It was the summer of 2017. Surprisingly at that time, I was applying to dental school. I had been a pre-dental student for approximately 2 semesters and had just Completed a ~15 week internship at a local dental office. I was COMPLETELY sold ..........and then my world came crashing down.
I had completed my application, was in the process of saving up money for the DAT (Dental Admissions Test) and had been studying for the DAT for almost 1.5 months when I received a phone call. “We feel as though we don’t really know you enough to write the letter of recommendation”. I cried the rest of summer 2017. Unfortunately I was unable to submit my application being that a complete application has 3 letters of recommendation, anything less is considered incomplete will not be reviewed.
What was I going to do?! I’m about to start my last year of college!
Once I stopped sulking and crying, I took some time to think. “ Obviously this wouldn’t happen if God didn’t want it to, right”, “Maybe it wasn’t my time?”, “.......maybe this wasn’t my true passion?”. I began researching, making lists and reminiscing on those paths I previously thought of taking;
MD/DO
Pharmacy
Nursing (specifically CRNA)
PA
AA
There was a lot of blog reading, YouTube video watching, and shadowing before I found my true passion.....PHARMACY!!
Fun fact: I considered pharmacy for sometime in high school!
In high school, I only knew of retail pharmacy. This sometimes made me doubt Pharmacy because I wanted more! It wasn't until I came across an Instagram post about the podcast “RX Radio” when I found out the world of Pharmacy is much larger than just retail! I specifically remember listening to the “Transplant Pharmacy” episode and going “OMG THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!” Afterwards. I’ve been hooked on Pharmacy & RX Radio ever since.
What really solidified my choose was a Community and Public Health course I was taken at the time. The courses’ required service-learning projects with local organizations gave us the opportunity to apply what we learned in the classroom and make a real impact in the community. I felt at home when discussing possible placements, such as the Hearts & Hands Clinic who provides free primary health services for citizens who are medically uninsured and have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline. Another factor in my decision to pursue pharmacy was a policy statement released by the American Public Health Association titled “The Role of the Pharmacist in Public Health”. I was blown away with the correlation between public health and pharmacy. Realizing how pharmacists are a central component to communities because of their ability to monitor health status, and also empower the community through education, solidified my choice to combine science, education, and public health into a career as a pharmacist!
Comments