the next paragraph isn’t listed here, it, too, is a smooth transition into the educational and work experiences he’s had that prepared him to do well in the programme. Everything about this personal statement is well-organised, with each paragraph flowing smoothly into the next, and the whole thing covering everything that should be covered in a personal statement.

Example Personal Statement 4

“I am interested in studying chemistry and biology because I would like a career that plays crucial role in public’s health.

I was previously working as a retail assistant and the experience has led me to deal and understand different kind of people. I learnt to keep myself calm, whilst working under pressure environments.

This job has also taught me to work in a fast-paced environment to meet the customer`s demands. This skill will be useful to meet the deadlines while doing my course and working as a pharmacist will enable me to provide good customer services.”

This personal statement is another example of  what not to do  when writing your own statement for admission into the pharmacy programme.

First of all, the introduction paragraph, shown here in its entirety, is much too short. You have to be an excellent writer to turn one sentence into a paragraph and make it work, and this writer didn’t do that. Your introduction should never be only one sentence. It needs to be fleshed out and thoroughly written. There are some glaring grammatical errors as well.

The next problem with this statement is that the work experience the student writes about isn’t really relevant to the programme she’s trying to enter into. She does an admirable job of trying to make it relevant, by talking about how it helped her learn to work with a multitude of different people and taught her to work quickly, but it doesn’t really work.

Most unis want to know that you have relevant work experience. If you don’t, it’s better to mention placement experiences or internships you’ve had that are relevant as opposed to irrelevant work experience. Even if you only worked in a pharmacy for a day as part of a class project, that’s okay. You can learn a lot in a day, and you can make that work in your writing.

Unless you’re really good at making non-relevant experience seem like it has actual relevance to the programme, it’s better to leave it out altogether. That’s not to say you can’t mention having retail or fast food experience, but you have to make sure that you meticulously explain how that experience is relevant to the pharmacology field.

Example Personal Statement 5

“The enthusiasm I have for the sciences – specifically Chemistry – encouraged me to think about my future career and how a chemistry-related degree could be a possibility for me. I have always enjoyed maths and science throughout my education and I have recognised that I can combine both in a career in pharmacy. I believe pharmacy to be a fast-developing profession and recognise that pharmacists are heavily involved in the introduction of new medicines for all kinds of illnesses, and I find the prospect of working in this field inspiring.”

While this isn’t the best example of a personal statement, it’s far from being the worst. This is considered an average statement. The writer does a good job hitting all the points he should cover in his introduction – why he became interested in the field of pharmacy, a basic knowledge of the job description of a pharmacist and why he wants to work in the field in the future – but doesn’t do it in a way that’s incredibly memorable.

It isn’t the strongest introduction paragraph to a personal statement, but at the same time, it’s fair; it isn’t bad. It’s well-organised; the grammar is mostly as it should be, and the subject of why he wants to enter the programme is well covered. It doesn’t grab our attention and make us want to read more though. In short, this is an introductory paragraph that could go either way.

Although not shown here, the rest of this statement turned out pretty good. The writer found his flow and dived into the subject with an appropriate amount of detail, good grammar and a few memorable points. The strength of his body paragraphs and conclusion made up for his less-than-exceptional introduction, and that’s okay.

We included this sample to show that sometimes you get off to a bit of a slow start and can still finish well. It’s better to start strong, but introductions can be tough. As long as the intro isn’t bad and you make up for the average intro in your body paragraphs and conclusion, you’ll usually be okay.

A Few Final Notes

hile it’s certainly true that grades and work experience are important when applying to uni to work on your MPharm, your pharmacy personal statement is equally important. Universities get huge volumes of applications for their pharmacy programmes. They get so many applications that many of them have a “Due to the large volume of applications we receive…” disclaimer on their websites.

Your personal statement is where you can be creative and ensure your essay stands out from the rest. Be sure you check out the formatting requirements ahead of time and stick to them exactly.

Also, make sure you read the personal statement prompt well and understand it before you start writing. Finally, make sure you edit your paper several times before submitting it.

Have a friend, loved one, mentor or former professor look over it as well. Where possible, get a  reputable online personal statement review service to help ( me shamelessly plugging in our services page lol )  Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can find mistakes your own eyes can’t.

Be honest and thorough in your response to the prompt, and never try to plagiarise someone else’s work. It never works. It helps to  run a plagiarism checker  on your final draft- just to be sure!

Finally, be sure you stick to the length requirements. If the statement is supposed to be between 500 and 750 words, make sure that’s what it is. Don’t stop at 490 words and assume it will be enough, and don’t go over an extra 50 words and assume the admissions team will be okay with it. These people read a lot of personal statements; they set a maximum word count for a reason.

Most importantly, do your best, and fill your personal statement with passion. If an admissions team can tell that you’re passionate about your education and your subsequent career in pharmacy, you’ve already won half the battle.

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Writing Center

Student essays, 2023-2024 winners, elizabeth agyemang.

My name is Elizabeth Agyemang and I am a P1 PharmD student. I love to express myself with words and it helps me with my day to day life. Writing has always been my first love, more specifically poetry. I recently published my first book titled "Sprout." It is a piece I have been excited to share. Apart from writing, in my leisure time I enjoy music and reading poetry or any interesting book I may find. 

“Untitled” Three poems

You plucked a rose from my garden So fast So hard You said you’d never seen such beauty You’ve never felt such emotion You admired it I thought Plucking the petals off Gently... Into the wind Until there was nothing left of it You were then the thorn on my rose Gave me pain that I will always carry Invisible wounds that I always feel From the rose you buried I never got to keep in a vase The fragrance you claimed That never belonged to you You took this single red, red rose 

Save me Not from myself, but From the other side Trying to reach in Tear everything down And leave If I don’t survive I go down with it That means for you to get a hold of me You would need to reach In the deepest parts of your memories To see me To hear me To embrace me I urge you, to hold on to me for dear life

I was an empty canvas You painted me with the brightest of colors Not in a form of expression But as a hobby You then stained the canvas And painted over it with the darkest of colors You never saw the mess you made Just admired your work

Nancy Almady

As a first-year PharmD student from from Poughkeepsie, New York, I'm eager to embrace the array of opportunities and challenges awaiting me here at ACPHS. Writing has always been a passion of mine, serving as both a creative outlet and a means of personal growth. My essay, "From Sandcastles to Brick Houses," was inspired by my Principles of Communications class taught by Dr. Denvir. Assigned to write a turning point essay, I reflected on a transformative moment in my journey, crafting it into an engaging narrative.

From Sandcastles to Brick Houses

Last year, I threated God with my life. As a child, I always viewed my life as a sandcastle, strategically placing layer after layer, forming a fortified fortress of hope for the future. Naively, I managed to always build my castles close to the edge of the water, helplessly watching waves whip into them, leaving behind a small mound of muddied serendipity and seashells. No matter how many times the waves came crashing, I always managed to gather the remains and rebuild, until the tsunami.

As a child, I woke to the melody of bracelets making their way through the halls. I’d rub my eyes awake, tiptoeing toward the door as I peered out to see my mom’s laboratory coat as it glided through the air, as she gently opened the door, ready for work. The tune of her bracelets would jolt me awake as I scurried towards her warm embrace. I often rushed to explain the various adventures of my day - it was rough being a ten-year-old with such an active imagination with so little time. I never got to finish any of my stories before she was whisked away to entertain my three other siblings or getting called away to work. But our small moments, when she caressed my head, or her soft smile was enough for me; or so I thought.

After she stopped wearing her bracelets, I stopped recognizing her when she came to and from work. She became a stranger who frequented the house even less. When she smiled at me, my heart coiled and ached, as I was unable to reciprocate her gaze. But I did love her—I do love her. I loved her more than my own sanity would allow. So, I strived to earn her love, or at least convince myself that I deserved it. Had I known she was working as a pharmacist illegally until her certification transferred from Egypt, I would’ve never resented her work for the time I lost with her. Had I known then that my older brother was used as evidence against immigration, the prized firstborn American citizen, I would have never envied the attention he received.

So, in high school, I took a step forward. I worked to be the daughter and sister that could live up to the sacrifices my loved ones made for my future. From bumping up in class rank to adhering to my religious teachings, I became the daughter deserving of my mother. I cultivated our relationship through a garden of memories adorned with her favorite flowers, roses. When we returned home, I smiled at my mother, as she took a seat beside me. I looked up at her warmly before quickly shifting my gaze away from her pale hollowed-out cheeks and thin stature. How stupid of me. It’s been months since that damned tsunami hit, and I keep pretending my sandcastle never crumbled.

I’m immature in that way. Denial is the only way I know how to deal with pain, but when those damn nurses came into our home, it made denial hard. I hated seeing her like that. Those red roses fading into the wilting blue and black color of her IV bruises, that damn scar on her chest from chemotherapy, I hated it all. Everything I was, and everything I thought I was--shattered the second I heard: “stage four cancer.”

God wouldn't do this to me. Not after all the miserable years I endured on this planet, just to have the woman I love most in the world be taken from me. If my mother died, I swore I would follow her. And I know God is too generous, too forgiving to allow my mother, a devote Muslim, to know the heartbreak of her child choosing damnation over a life without her. Unsurprisingly, threats don’t work on the Almighty, so I went with plan B: complete and utter denial.

I often found myself frantically running through the house and the garden in search of my mother. She’d been in and out of the hospital so much that I never knew when she’d be home or when she’d be gone. I was lost without her, left to seek comfort on those nights where I’d find myself falling asleep in my mother’s arms, just to open my eyes to the old black hijab she always used to wear hugging me back. I wiped my tears and buried myself in the cardamom oak fragrance, ready to pretend again.

God must’ve found my threat amusing enough for my mother to be one of the eighteen people who received a successful clinical trial. After months of hopelessness, I regained nefesi , my life and breath, with a single embrace. She was finally home for good, and, in that moment, I made a commitment to rebuild my life, brick by brick, into one that honors my mother, her sacrifices, and beliefs. I now thrive in a brick house, proudly adorning talismans from the beach, ready to expand to the various possibilities that my future will bring. I have learned to embrace my life and all its challenges, chiming my mother's bracelet tune as I follow her into pharmacy and womanhood.

My name is Manny Deol, and I am from Ithaca, NY. I am a third year in the BS microbiology program and hope to one day practice as a physician. I enjoy writing because of the numerous goals it can accomplish, from it being an avenue to express yourself to it being a way to advocate for important societal issues. I wrote this review of Thomas A. Guglielmo's article “’Red Cross, Double Cross’: Race and America’s World War II-Era Blood Donor Service” as an assignment for History of Public Health and Medicine taught by Mr. Smith. The article explores the racist history of the American Red Cross, an organization that may otherwise seem perfectly benevolent on the outside. It highlights the discrimination within the blood donor service in the World War II era, and encourages readers to view organizations more holistically rather than taking them for face value. In this review, I evaluate Guglielmo's argument, highlighting its strengths but also touching upon its weaknesses that affect its delivery. I particularly enjoyed this article as it intersects with my passion for healthcare, and it advocates for equitable care for all. 

Review of Thomas A. Guglielmo “’Red Cross, Double Cross’: Race and America’s World War II-Era Blood Donor Service.” The Journal of American History, Jun 2010. Pg. 63.

The image of the Red Cross often evokes feelings of compassion, with individuals visualizing the life-saving aid the organization provides in critical times, completely oblivious to its dark and racist history. In his article, “’Red Cross, Double Cross’: Race and America’s World War II-Era Blood Donor Service” (2010), Thomas A. Guglielmo directly challenges this idealized image. He argues that despite its external humanitarian image, the organization’s history is marred with racism and discrimination against African Americans, who had to protest and publicly argue in hopes of abolishing the practice. He does so in a comprehensive way, providing a thorough examination of the Red Cross’s blood donor program during World War II in relation to racial prejudices, all while using clear and concise language so that a general audience could understand his message. However, Guglielmo is limited in his exploration of the long-term consequences of this segregation, and his discussion of internal conflict within the Red Cross about these discriminatory practices.

From the start of the Red Cross’s efforts in World War II, the organization was centrally focused on providing blood for soldiers in combat, stating that “thousands of men [were] alive” thanks to the donations (Guglielmo, 63). However, their practices for obtaining such blood reflected the attitudes of society rather than those of science: the blood of African Americans was inferior to those of white Americans. For instance, the Red Cross would label collected blood as “white” or “colored” to ensure these collections remained separated (Guglielmo, 66). The Red Cross attempted to downplay this discrimination by “avoiding talk of races as fundamentally and immutably distinct, but Guglielmo argues that this practice “maintained a deeply unequal racial order” (Guglielmo, 66). An organization whose goal was to save lives was contrarily risking them by not receiving blood donations from black Americans. Even when they started accepting blood, the donations were segregated, as most white soldiers refused to be treated with the blood of a black person. This practice needlessly endangered the lives of soldiers, especially as the war raged on, bloodshed increased, but blood donations remained stagnant. Thus, Guglielmo effectively portrays how the Red Cross’s discriminatory practices fully opposed its public mission.

African Americans were forced to argue and protest against the Red Cross to eliminate these racist policies. In 1941, an African American named Wanda Douglas was turned away at a donation center, leading to much controversy surrounding the Red Cross. Nonetheless, Surgeon General of the Navy Ross T. McIntire stated “…regarding the use of negro blood… At this time, there is no need for such a procedure and I can not visualize one in the near future” (Guglielmo, 69). Supporting the opinions of the military, Red Cross director G. Candy Robinson added, “…about ninety-five percent of those serving in the armed forces are white men, who… prefer plasma from white donors” (Guglielmo, 70). Early protests and publicity against the Red Cross were unsuccessful, as the organization remained firm on excluding African Americans entirely. However, these efforts did not remain unnoticed, but instead set the precedent for similar activism in the coming years. Through “impassioned protest letters and telegrams” to the President, increased attention in newspapers and tabloids, and involvement from civil rights groups such as the NAACP, the Red Cross finally decided to accept blood from black donors on a segregated basis in 1942 (Guglielmo, 71). While the practice of blood being segregated and only being given to members of the same race remained in place until 1947, Guglielmo shows the power of activism in addressing inequitable health policies.

A strength of Guglielmo’s literary work is the context in which he presents his argument. It was clear that by the time of World War II, members of the military and Red Cross were aware that there was no scientific basis to segregate blood. For instance, Surgeon General of the Army James C. Magee expressed that he did not wish to mix white and black blood “for reasons not biologically convincing but which are commonly recognized as psychologically important in America” (Guglielmo, 70). Guglielmo strengthens this position by including an argument from historian David Freund, who explains how Americans at the time “downplayed essentialist racial hierarchies and highlighted… ‘nonracial variables’” (Guglielmo, 66). By including these components in his writing, the author alludes to the overarching racist attitudes of Americans in the 1940s. While different from the belief that African Americans were biologically different, white Americans perceived black people as socially inferior and outright did not wish to be associated with them. This attitude extended into the military, where soldiers refused to have their own blood mixed with that of African Americans. Guglielmo’s context surrounding racism in America sets the perfect platform for the presentation of his argument.

The author’s use of clear and concise language allows his writing to be easily understood. By including quotes from primary sources in a chronological progression, Guglielmo establishes evidence for his argument. He further enhances these examples by thoroughly explaining the importance of them, in a way that any interested readers could follow. Thus, he reaches an audience of not only historians and public health professionals to whom this work may directly impact, but also the general public who may be familiar with the work of the Red Cross but unfamiliar with its dark past. Reaching a large audience allows Guglielmo’s argument to be amplified, allowing more readers to discover the discriminatory practices of the Red Cross and the power of activism in bringing about change.

However, Guglielmo’s exploration of the Red Cross’s history is not as thorough as it could be. While he focuses on the efforts of African Americans in forcing the Red Cross to switch from exclusion to segregation and eventually to full inclusion, he halts there, failing to explore the long-term consequences such policies had on the black community. This episode eroded the trust of many black people in the American healthcare system, who felt a sense of betrayal and hypocrisy, comparing the Red Cross’s policies to “Hitler’s ideas of race and blood” (Guglielmo, 71). This lack of trust has led the African American population to question the quality of care they would receive in hospitals, as well as from white medical professionals. Furthermore, the damage dealt by these policies is present to this day; for example, the increased hesitancy of black Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is evidence of distrust in the system. Thus, Guglielmo’s argument is partially incomplete, as the problems from the Red Cross’s discrimination and racial prejudice in the medical field did not end in 1947.

Another weakness lies in Guglielmo’s limited discussion of internal conflict within the Red Cross.  While he emphasizes the overall stance of the organization in excluding and segregating blood from black donors, exploring potential internal debates on the issue could provide a better understanding of the decision-making process in establishing these policies. Examining whether there were individuals within the Red Cross who challenged the racist attitudes could shed light on the power dynamics in the organization and offer a more complete historical picture.  Did any voices within the Red Cross argue for inclusivity based on medical science or humanitarian principles?  Understanding these internal factors could strengthen Guglielmo’s analysis.

“Red Cross, Double Cross” portrays the racist practices of an organization that seems perfectly benevolent on the outside. By placing his argument in a larger historical context and by using clear and concise language, Guglielmo shows how social activism can foster good change. While he does not explore the eventual consequences of the Red Cross’s policies or the potential internal debate within the organization, Guglielmo’s work encourages readers to holistically analyze other healthcare organizations as well. Are their actions as idealistic as their image, or is there something more immoral happening behind the public’s watch?

Guglielmo, T. A.  “’Red Cross, Double Cross’: Race and America’s World War II-Era Blood Donor Service.” The Journal of American History , Jun 2010. Pg. 63.

Hi, I am Kelly Nhan! I am a current first year in the Doctor in Pharmacy and B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences Program, and this essay was written in the class Breast Cancer Discourse with Dr. Anna Eyre. This writing piece made me realize my deep passion for studying oncology and my desire to help cancer patients on a personal level. Cancer had touched my life personally, and with Dr. Eyre’s encouragement to read closer and view medical treatment from the perspective of cancer patients, I realized my aspiration to bridge the gap between doctor and patient and understand my patients on a deeper level to create the best treatment for them. This writing experience also deepened my understanding of the close connection between literature and medicine, and as I continue my journey to becoming a doctor, I look forward to expanding this knowledge and perspective further. This writing piece truly motivated me to work toward providing more impactful and holistic care to my patients.

Breast Cancer Can Leave Legacies Too

The reason I majored in Doctor of Pharmacy at ACPHS was to contribute to the bigger picture of health care, one patient at a time. I see my occupation as an opportunity to leave my mark, even if the impact is only felt by a few. The word “legacy” is often seen in a large-world perspective with the thinking that to leave one, we must do something huge and world-changing. However, The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs challenges this belief, showing that leaving a legacy can be as simple as writing a book to share our experiences, like her life with cancer, and recognizing the importance of the times we share with others. Through her book The Bright Hour , I believe Nina Riggs’ theme of legacy, through the lens of her breast cancer journey, helps us elucidate the human experience of breast cancer by showing a new side to life in terms of death and her experience with learning to let go.

In her book, Nina Riggs frequently mentions her mother, who also passed away from cancer. In “Mother and Daughter Tour Italy,” Riggs recounts they constantly argued throughout their trip and says her mother “desperately [needed] to still be [her] mom,” and Riggs “desperately [needed] to prove to her how much [she] didn’t need a mom” (Riggs 78). This seems like typical mother-daughter banter, but on page 79, there comes a deeper meaning to their exchanges. Riggs tells she and her mother were reading Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal and came to a new “clarity” on death she faced with her mother. Riggs found “beauty” in Gawande’s exploration of “how to distill what matters most to each of us in life in order to navigate our way toward the edge of it in a meaningful and satisfying way” (Riggs 79). To Riggs, this was “mind-blowing”; however, it wasn’t for her mother who said, “This is what I’ve been saying all along; you just haven’t been ready to listen” (Riggs 79). I believe this marked a shift for Riggs in her understanding of death. She begins to see it as something that makes life more valuable and realizes her mother “bothering” her on this trip was her mother’s way of finding “comfort at the edge” of her life. Her mother’s need to still be her mother was her way of leaving her “legacy” behind, her way of confronting death with meaning. This motivates Riggs to do the same with her children, leaving her legacy of meaning and impact for them. Additionally, I took her mother saying she wasn’t ready to listen as a comforting reminder, as Riggs will eventually face the same reality because of her own cancer diagnosis. Riggs may not be ready to face “the edge,” but her mother is encouraging her to find her lasting purpose with her children and leave a mark they can keep with them. I found this passage humanizing in that we all will face death, and describing it as something that can motivate us to find meaning before “the edge” help cancer patients feel more human.

Nina Riggs not only explores the idea of leaving a legacy for her children, but also reflects on how her children are shaping her own legacy. This opened my eyes to how different ages influence our outlook on life, and how simple perspectives of youth can impact adults just as much as adult lessons can influence youth. This is discussed in the chapter “Not Men-O’-War,” about when Riggs and her children observed jellyfish at a beach house during a holiday. Although the jellyfish had dangerous stingers, her children were captivated by them and their hearts. Riggs said their captivation, rather than being afraid, helped her come “closer to [understanding] that openness to fear” (Riggs 181). For those with cancer, they come to see life from a different “lens” and learn more from the people around them than they did before, which I think is captured by Riggs in this chapter. While Riggs is still tackling the fear surrounding her breast cancer and possible death, her children unknowingly teach her not to fear it, which echoes the lessons her mother shared with her during her own cancer journey. She and Freddy (one of her sons) also wrote in the sand something that made them stronger but that they are ready to let go of. Riggs writes CANCER, and Freddy writes DIABETES (Riggs 182). This may symbolize the belief that Riggs does not want her legacy to be defined by her cancer and hopes to be remembered by the impact she left on the people she loved and the fearlessness she has learned from her children. Riggs’ book sheds light on the human experience of cancer by allowing us to see how it changes our perspective on life, especially with regards to fear, through family and those we love. In this chapter, we see the impact her children and family had on her, which has also impacted the definition of legacy and its theme in the book. Riggs leaves her legacy shaped by not only her experiences, but also by her children, humanizing the experience of her cancer. This reoccurring theme of legacy underscores her journey of letting go of her family, offering readers the raw side of confronting cancer, life, and death.

Towards the end of her memoir, Riggs comes face-to-face with death as her treatments are no longer working. In “Momento Mori,” she reiterates the phrase “ Remember, you must die ” during her trip to Florida with her kids and husband, which also reminds her of her trip to Italy with her mother. In the end, she comes to terms with death and acknowledges that as parents, “we follow our children down manicured paths through an overdeveloped inland swamp, whispering remember you must- we all must- die in [our children’s] ears as they find their way through world rebuilt and worlds that never were” (Riggs 299). This final quote portrays how much Nina Riggs’ character has developed through her cancer journey. She first saw death in a new light through her mother, learned to not fear it from her children, and now finally accepts it and lets go. From her book, it becomes clear that she has left her children the legacy of her story and the lesson of not dwelling on the “worlds that never were” and focusing on the “world rebuilt” from their time together and the future that lays ahead, ultimately symbolizing the nature of life and death. For me, this chapter was hard to read emotionally, and I thought this chapter served as a reminder of the human soul and the pain and joy it goes through during life, and even more so for cancer patients when they face death.

The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs fully encompasses the theme of legacy through elucidating the human experience of cancer by showing the development of letting go and coming to terms with death. However, the truly humanizing part of Riggs’ book lies in the understanding of this and continuing to live life to the fullest. As I prepare to become a doctor someday, I aspire to support my patients not only physically, but emotionally through the rollercoaster of cancer and life. Because of Nina Riggs, I want to create my legacy not only by my contributions to society, but also by the impact I had on the people I met and the souls I touched.

Works Cited

Riggs, Nina. The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying . Simon & Schuster Paperback, 2018.

Aytin Shariq

Hello, My name is Aytin Shariq, I’m a first year commuter student in the Pre PharmD program. I have a passion for writing and I believe this passion was passed down to me from my mother. I always found writing and reading the ultimate form of self expression as writing is always a reflection of one’s imagination and thoughts. I wrote this essay from the voice of my younger self, I am sure this is a piece that many women of color can relate to.

Child of The Moon

It began with a humble lunch box. Though it was crafted with ordinary plastic, it held immeasurable value. The contents of the ordinary plastic were far from plain; each spice and herb sang to me fondly in my mother’s voice. However, as I opened it, I stumbled upon a lingering bitter sensation. The task of placing my lunchbox on the table that was scattered with Lunchables and Fruit Roll-ups seemed impossible. It didn’t belong on the table, but rather hidden away in my backpack where only I could see it. The unusual bitterness ran circles around my mind, casting a shadow on my reflection. “Why is my hair like this? Why is my nose shaped this way?” A small memory of dread had grown into a tree with stubborn roots. Just what would it take for the bitterness to dissipate?

My cultural roots weighed down my shoulders with burden and shame, rather than uplifting them with identity and pride. Shame stung my face when I dared to wear my traditional cultural attire in public. The cloth was reminiscent of the vivid patterns seen through the lens of a kaleidoscope, yet it felt criminal to be seen wearing it. My routine was the flip of a switch, in my home rhythmic words of Urdu rolled off my tongue. At school, every word would be manually translated into English. Each thought meticulously crafted into a sentence that I hoped would get my point across. One morning during attendance, I answered to my name in Urdu out of habit in front of my entire 4th grade class. My teachers face contorted, and I sunk into myself as the room filled with laughter. It wasn’t until I was handed a box of tissues that I realized I was crying. I felt stupid, as if the knowledge of my native language was nothing but a burden.

It had been 8 years since I visited my home country, and ironically the 18-hour plane ride only worked to stray me even further from the familiar warmth of home. Through my eyes a Pakistani household was an empty building, devoid of any furniture, with stark white walls. It taunted me, because it was my own creation, I had witnessed the kaleidoscopic colors of my culture fade out of my life.

On the 3rd day of my trip, I noticed that the Pakistani sun would relent only when the moon was there to take its place. It made me appreciate the moon in a new light. I’d climb the infinite stairs up to the rooftop of my mother’s childhood home where I could admire the moon and count the canopy of stars. It became a ritual that I’d look forward to nightly, and eventually my cousins joined me. We climbed the stairs quickly, panting by the time we reached the last one; yet we’d still find words to share the stories that had been buried under the blanket of time. Though every word was lined with precious silver, there was a handful of words that were pure gold. “You’re a child of the moon you know.” My cousin whispered for only me to hear. “If you feel out of place in America, just look up. We’ll both see the same one.” She said as she pointed at the moon. I felt overwhelmingly blissful, the corners of my mouth soared up as cold tears streamed down my face. I loved the moon, and everything it represented for my culture. I deeply regretted neglecting it for the better half of my life. Each night, every story that was shared helped to slowly paint the stark white walls with the kaleidoscopic colors that I had finally learned to adore. By the end of my trip, the house was adorned with moonlit memories, each one worth its weight in gold. It was when I accepted my culture with open arms that a Pakistani household became a home; surrounding me with warmth and a sense of belonging that I had craved my entire life.

Unconditional

Aytin Shariq, a name to be earned. Surely, I was not deserving of it at my very first word, or my very first step. Surely, I would have to reach my very first miracle, or anything more meaningful than my mere existence. To truly claim such a name, it would take my weight in gold. But of course, that was solely my burden. What tasted sweet to others settled bitterly on my tongue. Unconditional was a word as meaningless as my own name, only to me of course. I have had to learn that it could never be one of my possessions.

My brothers, 10 and 14, were once 5 and 9. It was during this time that it occurred to me, something was new. Not the kind of new that was shiny and rewarding, but the kind that made the bitter taste on my tongue unbearable, worse than it had ever been. The kind of new that mocked me, even with my tireless attempts to look past it, it made my bronze resemble clay. They had deserved their names the moment they were born. Shahmir Qureshi, the king of kings , Shahwaiz Qureshi, noble like no other . Aytin Shariq, bright as the moon, or rather, one day to be as bright as the moon . Though, that day will never come. The day that the moon shines like the sun will not come either. The moon will not be unconditionally loved like the sun, nor will it give life to the flowers that bask underneath. Even the tides under its reign go unnoticed until a ship is beached upon a shore; when the tides are finally noticed, it is nearly always when they draw the ire of man.

I carry my father’s first name as my last, heavy as it is, it’s the way of the tribe. Muslim girls are proud to carry their fathers name, some even take it to their last day. I would do the same if I deserved it, if I weren’t obligated to give my life a meaning, other than just living. If my value did not exist at the very peak of a mountain, or at the end of dark tunnel, where then am I to find it? While it feels as though my value is linked to achievement, some unattainable summit to climb, I yearn for my clay be refined to bronze, and soon the bronze to gold.

My first name, the only name in the family to start with the letter A, is a mighty bluff. The letter S was the sun; it did not matter that the letter A came first in the alphabet. Of course, I love the sun. The sun deserves all that he has, he’s dear to me. He’s the very reason flowers grow, and the world lives to bask in his warmth. Yet still I wonder; when will the bitterness fade, when will the moon be loved as unconditionally?

I cannot say I love the moon. Though, that is where it must start. To love the moon would be to love her for who she is, not how brightly she shines, not if she helps the flowers to grow. Love her as she comes, tides and all. To speak of her the same way the sun is spoken of. Is that what I am to do? Love the moon myself, with a glint of hope that one day, others will too? So be it. If that is what it takes to deserve my name, to be loved unconditionally regardless of silly titles or numbers. I love the tides. I love the moon.

Hayden Ribeiro-Malark

My name is Hayden Ribeiro-Malark, and I am from Saranac, NY. I am currently in my second year in the PharmD program. Writing is important to me as it allows me to express what I am thinking and feeling onto paper. I have never been a fan of writing before college, dreading whenever I must write an essay or whatever else there was assigned to do. Now though, being in college, the freedom I am able to have while writing not only makes writing less stressful, but something I really enjoy doing. I have come to figure out that writing is an outlet for me and is something I will continue to use in the future.

The Downward Cycle

Yet again, I am trapped in thoughts whose origins I do not know. Thoughts that stab other thoughts. Thoughts that spiral off the clock tower and fall through the gears until the clock strikes three. Chime, down goes the clock tower. Chime, down goes my anatomy. Chime, down goes the rain. This rain, coursing along and through thy skin and veins. Puddles he steeped in, distorted, no-name, anonymous reflections. This red-blooded thief, that is not me, not anymore. Rain became tears, tears became thoughts, thoughts became rain. Rain became tears, tears became thoughts, thoughts became rain. This is the cycle we forever live in. His mind, one I am acquainted with, is a tomb for which we cannot escape. Trapped, darkness, sorrow, pain, pain, pain, until an unlucky foe frees us from these walls. When they shall find us, I hope they look past the jewels and gold which circumnavigates these two hands, and se the piercing rays emitting from the sun, which stab the drops of rain, evaporating the leftover distortions from my mind. Chime, up goes the rain, for now I shall not experience anymore pain.

Past Winners

Zeyad elkaffash.

I'm a commuter student from Schenectady, New York. This is my first year as a pre-pharmacy major in the PharmD program. Conveying meaning efficiently has always fascinated me. Consequently, reading is a passion of mine. This passion developed into hours of reading novels, webnovels, and all manner of stories. This reading grew my love for writing and wordplay, which brought about my hobby writing. This essay was written for Principles of Communication taught by Dr. Anna Eyre. The assignment was to write a summary and response essay to “Corn-pone Opinions” by Mark Twain.

A Call to Action

A man is walking to his car, groceries in hand. Suddenly, he sees a protest for animal rights pass by. The eggs in his bag smash against the asphalt. He joins the protesters. This is what would happen in a world where people cannot form their own opinions and always conform to the crowd. Mark Twain paints this picture of humanity in his initially unpublished writing "Corn-prone Opinions.” Twain paints a picture where all self-approval is derived from the populous and polarized social silos are inevitable. I will concede that band wagoning and similar behaviors are prevalent in modern society; however, these behaviors are not the rule. Even though many people are conforming to their respective crowds, humans still form their own unique thoughts and opinions, or as Twain puts it “coldly-thought-out and independent verdict”1(p.1) .

I do not believe Twain believes in the narrative about conformity he shares in “Corn-pone Opinion”. Twain begins with a description of a slave, a man without power or voice in society. Jerry, the slave, would stand on top of his master’s wood pile and give sermons every day. Society silenced Jerry; he was over-looked in the distribution of rewards. Despite this, Jerry, armed with his inherently human ability to reason and think, went against societal expectations to share with his audience, no one he knew, what he thought. It was Jerry’s belief that people in society would intentionally conform to the standards applied to them by society and for their own social and monetary gain1(p.1). In this passage, Jerry, and by extension Twain, are referring to the practice of slavery, which was a practice perpetuated by men in power who conformed to, as Twain states, “ the majority view of his locality by calculation and intention”1(p.1).

A devoted abolitionist, Twain intentionally started “Corn-pone Opinions” with a slave who indirectly called out the practice of slavery. Twain deliberately demonstrates society’s reality, which has people of all different walks of life forming their own unique thoughts and ideas no matter the circumstances, a reality exemplified by Jerry.1(p.2). Twain later explains that members of a society will conform to the fashion of those they perceive as wielders of authority by the human instinct to yield to authority, and secondly the instinct to conform to the majority.1(p.2) This, to me, shows how the practice of conforming to the crowd is widespread throughout portions of society, and is often not directly related to monetary value. Twain mentions this to reinforce his idea that humans will choose to conform to the crowd, not with “calculation and intention”1(p.1), but instead out of their own desire for self-approval derived from the approval of others.

Validating yourself via the approval of others is a familiar experience of many of us today. I believe this idea is rooted in fact. However, I strongly disagree with Twain’s implication that the approval of others is the primary source of self-approval. One of the most crucial pieces of advice given to modern youth in this social media driven world is to seek to accept yourself before seeking acceptance from others. It is apparent that Twain saw in his world the beginning of crowd mentalities and social silos that divided the populous into groups, key characteristics of our world today, and wrote “Corn-pone Opinions” as a wakeup call.

In effect, “Corn-pone Opinions” is a call to action, as is further elaborated on in his conclusion when he strongly, ironically, states how public opinion is treated in a society without original thinkers. “Its name is public opinion. It is held in reverence. It settles everything. Some think it the voice of God.”1(p.3) Using the example of wine consumption in Europe, Twain concludes the paragraph by explaining that “We get our notions and habits and opinions from outside influences; we do not have to study them out.”1(p.2) Contrary to what Twain says, people naturally collect the opinions of others to form their own unique collage. Twain, like everyone else, takes inspiration from already existing opinions--Jerry’s--and develops them into his own.

Despite Mark Twain saying that a “coldly-thought-out and independent verdict”1(p.1) doesn’t exist he demonstrates how a “coldly-thought-out and independent verdict”1(p.1) is formed. By writing about a situation wherein society throws away the inherently human ability to reason out opinions, he is asking his audience to draw their own opinions and speak up. In some way, he encourages using your voice when he talks about how even a nobody could start a trend1(p.2). Much of what Twain says in “Corn-pone Opinions” is meant to be refuted, like the fact that Jerry was wrong that humans can form opinions. It is clear to me that through writing “Corn-pone Opinions”, Twain was attempting to call out an unfortunate practice in society, this practice being conformity without thought. It is incredibly important that we, as members of society, attempt to remedy this by educating ourselves and forming our own opinions.

Corn-pone* Opinions by Mark Twain  - Havlicek's classroom [Internet]. [cited 2022 Oct 17].

Kayleigh Early

My name is Kayleigh Early, and I’m from Williamsport, PA. I’m a P2 student in the PharmD program with a minor in public health. Writing is important to me because it helps me express what I’m thinking to myself and others. I personally find it much easier to articulate my thoughts via writing. When speaking, I feel like important ideas are left unsaid. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my dog, Flynn, and going for hikes and runs. This essay was written for Global Health taught by Dr. Kevin Hickey.

Bending the Arc of Oral Health Care

Many believe that President Biden has restored routine to the White House, habitually beginning his day in the Oval Office at 9 am and ending at 7 pm with dinner.1 Ideal morning and evening routines typically consist of exercise, meditation, affirmations, journaling, and reading, but they fail to mention a task that many educated people (with the proper access) accept as given—teeth brushing. Oral health is often considered a separate entity from physical and mental health, when in fact it is a crucial, unseen aspect of daily living. In fact, in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined oral health “as the general wellbeing that allows individuals to accomplish daily activities such as eating, talking, smiling, and performing social roles, rather than merely the absence of disease.”2 The numerous opportunities available in the contemporary world would suggest that education and access to proper care is widespread, but this is rarely the case. For many people, especially those living in Southeast Asia and Brazil (although also seen in underserved communities in the United States), oral health is not given the proper attention, ultimately introducing the flawed argument that not all people are worthy of this essential element of life.2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

For the Karen ethnic group living along the Thai-Myanmar border in Thailand, the importance of oral health is recognized but not properly pursued.3 A 30-45-year-old woman living in the Mae Tan Village stated, “After losing baby teeth, we simply throw them away. But adult teeth, we cannot lose them, as they are more important and necessary. We use them throughout our lives.”3 The priority placed on oral health is contradictory to the culture’s oral health routines. Although the Karen ethnic group practices teeth brushing, it is not completed logically. A 30-45-year-old woman living in the Khun Houy Village explained, “I take a shower once a day in the evening, and I also brush my teeth at the same time…We rinse our mouths after dinner, and that is enough.”3 The issue is not that the Karen people disregard oral health but that they are uneducated about the best practices to prevent issues such as gingivitis, toothaches, or severe dental caries.3 Many people in this culture brush their teeth with a toothbrush and salt, and they perceive toothbrushing as a sign of hygiene rather than a preventative measure to reduce risks associated with poor oral health.3 With nobody informing the Karen ethnic group about correct oral care practices, achieving optimal oral health, an aspect of life that these people appreciate but do not fully understand, is not a likely possibility.

Even if professional dental care is made available (currently a general lack thereof), the Karen people prefer to self-treat.3 Members in the Mae Tan Village have resolved numerous oral health issues on their own, working through dental pain with more frequent tooth brushing and reduced consumption of sweet foods, settling gum bleeding with warm salt water rinses, and dealing with tooth mobility by eating a soft food diet or chewing on the other side of the mouth.3In a culture that lacks timely dental care and fears dental procedures and equipment, increasing access and trust in professional resources is imperative.3 However, understanding the appropriate measures to prevent dental issues (via education) is just as critical. The Karen ethnic group’s lack of access to oral health resources and education suggests that those with the means to help do not value this society’s overall wellbeing.

The Karen people are not alone in their preference to self-treat oral health problems.2 Two Brazilian indigenous groups, specifically the Kaingang and Guarana people, distrust dental health care practices.2 They associate oral health care with white people and believe that “white food causes white disease.”2 In other words, “white” treatment has only become necessary because “white” food exists. The Kaingan and Guarana people appear to sense a level of hypocrisy among the “white” dental health care practices. Why should they accept help from the same people that instigated their issue? In truth, “the adoption of Western dietary habits, although often naturalized, was understood as a threat to the health of individuals, with important impacts on the oral status.”2 Many foods in the Western diet are high in sugar, which ultimately has a decaying effect on teeth, especially when teeth are not properly maintained. Part of the Brazilian indigenous groups’ distrust of dental health care also has to do with lack of access, high dentist turnover in the villages, and inefficiency at dental care practices.2 Dental care workers may build rapport and establish trust within the communities by making home visits, but in an already failing system, such prospects are slim.2 The “white” people’s failure to make oral health care accommodations for people that need help implies that such an issue is, in their minds, insignificant.

​The Karen, Kaingang, and Guarana people prefer to self-treat and utilize traditional dental practices, but is this harmful? According to the American Dental Association (ADA) and other public health agencies, it is recommended to brush teeth with fluoridated toothpaste twice daily while also flossing daily.4 Despite this recommendation, a traditional form of toothbrush, called the miswak (originated from the stem of the Arak tree), displays antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans (a bacteria that contributes to tooth decay) and is commonly used among indigenous people.4 Although it was found that the use of miswak chewing sticks along with toothbrushing can improve oral hygiene and gingival health, there are many limitations that must be considered, including poor quality due to lack of standardization, irritation and sensitivity, instability in the gastrointestinal tract, poor absorption, and low bioavailability.5 For many, traditional dental practices instill the “illusion that these products are safe for daily or long-term use, which may not be the case.”6 While it would be ideal that all people resort to evidence-based dental practices, especially the utilization of fluoridated toothpaste, lack of education and access to appropriate resources makes this unrealistic. Actions to improve access and education have been initiated, but they are frequently flawed. Apparently, the lack of effective initiative suggests that it is not believed that all people deserve these services.

​In Brazil, many of the issues association with dental care revolve around the dentists’ approach to treatment. It is commonplace for dentists to focus on the patient’s condition rather than the story behind the person’s dental problems.7 In fact, “the focus is on the disease, or more specifically, the damaged tooth, as if it were an entity separate from the general physiology of body and society.”7 This is problematic because patients’ conditions are blamed as the result of poor oral hygiene habits, when in reality the problem might be lack of access to water, toothbrushes, toothpaste, or other means to maintain adequate health.7 The dentists also tend to lack empathy, explaining, “Sometimes I lose my patience with that person that I’ve already told ten times, yet they come back without brushing their teeth, full of plaque.”7 It is not a health care professional’s place to judge a patient for their health condition, even if the solution, such as teeth brushing, appears simple. Judgment impedes proper care, and it ultimately reduces the likelihood that patients’ conditions will improve. Not only are dentists frequently unsympathetic, but they are also unable to devote necessary time to their patients. One dentist said, “If I stop everyone and say, look, let’s learn about tooth brushing, and demonstrate it, I won’t have time to see everyone.”7 The most efficient approach to dental care would be to stop the problem before it begins, but, evidently, dentists in Brazil do not have the time to practice logically. With time limitations as a prominent barrier to improve dental access and education, perhaps a solution would include increasing the number of facilities and dentists available, so each dentist would be responsible for fewer patients. Until this is achieved, however, the lack of time and resource allocation signifies that oral health care is not at the forefront for all populations. 

​Efforts to promote oral health have been more successful in India. While India experiences unequal distribution of dentists in rural and urban areas (limiting access for some individuals) as well as pricey dental treatments, the country has trained AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) professionals to offer dental advice to those who cannot seek direct care.8 In just one day of training, AYUSH professionals significantly increased their knowledge of dental care, thereby making them valuable assets to the Indian population.8 Beyond the utilization of AYUSH professionals, India has also implemented the National Oral Health Programme (NOHP), which includes objectives such as “enhancement of oral health care delivery system, improvement of access to services to oral health care, and reduction in disparities in the oral health status of people across different geographic locations, age groups, gender, and socioeconomic status.”8 In this way, whereas Brazil appears reluctant to account for determinants of health, India acknowledges that they exist and is working to adapt to different populations’ needs.8 Despite these efforts, the fact that improvements in oral health care and education are still a work in progress implies that, at the moment, all individuals are not believed worthy of the human right to sufficient oral health.

Inadequate access to dental care is not an issue reserved to Southeast Asia and Brazil. In underserved communities in America, especially those comprised of immigrants, people refrain from seeking medical and dental care because they fear interacting with public and private agencies that may question their immigration status. If these people do seek help, their last resort is hospital emergency rooms rather than dental health care practices.9 This is problematic because “hospital emergency departments are ill-equipped to handle dental problems, so many patients receive only antibiotics or pain medication, leaving their fundamental oral conditions untreated and thus likely to become exacerbated over time.”9At this point, the dental care received is no longer preventative but a band-aid solution. Determinants of health limit health equity. Initiatives to improve access to dental care should consider “complex and controversial issues of racism, income inequality, food insecurity, and inequities in education, taxation, and housing.”9 At the moment, the health care system does not prioritize those born into unforgiving circumstances. Until all people are treated as human beings deserving of care, oral health (or truly any facet of health) cannot be given the proper attention, and people will continue to suffer the unfair consequences.

In President Biden’s first speech to Congress, he, recalling a famous Martin Luther King Jr. speech, declared, “We have a giant opportunity to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice. Real justice.”10 Moral injustice spans vast numbers of issues, and, as a pervasive issue, it is not specific to any one geographical area. In the oral health sphere, the lack of education and access, distrust in health care professionals, reliance on traditional practices, and recognition of dental professionals’ lack of empathy and time, are not issues restricted to Southeast Asia, Brazil, and underserved communities in America.2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Wherever social, economic, and environmental influences limit adequate health care (but, in truth, limit equity in almost all aspects of life), oral health will not be prioritized. Every person with sufficient means has a responsibility to advocate for equity, but not just for oral health. If not now, then when?

Parker, Ashley. Weightlifting, Gatorade, birthday calls: Inside Biden’s day [Internet]. Washington Post; 24 May 2021 [cited 2022 Dec 10]. Available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-daily-routine-gatorade/2021/05/23/b6f608c2-b40e-11eb-a3b5-f994536fe84a_story.html

Soares GH, Carrer FCA, Biazevic MGH, Michel-Crosato E. Food Transition and Oral Health in Two Brazilian Indigenous Peoples: A Grounded Theory Model. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. 2019 Aug;30(3):1037-1052.

Thu SWYM, Negeonwiwatkul Y, Maneekan P, Phuanukoonnon S. Perception and belief in oral health among Karen ethnic group living along Thai-Myanmar border, Thailand. BMC Oral Health. 2020 Nov 11;20(1):322-332.

Rifaey N, AlAdwani M, Karched M, Baskaradoss JK. A clinical investigation into the efficacy of miswak chewing sticks as an oral hygiene aid: A crossover randomized trial. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. 2020 Dec 20;19(2):223-230.

Kumar R, Mirza mA, Naseef PP, Kuruniyan MS, Zakir F, Aggarwal G. Exploring the Potential of Natural Product-Based Nanomedicine for Maintaining Oral Health. Molecules. 2022 Mar 7;27(5):1725.

Reddington AR. Patient Education: Holistic Oral Health Care Trends. The Dental Assistant. 2018 May/Jun;87(3):12-15.

Kharbanda OP, Priya H, Bhadauria US, Khurana C, Das D, Dev M, et al. Empowering AYUSH health professionals on oral health promotion in a tertiary care dental hospital in India: An interventional study. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. 2020 Jun 30;12(1):75-79.

Demby N, Northridge ME. Delivering Equitable Care to Underserved Communities. American Journal of Public Health. 2018 Nov;108(11):1446-1447.

McCarthy, Joe. 13 Key Quotes from President Joe Biden’s First Speech to Congress [Internet]. Global Citizen; 29 Apr 2021 [cited 2022 Dec 12]. Available from: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/joe-biden-address-to-congress-quotes/

I was born in a refugee camp between the borders of Thailand and Myanmar. My family immigrated to the United States in 2009. For most of my childhood, I grew up in Albany. I wanted to be able to help my Karen refugee community with their misconceptions about medicine so I chose the PharmD major, class of 2027. Writing is important to me because it's easier for me to get my points across. I'm not a good speaker so my words may miss their intention but writing allows me to organize my thoughts and be more concise. When I'm not in school, I like to work out at the gym and play pick-up basketball with my friends. This essay was written for Humanities 201 taught by Dr. Kevin Hickey.

When Refugees Resettle

When refugees resettle to a new, stable country to make their new life, all their problems don’t just go away. Although it is common sense that adaptation to a new country with a new language, culture, weather, etc. will have it’s challenges, there are unique difficulties for the resettled refugee. It is important to be aware of these problems as it is projected that there could be an increase in refugees with ongoing world conflicts and the problems associated with global warming. In the film, I Am Not Your Negro, by Raoul Peck, James Baldwin says, “part of my responsibility, as a witness, was to move as largely and as freely as possible. To write the story, and to get it out.” This quote details how, as a witness, it is your responsibility to give a voice to those unseen and unheard.  As an ethnic Karen refugee myself, although my perspective may be limited, I will be using my personal experiences and the things learned from Humanities 201 to give a voice to my people and their problems and raise awareness of them because I believe Karen refugees are unseen and unheard. 

The poem, Some People, by Wislawa Szymborska, says, “They leave behind some of their everything, sown fields, some chickens, dogs, mirrors in which fire now sees itself reflected.” Refugees are people who must leave things behind as their homes are often in ruins and as they are forced to flee. In addition to leaving physical possessions behind, they also must leave parts of their identity behind. 

My parents had to flee from their homeland of Myanmar to the outskirts of Thailand in fear for their lives as they fled from the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Burmese military Junta. My mother would tell me stories of having to hide in the forest as the village that she was born in was burned to the ground by Burmese soldiers. Not knowing if their relatives in different villages were safe, they had no choice but to flee deeper into the jungle. When they were repeatedly displaced, they had no choice but to flee to a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border. My siblings and I were raised in one of these camps, named the Umpiem refugee camp in Thailand. I knew no other life than that of being “warehoused” in a refugee camp. It was my norm. It was all I knew. However, that wasn’t the case for my parents. They were aware that life beyond the confines of the camp offered better opportunities. They applied for resettlement and in a lottery-style system, luckily had their names drawn in 2009, which meant our family could resettle in Albany, New York. 

In the Great Migration series by Jacob Lawrence, many African Americans move to the north from the south searching for better opportunities and equality. However, they were faced with segregation, discrimination, and overcrowded living conditions. This is like the immigration of refugees. Refugees arrive in new countries with the prospect of stability, freedom, and opportunities however they also face problems such as language barriers, culture shock, discrimination, loss of identity, etc. Like the African Americans who migrated from the south to the north, refugees also must work high demand jobs that pay low wages. This is compounded by the fact that since the Karen have endured over 60 years of civil unrest, it has made schooling a rarity. My parent’s elementary education was continually disrupted. I began my education in a refugee camp school: a bamboo and thatch structure with nothing more than a few benches and a teacher. A lack of education and opportunity makes it difficult for newly arrived refugees to work anything more than manual labor jobs. 

The loss of identity is a big problem that refugees face and this is something that I have noticed among my own Karen resettled community here in Albany. In her work, Mother Tongue, Zineb Sedira documents how hard it was for her mother and daughter to communicate with each other because Sedira’s mom spoke Arabic and could understand French, but the granddaughter was able to understand French but only speak English. The video is great to showcase how being raised in a different country from their native country causes the loss of one of the most important aspects of identity and that is the mother tongue. Arriving in Albany at the age of six, I can communicate with my parents but am unable to speak at a high proficiency in their native Karen or Burmese tongue. They, in turn, are not proficient in the language I am most proficient in: English. The fact that I’m able to speak their native tongue at all is only because I was born and raised in a refugee camp for the first six years of my life. What I have noticed, however, is that most Karen kids born and raised in America are not able to speak Karen or understand Karen. Almost all the Karen kids I see at church are unable to communicate in Karen. Instead, they communicate in English. This proves problematic for parent-child relationships. In addition to a loss of language, many Karen kids are routinely exposed to American food since they are given free breakfast and lunch at school. Consequently, they develop a taste for American food and fast food like McDonald’s instead of eating traditional Korean food like fish paste with rice. This further adds stress to the parent-child relationship, as parents can’t afford fast food every day and they don’t know how to cook American food.  

Another way Karen people lose parts of their identity in the resettlement process is with the loss of childhood. This is especially the case for older siblings. In the Karen community in Albany, when families first arrive, parents are not able to speak, read or write English, so they rely on their eldest children to do so. Resettled refugee children do things that normally a parent would do. These older siblings have responsibilities that an adult should have. The eldest child (like my sister, for example), has to fill out forms that decide whether the family gets aid from the government for Food stamps, sorts mail, deals with the landlord, calls and makes doctor appointments, etc. etc. The eldest child is expected to pave the way for their younger siblings and teach them about the new country and to take care of them for everything the parents are not able to. 

Immigrating to a new country also goes hand-in-hand with enduring discrimination, especially when you look, dress and talk differently from your American and African American classmates. Growing up in Albany public schools, I was often made fun of for my small eyes, and people called me Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee. However, the bullying that I had to endure was not as bad as some other Karen kids. A Karen girl in middle school was bullied and had her hair set on fire, another girl had gum shoved in her hair and yet another child had her classmate cut off her pony tail. I routinely heard racial slurs against female Asian students. As a child, it was confusing why we were so hated when all we did was to look different. The bullying and discrimination doesn’t just happen to kids. A Karen man who was walking in the city by himself was brutally assaulted by some African American men. Because the majority of resettled Karen refugees arrive with trauma from what they endured at the hands of the Burmese military and while refugees, the community as a whole, lacks confidence and perhaps lends itself to being picked on and targeted by inner-city folks in Albany.  

Kara Walker’s sculpture, A Subtlety, shows us how America as a country has profited off of African Americans, especially in the sugar business. African Americans often work hard labor jobs while not getting paid much and being profited off of. People who don’t have much education or literacy skills are often subjected to hard manual labor jobs. This is especially true for the adult resettled Karens living in Albany. Most Karen people in Albany work in factories such as mattress companies, bottle factories or other processing plants. A few work at Walmart, and as room cleaners at hotels. My dad worked as a pizza hut dishwasher and also washed dishes at a college, until he couldn’t anymore. 

In Ages of Consequences by Jared P. Scott, Bangladesh was labeled as “ground zero” for the devastating effects of Climate change with its rising sea levels and cyclones. Finding out more about Bangladesh, I learned that Myanmar was 2nd among the countries most affected by climate change based on the Global Climate Risk Index by German Watch from 2000 to 2019. Like Bangladesh, Myanmar will have to deal with more natural disasters such as droughts, flooding, and cyclones. Karen refugees will even have more to worry about, especially since most of our relatives are in bamboo hut villages that rely on farming to survive and because of global warming precipitation patterns are unpredictable. 

In the story, To the Insects, by W.S. Merwin, it’s stated that “we kill you again and again and we turn into you eating the forests eating the earth and the water.” Humans have become pests like how we see ants by destroying the earth through deforestation and burning of fossil fuel making global warming worse. However, Myanmar and Bangladesh are not countries that play a large part in global warming like northern, more developed countries, yet they are the most affected. Especially with climate change, there will be more climate refugees. Refugees are unseen and unheard. As a Karen refugee and as a witness, it was important to raise awareness of the problems associated with resettlement that refugees when they come to a new country. Displacement and genocide forces refugees from their home, making them a unique “breed” of immigrant to this country, with a unique set of challenges they face.

Britney Mbeng

My name is Britney Mbeng and I am a P3 PharmD student with a passion for public health. Writing is important to me because it has always been a way for me to immerse myself into new worlds and to expand the limits of my imagination! Besides writing, I spend my free time reading science fiction novels, cooking, baking, and watching anime. This piece was written for Health Care and Human Values taught by Dr. Kevin Brosnan. The assignment was to choose one of two different cases and defend an ethical judgement (either morally permissible, morally obligatory, or morally wrong).

An Ethical Analysis of Case #2 – The Prisoner Study

The Prisoner Study posits an ethical dilemma in which 100 death row inmates are to be used as subjects in a life-saving clinical trial that is likely to kill or severely harm the participants involved. In order to determine the moral justifications of this case, two moral theories come to mind: (1) the ethical principles in clinical research and (2) utilitarianism. In this analysis, I will argue that conducting this trial is not morally justifiable and lays the ground for significant societal harm.

The Belmont Report outlines basic ethical principles all medical research must follow: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The prisoners were not able to make an informed decision about their role in the study (essentially coerced), infringing on their autonomy entirely. Despite the benefits society would reap from their sacrifice, the death/harm brought to the prisoners is contradictory to the principle of beneficence—to act in the best interest of the patient. Lastly, in a just world, all people must shoulder equal benefits and harms of an intervention. In this case, the prisoners shoulder all the harm, while the rest of society shoulder all the benefits. These outcomes are not equally allocated among all those impacted by the study, therefore unjust. From a clinical research lens, I believe this case is not morally justified.

Utilitarianism is a theory that favors the action whose consequences benefit the most amount of people. Despite the morbid act of sacrificing 100 prisoners, their deaths would benefit an entire society. To a utilitarian, the action of their sacrifice would be morally permissible. However, I would argue that a utilitarian approach calls into question how mankind has historically taken advantage of vulnerable populations to advance humanity. If we kill 100 prisoners today, how many will we kill tomorrow or the day after that? I strongly believe that the repercussions of this sacrifice extend beyond its immediate “benefits”. The harm and death of prisoners may exponentially increase as more sacrifices may need to be made in the name of science and medicine. The lines of clinical ethics would continue to blur across different types of ethical dilemmas. Legal reparations may be pursued by the prisoners’ families, and trust in the medical community may be lost. Even under a utilitarian stance, the moral justification of this action seems to crumble entirely.

In summary, a case surrounding the involuntary participation of death row inmates in a clinical trial guaranteed to bring them harm and death (but, of course, benefit all of society) is neither morally permissible, obligatory, nor right. Regardless of the good the trial would bring, the utter disregard for human life and autonomy, the negative precedence it sets for the medical community, and the debate of utility, this case is not morally justifiable.

Beau Morrell

Hi! I'm Beau Morrell. I'm from Vermont. I'm a first year Public Health major interested in the PA track. Writing is important to me because it's a key part of self-expression. I also find meaning in writing for advocacy and to uplift the voices of others.

Sunday Best

I felt so pretty that day, sitting on the musty stairwell that smelled of old books. My abuela sat in front of me, focusing on tying up my new boots. Her curly gray hair was done up, held in place by a large, bejeweled barrette. 

Abuela finished the knot with a neat bow and patted my leg. I smiled at my feet. The boots were dark brown and reached up just past my ankle. They had a slight heel, making them feel mature. I had just turned 8, so I was thrilled to get my own fancy grown up shoes.

​“These are church boots, only wear them for very holy occasions.” She told me. I agreed, despite knowing I would never take them off.

​“Up!” She announced. I stood and let her fuss over my outfit. Typically, she smelled of earth and fish from tending to the garden and cooking. This time, she smelled as if every floral scent was mixed into one, and it made my eyes water.

​My grandparents and myself all got into their old beat up pickup truck, so caked in mud on the sides you could barely tell that it used to be white. I settled into the back seat, shoving clutter out of my way. It stunk of chemicals l from the several old air fresheners hanging off the dash. 

​“You excited pumpkin?” My abuelo asked, making eye contact with me through the rearview mirror. 

​I just smiled and he turned back to face the road. I was terrified. My mom is pagan, and I was raised surrounded by a coven of witches. I loved every part of it, especially the nights spent playing drums around a fire, and our feasts where I could have as many deserts as I wanted.

​My mom told me that I could go to church, and that plenty of people go. She was always more than happy to let me learn more about their religion, but only if I was comfortable. Still, I feared I would seem out of place.

​Next thing I knew, I was being lead through big wooden doors. Inside, the wooden walls seemed to continue upwards impossibly high before meeting the ceiling. I looked in awe at the designs in the glass embedded within the walls. The sun shone through them, illuminating endless rows of wooden benches in faint multicolor hues of red, blue and yellow.

​I noticed several other children grouping together. When abuela saw me looking, she shoved me towards them.

​“Vamos, vamos!” she chirped, ushering me into the crowd of kids. Suddenly, her hand vanished from my back. I moved out of the crowd and looked for her, but she was gone. 

​The group started moving, led by a tall woman in a long skirt. I followed them hesitantly until we got to a smaller room down the hall.

​It was colorful; several posters hung on just about every wall. Many contained images of animals, with bolded quotes written overtop. In the front of the room was a large whiteboard, and above it a banner displaying the letters of the alphabet.

I sat down and the tall lady moved to the front of the class. She began talking, but I was distracted by studying the chunky jewelry that hung from her neck.

​“… and today we have someone new!” I was drawn back to the conversation as all the students turned to face me, some smiling, others looking annoyed by my presence. I sunk into my chair even more.

​She approached me and handed me a sheet of paper. “Just follow along,” she whispered. “You can skip any word you don’t know.”

​I looked at the paper she gave me with determination. I read a lot; I could impress them by knowing all the words.

​I was so focused on reading and pronouncing each word perfectly that I didn’t digest most of it. The teacher kept her eyes glued to me as she stood over my shoulder.

​When we finished the class began clapping, and I felt proud of myself. The rest of the day was a lot of crafting. Luckily, I was happy to quietly color until class ended.

​I ran out as soon as we were dismissed, excited to rejoin my grandparents and tell them how well I read. I spotted my abuela and rushed to her.

​“abue-“she cut me off, grabbing my hands forcefully. 

“Did you say it? Did you promise yourself to Jesus?” she asked, still holding me. My confidence and excitement from before vanished. I had no clue what she was talking about. Just then the teacher came over, and my abuela quickly released me. 

​“He did!” she said to my abuela, beaming proudly. “Don’t you remember?” she asked.

​I suddenly remembered the paper she handed me in class, with all those big words. I perked back up with new confidence.

“Oh yeah, I was able to read all of it!” I exclaimed, relaxing as I saw them both smile proudly at me.

​“You know this means you’re Christian now!” she exclaimed. I looked around and saw a few heads turn our way.

I was overwhelmed with a guilt that made my entire body feel heavy. That’s not what I meant. I tried to backtrack but my abuela continued, leaving me no room to speak.

​She cupped my face with her hands. The smell of perfume that was merely an irritant was suddenly nauseating.

​“Ah, mi pollito, I’m so proud!” She let go of my face and ruffled my hair. I searched for a way out. Despite the high ceilings, I had never felt more trapped. 

​By this time, other women of the church had started to notice us, and they began riffling through bags and purses. 

​One pulled out a pocket mirror and wrote the date on it before handing it to me. Others gave me bibles. Some even gave me their jewelry.

“May you never forget this day.”—“You made the right decision.”—“We’re so proud of you.”

​My hands shook as I took each gift. I felt like a scam artist, taking praise for being something that I wasn’t. I politely thanked them as I held back tears. 

​On the ride home, Abuela bought McDonalds to celebrate. I picked at my fries as I stared at the floor of the truck, examining the trash and dirt that lay there. Seeing all the crumpled receipts, old take out boxes, dirty clothes, and fur, all made the truck felt dirtier than it did that morning. Distantly, I could hear my abuela in the front seat singing along to a hymn on the radio. I curled in on myself and cried quietly until I fell asleep.

​At home, I hid in my room. I could hear my mom speaking with abuela on the phone down the hall from me. She didn’t sound very happy.

I studied my church boots, noticing each imperfection that I hadn’t seen before. There was a loose string on the inside of the sole, and a small part of the leather that was already peeling. The heel it had made my feet ache, even after I took them off. I had blisters on both heals, that made it sore to even wear socks. Maybe I would be able to keep my promise to abuela, they didn’t feel pretty anymore anyways.

Sophia Otterstedt

My name is Sophia Otterstedt, and I’m from Eastvale, California. As of 2023, I am a second-year student in the Microbiology program. I love to read, find new music, and hang out with my friends in my spare time! Writing is important because it can be a healthy, creative outlet for just about any aspect of your life. It is also subjective, with different meanings extrapolated from the same words, which can make writing a wonderful thing. This essay was written for Contemporary World History taught by Dr. Kevin Hickey.

Non-White Women: Disregarded by White Women, Mistreated by Non-White Men

Representation of minority groups throughout history has always been a cycle of progression and regression. Ignorance, whether willful or not, will affect those who are overlooked. Along with ignorance, the representation of such minorities causes unintentional side effects such as negative stereotypes, fetishization, and misogyny. The most efficient way to counteract the adverse effects of a one-sided story is to provide an open space for a more diverse group to open a dialogue. A dialogue that can add more sides to a single story can give a more accurate perspective on the world. While open dialogue and representation vary in every social circumstance, non-white women are usually the most overlooked. Non-white women will face the brunt of these negative stereotypes, hyper-sexualization, racism, and misogyny. White women and non-white men can also face such struggles. However, these groups can play a hand in the oppression of non-white women, whereas non-white women have no power in many scenarios compared to their white women and non-white men counterparts.

One of the most significant problems minorities face sometime in their lives is a form of racism. It can sometimes appear as a subtle passing comment or be as blatant as acts of violence against those who are discriminated against. Fetishization, and stereotyping are ways racism is implemented in everyday life. Stereotypes are a way to make a sweeping generalization of groups of people. Fetishization may seem like a compliment on the surface; however, with a deeper understanding, it has much deeper roots in racism and misogyny. The hypersexualization of non-white women is also a form of stereotyping that contributes to racism. It may seem like a compliment or even a simple dating preference to say, for example, Asian women are submissive for their partners. However, what this does is perpetuate different stereotypes that cause non-white women to be affected more by sexual violence. Fetishization reduces people to their racial stereotypes and dehumanizes its victims. In Rafeef Ziadah's moving spoken poetry, Shades of Anger, she describes the so-called shades of anger Arab women come in during Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestine. Ziadah mocks the U.S.'s aid for Israel by stating, "Should I not scream? / I forgot to be your every orientalist dream / Genie in a bottle, belly dancer, harem girl, soft spoken Arab woman." (2:46-2:54). While critiquing a more significant issue of the violent occupation, she lists the typical stereotype of the tantalizing and submissive Arab woman that some Americans hold. The critique of the fetishization of Middle Eastern women shows the grotesque image that’s shoved onto innocent women trying to live through a violent conflict, thus removing any urgency to their oppression, just as long as they are pretty and submissive. The dehumanization of non-white men can also distance them from their oppression. Renowned photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe, was incredibly guilty of his near-blatant fetishization of black men. His main subjects were muscular black men, who were almost always nude. They posed in suggestive manners, as was his style, but these photos contributed to a significant problem of black fetishization. Black people were primarily seen as hypersexual beings, with these myths being used to justify the enslavement and torture of black people for centuries. Thus, Robert Mapplethorpe's portrayal of black men added to the hypersexual stereotype Americans associate them with today.

With this argument in mind, it is evident that women are at the center of these issues. Misogyny, inward and out, plays a considerable role in treating non-white women. Referring back to Robert Mapplethorpe, he photographed black women rarely, if ever. The one instance where he did photograph a black woman was the well-established Grace Jones. Jones was considered very masculine because of how she, like Mapplethorpe, explored gender expression. The only difference is that Mapplethorpe was seen as groundbreaking and Jones as ugly. The masculinization of black women is misogynoir, a combination of racism and misogyny often targeted towards black women. Misogynoir, a separate misogyny, is proof enough that non-white women are more disregarded; however, black people are working to tear this down. Photographer, Zanele Muholi, is one of these people. In Muholi's Homage to Black Women, they display themself in an unapologetic series of photographs where their black features are the main focus. They’re beautiful photos that demonstrate the black body in a way that isn't inherently sexual or serves some ulterior motive, like the salacious catalog of Robert Mapplethorpe. Muholi continues the motif of black beauty with the brave series, Faces and Phases. In this series, black people, more specifically black lesbians, were featured front and center as a form of preserving LGBTQ history as well as humanizing people that suffer disproportionally from sexual and hateful violence in South Africa and across the world. Misogyny is also highlighted in the film Women Without Men (1990), four women are followed as they navigate their way through their everyday oppression, with political turmoil in the background. This movie illustrates how misogyny affects women by keeping them distracted from directly participating in politics. The women featured in this movie are more worried about their different, oppressive problems are society's way to, either intentionally or unintentionally, keep women from participating in politics. Without women contributing to politics, they will be left complacent and subservient in a society that seeks to prevent women from improving their living conditions.

However, an essential factor of misogyny often overlooked is how women can perpetuate these problems. Though women don’t hold the same status as men, there are aspects that divide women further apart. White women are the closest to the power of white men because of their proximity to whiteness. White women, by extension white people, will never experience racism the way non-white people do, since there is no system of power behind non-white people to oppress white people. There are, however, centuries of domination behind the racism targeted at non-white people by white people. White women sometimes weaponize stereotypes of weakness and submissiveness to project stereotypes on non-white people. The hard-hitting documentary, The Central Park 5, detailed a case of a white woman who wrongfully accused 5 black and Latino teenage boys of brutal sexual assault. The largely white-dominated media painted these children as animals and savages, where their race no doubt played a part in their prosecution and demonization in the media. The actual perpetrator was discovered after the boys had already served 7 years in prison. The boys, who were men upon release, received financial compensation, but what good is monetary compensation for over 7 years of trauma? While white women can use those stereotypes to inflict harm on others, women, in general, can also internalize these stereotypes to enact meaningless competition between women, just as men do. Jumping Monkey Hill, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, demonstrates the concept of internalized misogyny when Ujunwa became jealous of the Senegalese woman when she became the object of sexual harassment for the white African expert, Edward. Throughout the story, Ujunwa was sexually harassed by Edward and expressed her distaste for his actions; however, when he decided to fetishize the Senegalese lesbian, Ujunwa felt an odd sense of jealousy.. This is a form of internalized misogyny where the woman, Ujunwa, almost missed being the center of attention of the white man. She accepted the gross stereotypes of being a woman on top of the racial fetishization as she believed the “ogling as her due” (Adichie).

To summarize, racism and misogyny often stem from ignorance and a lack of dialogue between non-white and white people. Depending on the context of social situations, various underlying power dynamics will change how people act around one another. The most disadvantaged people based on gender and racial hierarchies are non-white women. Racial stereotypes and fetishization play a part in these power dynamics because they seek to dehumanize women so they are unable to interact with the world on the same level as men. It inhibits women from political input and social or economic growth. However, misogyny can also be internalized and allows women to oppress other women. All these factors combined contribute to the fact that non-white women would remain powerless in social situations. However, if the dialogue and representation were opened to include more people in all aspects of life, there would be less prejudice and systemic oppression of minority groups and would create a more egalitarian society.

Zanele Munholi, self portraits and faces and phases

Adichie, Chimamanda N. Jumping Monkey Hill. Granta, 2006.

Burns, Sarah, et al., directors. Central Park Five. Sundance Selects, 2012.

Mapplethorpe, Robert. Self Portraits. 1980.

Muholi, Zanele. Homage to Black Women. 2016

Muholi, Zanele. Faces and Phases. 2010

Neshat, Shirin, director. Women Without Men. 2010. 

“Rafeef Ziadah - ' Shades of Anger ', London, 12.11.11.” Youtube, Sternchen Productions, 2011.

Morgan Scarsavafa

My name is Morgan and I am from Montgomery, NY (Orange County). I’m a fourth year public health student also looking to get a minor in microbiology. I just recently was accepted into the UAlbany MPH program as well! I have used writing my entire life as a tool for expression, and this tool has seen me through all of my highs and lows. Whether it’s formal writing or freewriting, I have always found a way to fit my own perspective in. At ACPHS, I have been given a lot of opportunities to fine tune this skill; it has served me well! Some of my other hobbies include running, lifting, and making/listening to music; I’m currently in my final seasons for the ACPHS XCTF team! This research essay was written for Global Health taught by Dr. Kevin Hickey.

Painting a Picture with Patterns: The Construction of the Culture of Woman

We often define culture as a set of traditions and behaviors common among people living within a specified geographic area. While this definition has served us well, it may be time to expand it past physical boundaries. The structure of culture provided by the Process Iceberg1 as well as the practice of pattern naming2 can both be utilized to expand this definition of culture. It would be productive to use these tools to construct a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be female. In a way this could be considered the global female culture. The concept of pattern naming, as detailed in The Willful Virgin, is a tool that can be utilized to formulate the definition of female culture. In order to accomplish this, we must first investigate exactly what ‘culture’ means.

Culture encompasses so much more than just traditions and behaviors. Think about where these traditions and behaviors come from; often times there are shared experiences or shared forces among people that consider themselves to be within the same culture. As written by Tony Mann, “the notion of culture being ‘behaviour’ is too simplistic because behaviour is driven and influenced by forces that exert control over it.”1 By viewing culture at this angle, we are allowing the ability to approach culture at its base. This angle approaches culture from its causes rather than its effects. To consider a wholistic understanding of what culture is, considering its causes appears to be essential. We cannot enjoy a meal without also appreciating its ingredients.

In almost all cases for all individuals, it is rare to find that only one culture is acting on each individual’s experience. In many cases, “there is a ‘hidden’/shadow Iceberg [culture] that operates counter to the formal strategy, structure, systems and roles.”1 This is a phenomenon that will be established several times in this paper; while female culture is fairly consistent, this does not mean that each woman is experiencing the same exact things. Being a woman means being subjected and presented to the world in a way that is uniquely female. This presentation wears a different mask in different places, but this does not mean that the mask is made of completely different materials.

Why is this relevant? Tony Mann goes on to describe the importance of recognizing these behind the scene cultures, detailing that, “It operates behind, alongside and sometimes in competition with the formal Iceberg [culture], in which case management has to acknowledge its existence and seek to understand why.”1 Recognizing cultures that lie under and synergize with others is essential to understanding the individual experience of any one person as well as understanding the overall experience of groups that may identify with several common cultures. Being female and presenting oneself to the world as such has a degree of nuance that comes with doing so, and these nuances do work to influence the cultures that lie on top of them. These nuances are built by shared and/or parallel experiences (more to come on this). To close off the argument that culture is not always defined by geographic bounds, “The culture of an organization [or group] is more than behavior… It is reflected in the structure and processes and made possible by the systems… lived out by everyone through their skills, attributes and knowledge.”1 The idea of culture needs to encompass the overarching forces working on the group of people in question. The world influences women in such stark ways that are hard to ignore; the collection of these common influences have the potential to add up to what could be considered the global female culture.

How exactly do we pinpoint the pieces of these stories that qualify them to be included in any one collection? This is where the concept of pattern naming2 comes in. This process is carried out through the collecting of stories and the highlighting of common themes and experiences within those stories. Marilyn Frye describes the importance of the process through detailing that, “The experiences of each woman and of the women collectively generate a new web of meaning.”2 The web that Frye speaks of is the web that creates the picture of the culture of being woman. According to Frye, “Our process has been one of discovering, recognizing, and creating patterns – patterns within which experience made a new kind of sense, or in many instances, for the first time made any sense at all.” These patterns create a new understanding of what it means to be a woman. Understanding this allows us to put together a comprehensive list of common themes, experiences, and forces that women around the world encounter either daily or at some point in their lives. These pinpointed commonalities are the workings of the female culture. According to Frye, “What we want to do is to speak of and to and from the circumstances, experience and perception of those who are historically, materially, culturally constructed by or through the concept woman.”2 While women all exist within their own cultures, we must also be aware of the fact that being a woman is unique in itself. Women do not experience the world in the same way as men; girls do not experience the world in the same way as boys. We see this in our own lives in so many forms. Using this logic, it is only reasonable to try to define what it means to be a woman in the same way we define being American or just about any other geographically bounded culture.

The unique part about the female culture being constructed here is that, unlike many cultural traditions and behaviors, women do not experience their own culture in the exact same ways. In many cases, women will have experiences that have little to nothing in common other than one overarching theme. Frye comments on this to say, “the differences among women across cultures, locales and generations make it clear that although all female humans may live lives shaped by concepts of Woman, they are not all shaped by the same concept of Woman.”2 This goes to say that the specifics of each situation may not be the same, but the forces creating the experience usually are. A pattern that sticks out in a particularly glaring way is the pattern of male dominance that is undeniably visible worldwide. Frye incorporates this into her writing to say, “Women's lives are full and overflowing with the evidence of the imbalanced distribution of woes and wealth as between the women and the men of each class, race and circumstance.”2 There is a clear discrepancy between the experiences of women and men globally, and this discrepancy is widely accepted to be crafted by men. Frye describes this acknowledgement as the process of obtaining, “knowledge of the oppression of women by men.”2 That being said, the pattern of male dominance is a uniquely female experience, as men do not experience this in the same stratifying way that women do. This pattern is one of the most prevalent patterns across all geographic and societal cultures.

An essential theory that helps develop the importance of recognizing male dominance is that of feminist care ethics. A part of this theory establishes women as the primary caretakers in the household, and the theory builds to suggest that this role carries over into their lives outside of the home (given that they have the opportunity to have a life outside of their households). This can manifest as women holding jobs that are primarily nurture-based, such as becoming a teacher, nurse, secretary/receptionist, and others. While there is an acknowledged biological component to this phenomenon, the societal structure of this adoption of the caretaker role does have a touch of male dominance to it. Women are often not given or allowed to have the same opportunities as men both inside and outside of the household due to the domination of the male perspective in societies across the globe.

Constructing this collection of patterns to create an idea of what the female culture might look like requires building a compilation of stories. These stories can come from several different angles, but for the purpose of this paper just two will be focused on. The first angle is location based. Women from different locations clearly have different experiences; sometimes these experiences cannot even be directly compared because the nature of each has the potential to be so different. However, there are overarching themes that can be pulled from each experience at both locations. The second angle is situation based. Even for women that are from the same place, there are different situations that they will or will not find themselves in. Even though the situations could have nothing to do with one another, it is still possible to draw conclusions about common themes. To reiterate: male dominance is a very strong theme in just about every location and almost every situation. There is some sort of touch of this theme in almost every interaction that a woman could find herself in.

In terms of location, it will be beneficial to compare two. In Iraqi Kurdistan, the concepts provided through feminist care ethics are heavily visible. The article provides that, “Even in the best of circumstances for immigrant women workers, being required to leave one’s children behind is a serious human rights issue and, in particular, a women’s rights problem and a children’s rights crisis.”3 Considering this phenomenon to be both a women’s rights issue and a children’s rights issue poses two issues. The life of the child should be able to be supplemented by their father’s presence; the outcome of childhood should not solely ride on the back of their mothers staying at home. The second problem posed by this situation is the language itself: if the need for the mother to work is really a problem for the child, then would this not be an issue for the whole family? This problem, which certainly affects the child, is shoved onto the mother. However, the father is typically not considered in these instances. This is an example of male dominance, where the mother is handed a problem that really concerns the entire family.

The pattern of male dominance through the use of the caretaker role is also seen in Africa, where it has been admitted that “women migrants would be key asset to the financial sector in addition to the development of their home countries because of assumption that ‘women are motivated by a higher sense of commitment to family well-being and thus are more likely to remit.’”4 This assumption is purely based in the idea that women live, breathe, and die for their families, which plays into the caretaker role described by feminist care ethics.

But why do we make this assumption? While the situation described in Kurdistan makes the argument that women working can be detrimental to the family structure, the situation described in Africa describes giving women a specific role based in the same characteristic needed to nurture a family: softness. In simplistic terms, women have historically been placed into softer roles, allowing men to be placed into roles that require them to be harder. This gender-based stratification between soft and hard builds up the presence of male dominance, and it is common to find this stratification in any corner of the world.

Approaching this topic from a location based angle is certainly productive, but there is also value in approaching the topic from the basis of situations. Location establishes the vastness of the patterns while situations establish the degree of integration of the patterns. Male dominance in the workplace is a problem that has existed for as long as the workplace has existed. This pattern is very strong, as explained in a study where, “Analyses revealed that applicants were more often selected for a position in which the occupation stereotype matched their gender suggesting an effect of an evaluator’s gender role traditionalism.”5 Based off of the current understanding of gender stereotypes, and considering the characterization of women as provided by feminist care ethics, it is easy to assert which gender roles women are often shoved into. The steadiness of this practice of enforcing male dominance in the workplace is further established in the same study where, “those participants indicating that they held more traditional gender role beliefs tended to favor male applicants in their evaluations.” Not only did this study formulate the role male dominance plays in role selection in the workplace, but it also established the idea that this presence of male dominance is heavy and unchanging.

The issue previously established is particularly glaring in STEM fields. In the same study, it is shown that “Once women enter a STEM or other traditionally masculine career field, they are subject to different evaluative standards, and thus have a harder time pursuing employment and promotion in these fields.”5 This difference in treatment is part of the female experience and can likely lead to actions and reactions that are based in the knowledge of these differences.

In another study regarding managerial decisions, the “Results suggested that both gender and organizational context contributed to shaping the managers’ understandings and decisions regarding the ethical dilemmas in their work.”6 Within the same study, “women and men managers acknowledged similar ethical dilemmas, [but] the moral reasoning they used was, at times, different.”6 While this does not necessarily establish a pattern of dominance, the idea that the difference in decisions made by managers was able to be stratified by gender says a lot about how female experiences and male experiences play a role in how an individual interacts with the world around them. “[The] results provide support for a more complex understanding of how women and men managers experience ethical issues and make decisions when they confront salient moral dilemmas in their natural work setting.”6 The fact that there is a difference between male and female decision-making in the workplace warrants an investigation as to why, and the reasons why relate back to the forces previously mentioned that encompass the culture of being woman.

Why is the investigation of the global female culture important? The investigation of any culture is important for the understanding each culture provides towards the grand scheme of being human. While all cultures are important, it is important to specifically highlight differences between people that have the potential to stratify the human experience as a whole. Biological sex as well as societal presentation of gender make up one (two really, but one for the purposes of this paper) of those differences. As expressed previously, being a man and being a woman in today’s world are two extremely different experiences. Having a comprehensive understanding of the differences within the human condition creates a better understanding of what it means and what it could mean to be human altogether.

Understanding women and what their experiences are/could be is important in a healthcare sense because providers have to be able to respond to the unspoken parts of their patients’ stories in order to provide more comprehensive care. Patients are not always eager to share every bit of their lives with providers, and this can be accidental or purposeful. Although it is a drop in the bucket of what makes up an individual, having an idea of how biological sex and gender identity affect the experience of the patient gives more of an insight as to how to interact with and respond to that patient. Falling into the demographic of “female” provides a degree of insight that most patients wouldn’t cover during a routine fill-in with a provider, so having some sort of framework of the culture of woman to work with is incredibly useful in these situations.

Going into the future, it is important to understand the current state of the female culture and experiences in order to decide what changes are desired and/or needed. Although only one pattern contributing to the culture of woman was highlighted in previous statements, there are so many other forces contributing to this concept. Feminism is a driving force for change regarding the female experience. “This is because feminism whether in migrating or sedentary life involves the creation of new social dynamics, concepts and lifestyles at the expense of well-established pre-existing social norms and worldviews, some of which are almost universal.”4 It is common practice for artists to take a step back and ask their pieces “what do you need from me?” If we consider the female culture to be the picture and feminists (and the rest of the world) to be the artists, the concept of understanding the female culture in order to further shape it makes a lot of sense.

Being a woman in today’s world has a specific set of qualities that are not inherently understood by anyone looking from the outside in. That is the value in attempting to put these collections of patterns and stories down on paper. Human beings are brilliantly complex, and that is one virtue that mankind can lean into. A researcher described the complexity of women through the following: “the women in our study are aware of the various systems that have enslaved them. They speak critically of masculinities, bosses, the police, immigration authorities, and governments. They also speak of hope. At the same time, they tell their difficult stories, the women also tell a story of risk, courage, and taking care of one another and of their children and families back home. Their journeys are remarkably filled with their belief in justice and their commitment to achieving it.”3 Where there is darkness, there is also light; it is imperative to understand how a group of people perceives those contrasts in order to understand how that group thinks. We will always have an endless amount of data to decipher, and that data exists in the form of the stories we tell and the experiences we share.

Mann T.  What is culture?  Training Journal. 2010:47-51.

Frye M. p. 60-65. In: Willful Virgin: Essays in Feminism, 1976-1992. Freedom, CA: Crossing Press; 1992.

Carter K, Aulette J.  The domestic workers convention is not enough: A postcolonial feminist view of ethiopian and filipino domestic workers in iraqi kurdistan . Frontiers. 2016;37(3):175-203.

Ojong VB.  The social dynamics of feminism in the context of african migration . Gender & Behaviour. 2019;17(3):13920-13931.

Rice L, Barth JM.  A tale of two gender roles: The effects of implicit and explicit gender role traditionalism and occupational stereotype on hiring decisions . Gender Issues. 2017;34(1):86-102.

Miller, Y., Kark, R. & Zohar, N.  Her/His Ethics? Managerial Ethics in Moral Decision-Making from a Contextual, Gendered, and Relational Perspective . Sex Roles 80, 218–233 (2019).

Sarah Richter

I am from Rockland County, New York, and am a PharmD major in my first year. Writing is extremely valuable to me because it allows me to connect with others through my culture and beliefs. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, working with horses, and studying. This narrative essay was written for Principles of Communication taught by Professor Amanda Ruschack.

My Mother is My Culture

My culture resides within my mother's footprints. With every step she took, the indents left behind were too shallow for mine to follow. Her footprint was too big for mine to mold perfectly with, and they lacked the depth that would hold the water of her culture. The rain in Colombia is heavy during May, however, my mother carried a bucket with holes, refusing to bring her culture to the United States. I grew up missing an essential part of my identity, my Hispanic heritage. As I continue trying to fill my bucket, I still struggle to patch the holes that let my culture seep away; I struggle to understand why my mother left her culture behind in Colombia, instead of sharing it with her daughter.

In the beginning, I lacked the understanding of why my mother would be so hesitant to share her life with her children. Throughout the years of stories from her childhood, the resentment that built up had gone away. Originally, I felt pressured by others to fit into the stereotype of a Latina. My mother never taught me Spanish and would speak to me in broken English, in a hopeless attempt to assimilate into a more 'authentic' American lifestyle. To my mom, being in the United States as a citizen meant you should adopt their customs, language, and culture while disowning your own. Whenever my ethnicity was brought up, remarks from other Hispanics surrounded me. I even began to question my upbringing - why was I not able to speak Spanish, partake in holidays and celebrations, or share food from my mother's hometown? I couldn't find an answer to supply them with, let alone an answer to tell myself to ease the disappointment I had. I was embarrassed to mention that I was Colombian, afraid of the overbearing questions I'd face.

For years I avoided any idea that I had any other part in my culture other than being American and European, since to most, there was an absence of culture. I felt disconnected from other classmates, especially those who were involved in their cultures. Kids with immigrant parents often packed native foods for lunch, styled their hair into protective styles from their countries, and even went on trips to engage more in their culture. I was jealous of those kids - the ones who smelled of spices their mothers used to cook with, those who spoke their native language with ease to their parents, and those who felt a close connection to their culture. My mother sent me to school with money for school lunch, or if I was lucky, a brown paper bag with a sandwich inside. Nothing I brought out of my house resembled my culture. My mom brushed my natural curls into a straight poofy style, putting my hair into a tight ponytail that others made fun of. I was inherently jealous of not being able to embrace my culture.

As time went on, instead of others trying to welcome different cultures, they began to use it against us. Even though my mother still refused to teach me Spanish, or feed us Colombian empanadas con chorizo, I declined the idea of letting it go. Other children, especially those without their own culture, began to judge those who had one. Comments circulated about the way food smelled or looked, or the way children replicated accents that their parents' tongues had. Students often made remarks about the hair on my arm, referring to me as a boy. They were unaware that being Latina meant having more hair on my arm, or even if they were aware, they didn't care.

I started to dislike my culture and the plethora of judgement it brought to me. I felt unincluded in either group; neither the Hispanics nor the Americans wished to have me a part of them. To other Hispanics, I wasn't Hispanic enough. I did not speak much Spanish, nor did I share the same holidays, traditions, or food. To them, I was a disgrace to their culture and whitewashed. To the Americans, I lacked what they wished was more prevalent in their expectations. I didn't have blonde hair or blue eyes, nor did I have two white parents. I ate food combinations they saw as weird, and they viewed my mom as an alien. There was no group I felt comfortable associating with.

After countless stories, my mom eventually shared the hardships she endured in Colombia. Ranging from guerillas going onto her family's farm, or living in a convent, I finally understood why she neglected to share about her culture. My mother no longer wanted to be a part of her culture and wished to push it into the past. She wished to embody American society in hopes of protecting my brother and me from the potential trauma that she faced, living in a poor country. As much as it angered a younger me for lacking my Colombian side, and still causes me to feel like a part of myself is missing, I couldn't blame my mother for struggling to share that piece of her life. So instead of fully embracing being Colombian as part of my culture, I made my mother my culture instead.

Sopheary Te

My name is Sopheary Te, and I am a PharmD candidate for the class of 2028 from Norristown, Pennsylvania. I love to write because it challenges me to combine creativity with intellect, but my other hobbies include drawing and photography. This essay was written for Humanities 115 taught by Dr. Ray Chandrasekara.

This is Not a “Negro Problem”

Raoul Peck’s documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, based on one of James Baldwin’s incomplete works, expresses the late author’s views on racism in America. The film discusses some of the major obstacles that black Americans face, namely the widespread apathy towards racism.  Moreover, the major theme of the film is that these obstacles are not a “Negro problem” that black Americans can defeat alone. These themes are similarly addressed in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series, a series of artworks depicting the incessant challenges black Americans faced during the Great Migration out of the South. Both works illuminate the idea that change is in the hands of everyone, from those who remain complicit in America’s systemic racism, to those who suffer because of it. Every American must be actively antiracist if this country is to truly move forward beyond its deeply racist history.

As stated above, many white Americans don’t consider racism a problem they have to personally address; in truth, many only view it as an unfortunate occurrence that some racist whites—not them—inflict on black people. With this mindset, they fail to realize how their complicity with the current system is also racist. One of the resounding themes of the documentary is that white Americans are afraid of acknowledging their own guilt, so they refuse to address the current and historic issues with race. Those who are privileged, after all, have no desire to change the status quo; consequently, they choose to ignore racism and the glaring fact that their wealth and privilege are results of the oppression and exploitation of minorities. Addressing racism is neither easy nor comfortable, but, as stated in the documentary, “nothing can be changed until it is faced.” With this statement, Baldwin reminds us that complicity in racism by anyone, regardless of race, prevents the achievement of real progress.

Weaponized apathy is also addressed in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series. For example, white privilege juxtaposes black subordination in Panel 49, titled “They found discrimination in the North. It was a different kind.” This painting features a segregated restaurant in which white diners possess far superior cutlery to that of black diners, illustrating the unequal conditions of segregated institutions. During the time of the Great Migration, white people justified this widespread segregation through the “separate but equal” clause, but they ignored the clear inequality between the treatment of black and white patrons. This disregard is reflected in the white diners’ blatant unaffectedness regarding their superior treatment. Lawrence’s art thus reflects the film’s notion that those who are not suffering from racism choose to renounce issues of inequality, because to see them as problems would force white Americans to relinquish their power over black Americans. Essentially, the Migration Series demonstrates that even if people are not directly abusing black Americans, their complicity contributes to stagnation, thereby preventing the progress that can only be achieved through anti-racism.

Both Peck’s documentary and Lawrence’s paintings illustrate how black Americans face dehumanizing discrimination simply for existing. An overarching theme in both the film and the artwork is that the U.S., as a whole, has a racist history: the film’s ending lines state that the only difference between the North and the South is in “the way they castrate you,” which is echoed by the Migration Series’ depiction of the horrors black Americans faced no matter where they went. In this sense, both works condemn the way we view racism as a pinpointed, rather than nationwide, issue; this perspective only shifts blame and avoids the accountability required for change. Again, all Americans must cease the apathy towards racism, for it is a problem that cannot be solved until it is recognized and addressed by everyone.

I Am Not Your Negro. Directed by Raoul Peck, performances by James Baldwin. Magnolia Pictures, 2016.

"Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series." The Phillips Collection, lawrencemigration.phillipscollection.org/the-migration-series. Accessed 29 Sept. 2022.

Rayne Valentine

Rayne Valentine is a first-year student in the Population Health program. This research-based argument was written for Academic Reading and Writing taught by Dr. Anna Eyre.

The Efficacy of Plant-Based Diets in Reducing Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

With chronic diseases taking the spot of leading causes of death in the United States, counteracting and preventing these diseases is becoming a priority. For many conditions, especially cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, diets with the inclusion of animal products are a contributing factor leading to both the progression and increased severity of the diseases. A solution to this problem is plant-based eating, which has been shown in numerous studies to be effective in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Plant-based eating is an alternative diet excluding animal products. Plant-based eating patterns emphasize the consumption of legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and seeds.4 Those who choose to follow this diet may do so for varying reasons including health benefits, lighter environmental impact, and ethical concerns. Recent studies have been conducted that demonstrate the inclusion of animal products in a diet significantly increases the likelihood of obtaining specific diseases, making plant-based diets a valid option to improve health. The evidence conducted to support this proves that plant-based eating is effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The Diabetes Federation estimated that 463 million people had diabetes in 2019 and is expecting prevalence to grow to 578 million, or 10.4% of the global population, by 2030.1 Of the 463 million, type 2 diabetes made up 422 million, and case numbers are exponentially increasing in middle and low-income countries.4 This is a problem that we need to address and remedy promptly. Plant-based diets have been shown repeatedly to improve glycemic control and ameliorate insulin sensitivity. Several Adventist Health Studies are exemplary reports on the effects of plant-based eating on health relative to type 2 diabetes. In one Adventist Health Study, men and women who consumed meat reported a greater risk of diabetes by 93% and 97% as compared to their vegetarian participants.1 In Study 2, in which 61,000 individuals partook, prevalence decreased with each reduction of consumed animal products. Prevalence was reported at “7.6% in non-vegetarian diets, 6.1% in semi-vegetarians, 4.8% in pesco-vegetarians, 3.2% in lacto-ovo vegetarians, and 2.9% in vegans”.4 The non-vegetarians in this study only ate meat occasionally, with non-vegetarians at once a week or more and semi-vegetarians at less than once a week.4 This suggests that even semi-regular inclusion of red meat and poultry in the diet escalates the risk of type 2 diabetes. Following 8,401 members of the Adventist Mortality Study and Adventist Health Study, it was observed that adhering long-term (seventeen years) to a diet including meat consumption at least once a week was associated with a 74% increase in the odds of developing diabetes as opposed to those who ate plant-based.4

Two biological components of the body interact with diet and influence cardiovascular disease. Many observational studies have demonstrated a relationship between risk of cardiovascular disease and poor glucose control. HbA1c is a form of hemoglobin linked to a monosaccharide, or sugar, and is linked with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Studies establish that glycated hemoglobin concentrations of 6.0-6.9% had a lower risk of fatal/nonfatal coronary artery disease by 20% than those with levels of 7.0-7.9%.2 This is significant as analysis of six randomized control trials showed a significant reduction of HbA1c in vegetarian diets as compared to the typical diet of patients with type 2 diabetes.2

Another serious chemical compound is TMAO (trimethylamine N oxide). When consumed, the nutrients choline and L-carnitine are processed by gut microbes, resulting in trimethylamine being released into the blood. It is then transported to the liver and converted into trimethylamine N-oxide. TMAO is affiliated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events independent of traditional risk factors by affecting cholesterol, sterol metabolism, and atherosclerotic pathways.5 This is especially dangerous as the effects on atherosclerotic pathways may lead to stroke, heart attack, and death. L-carnitine and choline are found in abundance in red meat, full-fat dairy, and eggs. TMAO levels may be reduced through diet modifications and elimination of TMAO precursors.

Even more so than diabetes, plant-based eating patterns have a significant impact on preventing cardiovascular disease. It is reported that almost one half of cardio-metabolic deaths in the United States could be prevented through proper nutrition.2 Evidence suggests “plant-based diets may reduce risk of coronary heart disease events by an estimated 40%”.2 Regarding ischemic heart disease incidence and mortality, vegetarian diets have been associated with reductions of 24-32% relative to omnivorous diets and even the clinical reversal of coronary heart disease.3 Many cohort studies have provided evidence and backed claims of the efficacy of plant-based eating in cardiovascular health. Coronary artery stenosis, the narrowing of arteries in the heart, and atherosclerosis, the thickening or hardening of arteries, are both due to buildup of fatty plaque in the arteries and are a contributing factor of disease events and mortality. Among patients with moderate to severe coronary artery disease, one study demonstrated significant reduction of coronary artery stenosis and atherosclerotic stenosis after five years on a vegetarian diet- a risk reduction of 13%.1Those in the control group who remained eating an omnivorous diet experienced a progression in atherosclerosis. To date, a low-fat, vegetarian diet is the only dietary pattern to have shown cessation and reversal of arterial plaque.2

Several studies have been conducted on the efficacy of plant-based diets in relation to coronary artery disease and cardiovascular event rates. Authors of one study following patients with severe coronary artery disease reported that of those who adhered to a low-fat, plant-based diet, 73% were documented to have a regression of the disease during repeat testing after five years on the diet.4 One study, the Esselstyn program, produced significant findings. 89% of the participants followed the whole-food, vegan diet assigned. The results found the cardiovascular event rate to be remarkably low- 0.6% among those who adhered to the diet compared to the 62% of the non-adherent group.4 Such a significant difference of event rates indicates that plant-based diets have a substantial effect on our bodies, more so than we currently know.

Recently, a cohort study comprised of 131,342 adults measured the efficacy of plant-based eating despite lifestyle factors. In participants with at least one unhealthy lifestyle factor, substituting just 3% of an animal protein with a plant protein resulted in a 10% decrease in all-cause mortality and a 12% decrease in cardiovascular mortality.4 Such results from a minute change suggest that drastic changes in diet yield more extensive results.

In addition, heme iron, a type of iron found primarily in animal foods such as red meat, poultry, and seafood, is observed to have a positive association between intake and risk of stroke.3,5 A study was done by the American Heart Association measuring relationships between risk of stroke and heme iron intake with consideration of factors such as BMI, smoking status, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Findings showed that among men with normal weight, those in the highest quintile of heme iron intake had a 40% higher risk of stroke than those in the lowest quintile.3 Aside from risk, incidence of stroke among the men in the highest quintile was 16% higher. This is significant as the Association reported no interactions observed between heme iron intake and smoking status, physical activity, and alcohol consumption.3 This implies that consumption of animal products containing heme iron increases the risk of stroke independent of other lifestyle components and may be one contributing factor of the difference in coronary heart disease events between vegetarian and omnivorous diets.

It should be noted that the relationship between plant-based eating patterns and prevalence and risk of both diabetes and cardiovascular disease is due to the absence of saturated fats and cholesterol along with the addition of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. When compared to saturated fats, monosaturated and polysaturated fats have supportive effects on glycemia, insulin resistance, and secretion.4 Inversely, saturated fats elevate the risk of diabetes and are associated with increased mortality in diabetic patients.4 There is also evidence that polyunsaturated fatty acids activate anti-inflammatory pathways in the heart.5 It is possible this is due to “altering cell membrane fatty composition and hence cell membrane function, moderating gene expression and enzyme activity, and mediating the inflammatory response”.5 Saturated fats, the harmful fat, are found in products such as butter, milk, red meat, poultry, eggs, and cheese.6 Unsaturated fats, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are the ‘good’ fats with beneficial effects on the body. Monosaturated fats are considered most healthy and are present in nuts, avocados, and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are especially significant in diets in that they are excellent plant-sources of Omega-3 fatty acids and they appear in vegetable oils, nuts, and leafy greens. Polyunsaturated fats appear in high concentration in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils, flax seeds, and walnuts. These healthy fats are present in plant-based diets and contribute to the preventative effects relative to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.6

Arguments have been made against the health of relying on plant-based diets for nutrition, particularly that of the vegan diet, claiming that these diets may not supply essential nutrients. Contrary to this belief, manifestations of deficiencies have not been found to be more common among vegetarian populations than omnivorous populations.2 The American Heart Association as well as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend plant-based eating for improved health, with the latter stating, “...appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”2 Nutrients that may be difficult to obtain are protein, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12.2 While the bioavailability of some of these are lower in plants, well-balanced and planned eating patterns can easily prevent deficiencies. One essential vitamin, B-12, is made by neither plants nor animals but by microbes.1 B-12 can be found in foods such as nutritional yeast, plant milks, vegan yogurts, and mushrooms. Supplements are easily accessible, affordable, and found in most grocery stores. Adequate vitamin D levels can be ensured by sunlight exposure, and other essential vitamins can be easily obtained through supplements and/or consuming fortified foods.5

All the compiled statistics and figures point to the indisputable fact that plant-based diets improve health as well as reduce the risk of developing and mitigating the severity of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Several compounds and components of animal products result in negative reactions in the body and have long-term detrimental effects. Even removing some animal products such as dairy or eggs reduces incidence and prevalence of these diseases, making plant-based diets a justifiable solution. In the case of cardiovascular disease, even modifying the diet to be more plant-based may reverse the effects of plaque and narrowing of arteries in the heart. Plant-based diets are also shown to improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, thus reducing prevalence and risk of obtaining type 2 diabetes. Patients who suffer from these diseases should consider altering their diet to be more plant-based as it very well may result in reduced health issues and increased longevity.

Jardine, M. Kahleova, H. Levin, S. Ali, Z. Trapp, C. Barnard, N. Perspective: Plant-Based Eating Pattern for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention and Treatment: Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Practical Considerations. Adv Nutr. 2021 Jun; 12(6):2045-55.

Kahleova, H. Levin, S. Barnard, N. Cardio-Metabolic Benefits of Plant-Based Diets. Nutrients. 2017 Aug; 9(8):848.

Kaluza, J. Wolk, A. Larsson, S.C. Heme Iron Intake and Risk of Stroke: A Prospective Study of Men. Am Heart J. 2013;44[2]

McMacken, M. Shah, S. A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017 May; 14(5):342-54.

Satija, A. Hu, F. Plant-based diets and cardiovascular health. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Oct; 28(7):437-41.

Types of Fat. [Internet]. Harvard. [cited 2022 Dec 3]. Available from:  https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/

My name is Reyna Woo, and I am currently a first-year student in the PharmD program. I was born and raised in Southern California, though I attended high school in South Korea. Writing is my means of self-expression and creativity – it allows me to communicate my thoughts and ideas and feelings to others effectively. Writing is an outlet for me to convey my personal experiences and perspectives that I sometimes find difficult to articulate verbally, which is why it is so important to me. This narrative essay was written for Principles of Communication taught by Professor Amanda Ruschack.

The Need for Speed

“Unstoppable taste for haste” is what the BBC coined as the expeditiousness embedded in South Korean culture and lifestyle. Everything is fast: the internet, food, and even people are in a constant rush, no matter the situation. And perhaps, owing to this Korean characteristic of urgency, my mind is always centered on being fast; a sense of uneasiness would crawl up my neck whenever someone else had a head start, and as I became older, this anxiety began to eat at me. Though, through my struggles, I was able to gain a better understanding of what it means to take things slow and become more accustomed to being at a different pace than everybody else.

Having lived a substantial amount of time in both Korea and America, I have experienced two strikingly disparate cultures and know the struggles of being caught between the different speeds of the two societies while trying to fit into the different social norms of the two countries. There were times when I was unable to overcome the language barrier and had difficulties communicating with others. I would constantly struggle to maintain a conversation for long periods without stuttering or hesitating, which led me to have trouble making friends. I remember feeling extremely self-conscious about how words would stumble out of my mouth; it seemed as if so many sets of eyes were on me, staring at me, judging me. I have always labored through oral presentations and such where I have had to talk in front of a group of people with all their attention focused on me. While the reality was that I was not presenting anything to anyone, every time I spoke in Korean, I felt that everyone’s focus would shift to me, and it became even harder to continue. And the fact that Korea was such a fast-paced society did nothing to help me overcome my internal struggles. I was constantly overwhelmed by the fact that I felt I was behind in everything – like behind in overcoming language barriers.

One of the most striking experiences I had regarding my struggles with keeping up with the rapid flow in Korea was with school. Of course, all students face difficulties when transferring schools. But attending a new school in a whole other country is on a different note. After I graduated from middle school in America, I had to attend an extra year of middle school in Korea because of the difference in the academic calendar. That meant that I would be an entire year behind all my friends and former classmates back in the States: I would still be in high school while everyone else moved on to college. People around me, especially my parents, told me that one year behind would be insignificant in the long run, and it would impact my life much less than I imagined it would. But no words could reassure me. I thought that I had to stay at the same pace as everyone else to succeed. I had unknowingly confined myself to a mindset that required me to function at the same speed, same time as everyone else.

I attempted to make amends with myself – after all, it was but one year. But whenever I received news of the end of another academic year back in America while I was attending school, I was reminded of how I would always be a few steps behind everyone. Although I faced inner conflicts in this unusual circumstance in my life, I put the situation at the back of my head and shut my eyes and ears tight so that I could focus on more urgent matters I had to deal with, such as academics. My parents advised me that I may be overthinking the seemingly unreconcilable one-year discrepancy and told me that as years go by, there will be several obstacles that will slow me down. Through their advice, I was able to grab a foothold and came to realize that similar situations would likely be repeated many times in the years ahead. Gradually, I was able to fully comprehend that people go at their own pace and accomplish their goals at different times. The problem was not me being slow—it was about me being so desperate about it and doing nothing to compensate for it. 

There will be unexpected situations that might arise in the future: I might take a gap year that delays my education and seeing other students driving forward ahead of me while I am at a standstill could once again make me anxious about being behind. Or perhaps, after graduating college, a gap between graduates who have a steady career and those who have not might spark a sense of hurry. But I am positive that my past experiences have prepared me for such instances. The impatient, rigid person who disliked being behind everyone had transformed into a calm, flexible person who now goes at her own pace without any distress.

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My Motivation to Study Pharmacy

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Ice catheterization lab observations.

Nurses assist the physician during catheterization procedures. There specific roles are; patient care and medication, administering conscious sedation, patient procedure monitoring and most importantly providing an emergency medication. From the start to the end of operations, the nurse has to be there. Moreover, nurses should interview the patient before any operation is started. Questions about allergies, heart diseases and previous illness are part of the assessment nurses should conduct. This assessment is necessary to know the health status of the patient. It is important to do patient assessment frequently to establish the medication effectiveness.

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Pharmacy involves the occupation of prescribing medication to patients suffering from various conditions. Pharmacists work either as independent pharmacists, selling drugs in chemists/ drug stores, or under a medical facility administering drugs prescribed by a doctor. The main occupation of a pharmacist is prescribing the correct medication to patients for a certain ailment. Whether working under a health institution or as independent pharmacists, they still provide an invaluable service to society without which the practice of medicine would be impossible.

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Medication is Different from Other Products

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Part1: Medicinal or pharmaceutical Plants

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Systematic Clearance Extended Calculation Fraction Unbound (fu): 0.5 Clearance by active Secretion (CLsec):5.4/Lhr Fraction reabsorbed (FR): 0.2 Hepatic Extraction Ratio (Eh): 0.1 Calculating the (Vd): Volume of Distribution of drug on administration =Vd=Xo/Co Vd= Xo/Co =300mg/Anti-log1.26 Vd = Xo/Co = 300mg/18.2 ug/ml = 16.5lts Total Systematic Clearance, ClT = ClT=KeVd ClT = KeVd = 5.4/hr x 16.5 lts =0.299/60mins x 1000ml = (4933.5/60)ml/min = 82.23ml/min

Assumptions:

i) The Dose was administered intravenously ii) Co= Drug Plasma Concentration at zero time after it was administered

Therapeutic monitoring

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Data: Pharmacokinetic parameters: Fraction unbound (fu), 0.5; Clearance by active secretion (CLsec), 2L/h; Fraction reabsorbed (FR), 0.25; Hepatic Extraction Ratio (EH), 0.25. Q: Total Systemic Clearance (CLtotal) =? Formula: CLtotal = (F * D) / AUC (RMI Pharmacokinetics, 2014) Where, F = fraction of dose absorbed (mg), (1 – FR) * (1 – EH ) (RMI Pharmacokinetics, 2014) AUC = area under the curve (mg/L/h), (Δt /2) * Cf (Summit PK, 2014) D = single dose (mg), Q * AUC * F (RMI Pharmacokinetics, 2014)

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 53 stellar college essay topics to inspire you.

College Essays

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit at least one essay as part of their application. But trying to figure out what college essay topics you should choose is a tricky process. There are so many potential things you could write about!

In this guide, we go over the essential qualities that make for a great college essay topic and give you 50+ college essay topics you can use for your own statement . In addition, we provide you with helpful tips for turning your college essay topic into a stellar college essay.

What Qualities Make for a Good College Essay Topic?

Regardless of what you write about in your personal statement for college , there are key features that will always make for a stand-out college essay topic.

#1: It’s Specific

First off, good college essay topics are extremely specific : you should know all the pertinent facts that have to do with the topic and be able to see how the entire essay comes together.

Specificity is essential because it’ll not only make your essay stand out from other statements, but it'll also recreate the experience for admissions officers through its realism, detail, and raw power. You want to tell a story after all, and specificity is the way to do so. Nobody wants to read a vague, bland, or boring story — not even admissions officers!

For example, an OK topic would be your experience volunteering at a cat shelter over the summer. But a better, more specific college essay topic would be how you deeply connected with an elderly cat there named Marty, and how your bond with him made you realize that you want to work with animals in the future.

Remember that specificity in your topic is what will make your essay unique and memorable . It truly is the key to making a strong statement (pun intended)!

#2: It Shows Who You Are

In addition to being specific, good college essay topics reveal to admissions officers who you are: your passions and interests, what is important to you, your best (or possibly even worst) qualities, what drives you, and so on.

The personal statement is critical because it gives schools more insight into who you are as a person and not just who you are as a student in terms of grades and classes.

By coming up with a real, honest topic, you’ll leave an unforgettable mark on admissions officers.

#3: It’s Meaningful to You

The very best college essay topics are those that hold deep meaning to their writers and have truly influenced them in some significant way.

For instance, maybe you plan to write about the first time you played Skyrim to explain how this video game revealed to you the potentially limitless worlds you could create, thereby furthering your interest in game design.

Even if the topic seems trivial, it’s OK to use it — just as long as you can effectively go into detail about why this experience or idea had such an impact on you .

Don’t give in to the temptation to choose a topic that sounds impressive but doesn’t actually hold any deep meaning for you. Admissions officers will see right through this!

Similarly, don’t try to exaggerate some event or experience from your life if it’s not all that important to you or didn’t have a substantial influence on your sense of self.

#4: It’s Unique

College essay topics that are unique are also typically the most memorable, and if there’s anything you want to be during the college application process, it’s that! Admissions officers have to sift through thousands of applications, and the essay is one of the only parts that allows them to really get a sense of who you are and what you value in life.

If your essay is trite or boring, it won’t leave much of an impression , and your application will likely get immediately tossed to the side with little chance of seeing admission.

But if your essay topic is very original and different, you’re more likely to earn that coveted second glance at your application.

What does being unique mean exactly, though? Many students assume that they must choose an extremely rare or crazy experience to talk about in their essays —but that's not necessarily what I mean by "unique." Good college essay topics can be unusual and different, yes, but they can also be unique takes on more mundane or common activities and experiences .

For instance, say you want to write an essay about the first time you went snowboarding. Instead of just describing the details of the experience and how you felt during it, you could juxtapose your emotions with a creative and humorous perspective from the snowboard itself. Or you could compare your first attempt at snowboarding with your most recent experience in a snowboarding competition. The possibilities are endless!

#5: It Clearly Answers the Question

Finally, good college essay topics will clearly and fully answer the question(s) in the prompt.

You might fail to directly answer a prompt by misinterpreting what it’s asking you to do, or by answering only part of it (e.g., answering just one out of three questions).

Therefore, make sure you take the time to come up with an essay topic that is in direct response to every question in the prompt .

Take this Coalition Application prompt as an example:

What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What's the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?

For this prompt, you’d need to answer all three questions (though it’s totally fine to focus more on one or two of them) to write a compelling and appropriate essay.

This is why we recommend reading and rereading the essay prompt ; you should know exactly what it’s asking you to do, well before you start brainstorming possible college application essay topics.

53 College Essay Topics to Get Your Brain Moving

In this section, we give you a list of 53 examples of college essay topics. Use these as jumping-off points to help you get started on your college essay and to ensure that you’re on track to coming up with a relevant and effective topic.

All college application essay topics below are categorized by essay prompt type. We’ve identified six general types of college essay prompts:

Why This College?

Change and personal growth, passions, interests, and goals, overcoming a challenge, diversity and community, solving a problem.

Note that these prompt types could overlap with one another, so you’re not necessarily limited to just one college essay topic in a single personal statement.

• How a particular major or program will help you achieve your academic or professional goals
• A memorable and positive interaction you had with a professor or student at the school
• Something good that happened to you while visiting the campus or while on a campus tour
• A certain class you want to take or a certain professor you’re excited to work with
• Some piece of on-campus equipment or facility that you’re looking forward to using
• Your plans to start a club at the school, possibly to raise awareness of a major issue
• A study abroad or other unique program that you can’t wait to participate in
• How and where you plan to volunteer in the community around the school
• An incredible teacher you studied under and the positive impact they had on you
• How you went from really liking something, such as a particular movie star or TV show, to not liking it at all (or vice versa)
• How yours or someone else’s (change in) socioeconomic status made you more aware of poverty
• A time someone said something to you that made you realize you were wrong
• How your opinion on a controversial topic, such as gay marriage or DACA, has shifted over time
• A documentary that made you aware of a particular social, economic, or political issue going on in the country or world
• Advice you would give to your younger self about friendship, motivation, school, etc.
• The steps you took in order to kick a bad or self-sabotaging habit
• A juxtaposition of the first and most recent time you did something, such as dance onstage
• A book you read that you credit with sparking your love of literature and/or writing
• A school assignment or project that introduced you to your chosen major
• A glimpse of your everyday routine and how your biggest hobby or interest fits into it
• The career and (positive) impact you envision yourself having as a college graduate
• A teacher or mentor who encouraged you to pursue a specific interest you had
• How moving around a lot helped you develop a love of international exchange or learning languages
• A special skill or talent you’ve had since you were young and that relates to your chosen major in some way, such as designing buildings with LEGO bricks
• Where you see yourself in 10 or 20 years
• Your biggest accomplishment so far relating to your passion (e.g., winning a gold medal for your invention at a national science competition)
• A time you lost a game or competition that was really important to you
• How you dealt with the loss or death of someone close to you
• A time you did poorly in a class that you expected to do well in
• How moving to a new school impacted your self-esteem and social life
• A chronic illness you battled or are still battling
• Your healing process after having your heart broken for the first time
• A time you caved under peer pressure and the steps you took so that it won't happen again
• How you almost gave up on learning a foreign language but stuck with it
• Why you decided to become a vegetarian or vegan, and how you navigate living with a meat-eating family
• What you did to overcome a particular anxiety or phobia you had (e.g., stage fright)
• A history of a failed experiment you did over and over, and how you finally found a way to make it work successfully
• Someone within your community whom you aspire to emulate
• A family tradition you used to be embarrassed about but are now proud of
• Your experience with learning English upon moving to the United States
• A close friend in the LGBTQ+ community who supported you when you came out
• A time you were discriminated against, how you reacted, and what you would do differently if faced with the same situation again
• How you navigate your identity as a multiracial, multiethnic, and/or multilingual person
• A project or volunteer effort you led to help or improve your community
• A particular celebrity or role model who inspired you to come out as LGBTQ+
• Your biggest challenge (and how you plan to tackle it) as a female in a male-dominated field
• How you used to discriminate against your own community, and what made you change your mind and eventually take pride in who you are and/or where you come from
• A program you implemented at your school in response to a known problem, such as a lack of recycling cans in the cafeteria
• A time you stepped in to mediate an argument or fight between two people
• An app or other tool you developed to make people’s lives easier in some way
• A time you proposed a solution that worked to an ongoing problem at school, an internship, or a part-time job
• The steps you took to identify and fix an error in coding for a website or program
• An important social or political issue that you would fix if you had the means

How to Build a College Essay in 6 Easy Steps

Once you’ve decided on a college essay topic you want to use, it’s time to buckle down and start fleshing out your essay. These six steps will help you transform a simple college essay topic into a full-fledged personal statement.

Step 1: Write Down All the Details

Once you’ve chosen a general topic to write about, get out a piece of paper and get to work on creating a list of all the key details you could include in your essay . These could be things such as the following:

• Emotions you felt at the time
• Names, places, and/or numbers
• Dialogue, or what you or someone else said
• A specific anecdote, example, or experience
• Descriptions of how things looked, felt, or seemed

If you can only come up with a few details, then it’s probably best to revisit the list of college essay topics above and choose a different one that you can write more extensively on.

Good college essay topics are typically those that:

• You remember well (so nothing that happened when you were really young)
• You're excited to write about
• You're not embarrassed or uncomfortable to share with others
• You believe will make you positively stand out from other applicants

Step 2: Figure Out Your Focus and Approach

Once you have all your major details laid out, start to figure out how you could arrange them in a way that makes sense and will be most effective.

It’s important here to really narrow your focus: you don’t need to (and shouldn’t!) discuss every single aspect of your trip to visit family in Indonesia when you were 16. Rather, zero in on a particular anecdote or experience and explain why and how it impacted you.

Alternatively, you could write about multiple experiences while weaving them together with a clear, meaningful theme or concept , such as how your math teacher helped you overcome your struggle with geometry over the course of an entire school year. In this case, you could mention a few specific times she tutored you and most strongly supported you in your studies.

There’s no one right way to approach your college essay, so play around to see what approaches might work well for the topic you’ve chosen.

If you’re really unsure about how to approach your essay, think about what part of your topic was or is most meaningful and memorable to you, and go from there.

Step 3: Structure Your Narrative

• Beginning: Don’t just spout off a ton of background information here—you want to hook your reader, so try to start in the middle of the action , such as with a meaningful conversation you had or a strong emotion you felt. It could also be a single anecdote if you plan to center your essay around a specific theme or idea.
• Middle: Here’s where you start to flesh out what you’ve established in the opening. Provide more details about the experience (if a single anecdote) or delve into the various times your theme or idea became most important to you. Use imagery and sensory details to put the reader in your shoes.
• End: It’s time to bring it all together. Finish describing the anecdote or theme your essay centers around and explain how it relates to you now , what you’ve learned or gained from it, and how it has influenced your goals.

Step 4: Write a Rough Draft

By now you should have all your major details and an outline for your essay written down; these two things will make it easy for you to convert your notes into a rough draft.

At this stage of the writing process, don’t worry too much about vocabulary or grammar and just focus on getting out all your ideas so that they form the general shape of an essay . It’s OK if you’re a little over the essay's word limit — as you edit, you’ll most likely make some cuts to irrelevant and ineffective parts anyway.

If at any point you get stuck and have no idea what to write, revisit steps 1-3 to see whether there are any important details or ideas you might be omitting or not elaborating on enough to get your overall point across to admissions officers.

Step 5: Edit, Revise, and Proofread

• Sections that are too wordy and don’t say anything important
• Irrelevant details that don’t enhance your essay or the point you're trying to make
• Parts that seem to drag or that feel incredibly boring or redundant
• Areas that are vague and unclear and would benefit from more detail
• Phrases or sections that are awkwardly placed and should be moved around
• Areas that feel unconvincing, inauthentic, or exaggerated

Start paying closer attention to your word choice/vocabulary and grammar at this time, too. It’s perfectly normal to edit and revise your college essay several times before asking for feedback, so keep working with it until you feel it’s pretty close to its final iteration.

This step will likely take the longest amount of time — at least several weeks, if not months — so really put effort into fixing up your essay. Once you’re satisfied, do a final proofread to ensure that it’s technically correct.

Step 6: Get Feedback and Tweak as Needed

After you’ve overhauled your rough draft and made it into a near-final draft, give your essay to somebody you trust , such as a teacher or parent, and have them look it over for technical errors and offer you feedback on its content and overall structure.

Use this feedback to make any last-minute changes or edits. If necessary, repeat steps 5 and 6. You want to be extra sure that your essay is perfect before you submit it to colleges!

Recap: From College Essay Topics to Great College Essays

Many different kinds of college application essay topics can get you into a great college. But this doesn’t make it any easier to choose the best topic for you .

In general, the best college essay topics have the following qualities :

• They’re specific
• They show who you are
• They’re meaningful to you
• They’re unique
• They clearly answer the question

If you ever need help coming up with an idea of what to write for your essay, just refer to the list of 53 examples of college essay topics above to get your brain juices flowing.

Once you’ve got an essay topic picked out, follow these six steps for turning your topic into an unforgettable personal statement :

• Write down all the details
• Figure out your focus and approach
• Structure your narrative
• Write a rough draft
• Edit, revise, and proofread
• Get feedback and tweak as needed

And with that, I wish you the best of luck on your college essays!

What’s Next?

Writing a college essay is no simple task. Get expert college essay tips with our guides on how to come up with great college essay ideas and how to write a college essay, step by step .

You can also check out this huge list of college essay prompts  to get a feel for what types of questions you'll be expected to answer on your applications.

Want to see examples of college essays that absolutely rocked? You're in luck because we've got a collection of 100+ real college essay examples right here on our blog!

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Sample Essay on Personal Essay for a pharmacy school

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The pharmaceutical field is among the most interesting and ever-changing fields in the modern world. New medicines, just like technology are being revealed and new formula for administration are being put forward. The field is an intriguing one with numerous opportunities for an individual qualified. A person with a doctoral degree in pharmacy is likely to in the majority of the pharmaceutical companies as they have added advantage over individuals with diploma and degree certificates. Consequently, it is due to this fact, my passion and motivation that I applied to pursue the course at the university. As a child, I watched my father carry out his duties at a pharmacy company. The books my father used to read as well as the remedies he prescribed created in me the desire and interest to pursue the field in order to assist others. At the age of 5, my grandmother became sick and I was the one responsible for reminding her to take her medication as my parents used to go to work. The experience I gained gave me the longing to pursue this field. The experience and education I have gained from the university is not enough to provide the essential experience needed to have knowhow in the industry. My years at the university were not only interesting but enjoyable. Throughout the pharmacy courses, I managed to learn about life more, health and the manner in which treatment should be administered. I found it fascinating to learn different body composition and the chemical makeup. I look forward to learning more about different medicines as well as the manner in which they interact with the body system. As a pharmacist, I will be in the position to apply the knowledge I have acquired in my career. It is important to note my academic performance is very appealing as I passed all the subjects with exception of one where I acquired average points. This indicates I have passion for education and especially, pharmaceutical course.

I have a short term goal which is to become employed in a huge company as I look for funds to start my own business that is pharmacy related. During my internship and attachment, I acquired exemplary skills. The experience is vital since it supplements my learning as I have learnt more about the field of pharmacy in both practical and theoretical aspects. After completing my university education and getting my pharmacy technician certificate, I volunteered at Glandale Memorial hospital and at the Landmark pharmacy as well working as a pharmacy technician. At Glandale, my duties included dispensation of medication for children and drugs dispensation. I monitored the response of patients to medication and was as well involved in education of patients and consumers on use of prescriptions as well as other issues that are related to “over the counter medications”. Additionally, I provided my expertise to nurses, physicians as well as other health professionals on decisions that are related to drugs. It was while at Landmark pharmacy that I was able to offer my expertise regarding drug compositions which included chemical, biological and physical properties as well as their manufacture and use. Therefore, I also ensured drug strength and purity was upheld so drugs stayed safe without interaction with other properties in a manner that was harmful. My admission into the university will aid me in increasing the pharmacology knowledge I have and an advanced application and approach of what I have learnt in various college sittings and my duration working. Usually, pharmacists provide a sense of hope and reassurance to patients. By making advancements in pharmacy, I can incorporate what I have learnt in my career in order to gain more knowledge to advance technology. My devotion, as well as volunteer work in the field of pharmacology, will give me the push to learn more to acquire the knowledge necessary to serve and assist others. I will appreciate it if my dream to pursue pharmacy course from the college is made complete.

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TED Radio Hour

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Before trivializing college protests, take a step back to see the bigger picture

Manoush Zomorodi

Fiona Geiran

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Part 4 of  TED Radio Hour  episode  What’s driving generations apart

College students are not optimistic about the future. But instead of trivializing their protests, Anne Helen Petersen implores us to listen to their hopes and fears for the world they'll inherit.

About Anne Helen Petersen

Anne Helen Petersen is an American writer and journalist. Her newsletter is Culture Study .

Petersen worked as a Senior Culture Writer for BuzzFeed until 2020. Her most recent book is Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Fiona Geiran and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook @ TEDRadioHour  and email us at  [email protected].

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College of Pharmacy

Academic Accomplishments Recognized with Faculty Promotions

Promotions are an official confirmation of a faculty member's academic accomplishments and the value of their contributions in their respective fields. To be considered for promotion, faculty must have a demonstrated record of contributing to the university through activities in teaching, research, and service. 

" Academic promotion recognizes and rewards excellence in our faculty, and is essential to the advancement of the College. Faculty are eligible for promotion by demonstrating excellence in research, teaching, scholarly productivity and service to science, profession, and society. We are honored to have six highly deserving recipients of faculty promotion this year,” commented Professor and Executive Associate Dean Gary Milavetz.

The UI College of Pharmacy is pleased to announce promotions for the following faculty members, effective July 1, 2024: 

AAPS 2024 Best Abstract Awards, Kopeček/Yang Lab

College of pharmacy, student tools, graduate studies, faculty resources, research departments, research centers.

We are excited to announce that from Kopeček/Yang lab , Md Hasan Al Faruque, Shannuo Li, and Jiahui Li have all been awarded with the Best Abstract Awards from  the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientist s (AAPS) Best Abstract Award! The Kopeček/Yang Lab is incredibly proud of Shannuo, Jiahui, and Hasan for their dedication and excellence. This recognition places their research among the top 10% of submissions, evaluated on the basis of data-driven conclusions, novelty, advancement of the field, and the suitability of the evaluation strategy. 

Congratulations to Shannuo, Jiahui, and Hasan, have a meaningful and fun time at AAPS here in Salt Lake City!

S. Li . M.T. Gambles, D. Sborov, J. Yang, J. Kopeček, Novel Personalized Treatment for Multiple Myeloma: Multi-Antigen T Cell Hybridizers for T cell Activation. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (PharmSci 360), Salt Lake City, UT, October 20-23, 2024. Best Abstract Award .

S. Li , R. Aljassimi, J. Kopeček, D.J. Cross, J. Yang, Repurposing Paclitaxel via Vector-guided Brain Delivery for Alzheimer Disease Treatment. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (PharmSci 360), Salt Lake City, UT, October 20-23, 2024. Best Abstract Award .

J. Li , S. Li, M.T. Gambles, J. Kopeček, D.W. Sborov, J. Yang, Development of A New Modality with Strong Cancer Immunotherapeutic Effect (CITE) for Multiple Myeloma Treatment. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (PharmSci 360), Salt Lake City, UT, October 20-23, 2024. Best Abstract Award .

H. Al Faruque , J. Li, D. Sborov, S. Hu-Lieskovan, J. Kopeček, J. Yang, Optimizing Immunotherapy of Ovarian Cancer - Nanomedicine Strategies for Heating ‘Cold’ Tumor with Concurrent PD-L1 Attenuation. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (PharmSci 360), Salt Lake City, UT, October 20-23, 2024. Best Abstract Award .

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Home » News & Media » Dr. Gochenauer Elected Leader of Pharmacy Organization

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Dr. Gochenauer Elected Leader of Pharmacy Organization

American College of Veterinary Pharmacists website (June 5) – In a news release announcing newly elected board members, Dr. Alexandra Gochenauer, pharmacist in charge at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital who is vice president of the American College of Veterinary Pharmacists, said, “Since becoming a member of ACVP in 2015, I have been actively involved in various initiatives, including the establishment of the student chapter at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy… I am committed to supporting the mission and goals of ACVP and look forward to collaborating with all of you to advance our field.”

https://vetmeds.org/american-college-of-veterinary-pharmacists-announces-new-vice-president-and-board-members/

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AI Sparks Debate at Touro College of Pharmacy: ChatGPT's Role in Clinical Practice Scrutinized

More than 200 clinical pharmacists and students gather to discuss chatgpt’s rapid growth and cautionary use in healthcare and education.

ChatGPT generated a buzz at Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) recently, where over 200 clinical pharmacists, TCOP faculty and students gathered for the 19 th Annual New York City Regional Pharmacy Conference of the New York Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The main focus was a keynote presentation, “ChatGPT: Friend or Foe in Pharmacy Practice”,  that centered on what OpenAI’s ChatGPT is, how the model works, and how it can be used confidently – and should be used cautiously - in practice and academic settings.

TCOP Dean Henry Cohen and Dr. Salomon Amar, senior vice president for research affairs at Touro University, opened the meeting, followed by a lively presentation and discussion led by faculty from Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Long Island University.

Growth “Astronomical”

“The growth of ChatGPT has been astronomical,” said Dr. Tina Zerilli, associate professor of pharmacy practice at LIU, who began the presentation.

After its launch in November 2022, the number of users grew to one million in five days, and as of March 2024 the site had 1.8 billion visits, she said. In the U.S., where most users are, 23 percent of adults have used it and those using it the most are between 18-29 years of age.

Dr. Zerilli shared how to write “prompts” to generate responses, and how the model is “trained” to answer them with information publicly available on the internet, licensed from third parties, and content shared by users including prompts by users who query the platform.

Possible uses range from analyzing research from multiple sources; writing and editing documents; and in patient care - enhancing empathy when communicating with patients.

At the same time, platform’s limitations were noted.

“AI may at times generate responses that are unintentionally biased and discriminatory. So you really have to review those responses and make sure you aren’t unintentionally offending any particular group,” said Dr. Sara Grossman, LIU associate professor of pharmacy. “ChatGPT must be used responsibly and transparently, knowing its limitations. It’s a wonderful starting point for many different tasks.”

“Fabricated” and “Unsatisfactory” Results

Dr. Zerilli shared results of a study assessing the ability of ChatGPT to provide accurate and complete responses to drug information questions. In the study, 74 percent of the answers were found to be “unsatisfactory”, with references to support the answers often fabricated.

Dr. Elizabeth Unni, chair and associate professor of TCOP’s Department of Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences, said she was surprised by the study’s results.

“As a researcher, I was taken aback learning that such a high percentage of the drug information questions were answered in a suboptimal way. The results showed that how questions are asked in the prompts can be a game changer,” she said. “Experienced pharmacists are likely to know how to ask questions and understand the importance of verifying the accuracy of the chat’s responses; however, not all students or healthcare providers may be aware of this.”

Dr. Batoul Senhaji-Tomza, associate dean, curriculum and founding director of TCOP’s PharmD/MPH Collaborative Program, expressed concern about patient safety and called for a public health initiative or policy to educate the public on the proper and safe use of AI.

“This is imperative, particularly when it comes to medical questions,” she said. “Perhaps a clear warning on the ChatGPT page indicating not all responses are accurate and cannot be substituted for proper healthcare professional advice or consultation is necessary to raise awareness among the public.”  

Student Perspective

Dr. Senhaji-Tomza called for academic institutions to develop policies and guidelines that both embrace AI tools for learning while emphasizing responsible use. “Having open conversations about advantages and limitations is necessary to prepare students to continue thriving in the AI world of tomorrow,” she said.

TCOP students in attendance expressed similar skepticism.

“We have to embrace that this software is going to be highly utilized. Like anything, we can abuse it but we have to prevent that by maintaining our professionalism and also setting boundaries,” said rising P4 Robert Valmont. “If you’re a clinical pharmacist asking about disease management or recommended dosing, it may not generate the correct information. It cannot replace our clinical experience and judgment.”

Valmont said AI should not be used for patient counseling and students should not use it. “I think it’s more genuine when we come up with our concept of how to communicate with a patient and how to make them feel welcome,” he said. “Making presentations and researching and navigating through the web on our own is a helpful way to learn, rather than getting it fed to us by ChatGPT.”  

Harshini Sobhan, also a rising P4, said she had experimented with the platform to help understand an article she was reading. “It actually worked. It made some things easier to understand,” said Harshini, adding she would not want to use it to research medications or dosage for a customer or patient. “I would pull from established and reputable tertiary drug information resources, guidelines and studies that have been conducted. I didn’t realize how much AI has become part of our everyday lives,” she said.