Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Morgan Dang
Ms. Dadabhoy
English 2 Honors
22 May 2016
As you enter your first moments of your childhood, your first instinct is to admire those
who are superior and those who appear extravagant to you, like superman or an astronaut.
Naturally as a child, you would want to set your goal to be exactly who your hero is when you’re
grown up, but as you pass through life, your views will change as you mature. As a child, I
wanted to be a jedi from Star Wars but as I grew up, my perspective changed and so did reality.
Life became tougher and reality kicked in so that’s when I realized who I wanted to be and what
I wanted to do in order to be a successful woman in life. After my grandma was diagnosed with
breast cancer in 2011, the dream of becoming a jedi stayed a dream and becoming a Pharmacist
became a reality. Knowing that I have to live up to my family’s expectations and compete with
other family members my age contributed to why I want to become a Pharmacist. Besides the
fact that I strive to make my family proud, achieving my goal of becoming a Pharmacist will
hopefully cure my family, other people of sickness, pay good money to provide for myself and
my future family, and challenge myself to see what I’m capable of achieving if I strive for the
best.
In order to successfully become a full fledged pharmacist, there are many tasks that I
must complete prior to becoming a pharmacist. The specific high school classes and activities
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that I must take in order to succeed in this field would be, “Take as many mathematics and
science courses as you can. Even though the SIUE School of Pharmacy will not look at your high
school grades, a good science/math background will prepare you for the many science courses
that are included in the pre-pharmacy curriculum,” (SIUE School of Pharmacy). Succeeding in
becoming a pharmacist requires years of education and training in order to acquire the necessary
knowledge and skill of pharmacy. Mathematics and science are two crucial and significant
courses to take throughout high school and college to help prepare for this career. Courses like
biology, chemistry, physics, physiology, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, etc.
will help grasp the concept of pharmacy better. Taking AP classes in high school can also benefit
as well. After graduating high school, there are many schools and colleges where I could receive
training for this career like USC, UCI, UCSF, etc. USC School of Pharmacy is ranked as the #1
private pharmacy school and ranked #9 among all pharmacy schools. The School of Pharmacy
provides students with the basic training and education necessary for pharmacy and, “The
School’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program combines rigorous basic science education
with extensive and varied clinical experiences so that graduates will be prepared to contribute to
revolutionizing the future of health care through new discoveries and innovations to improve
patient lives,” (USC School of Pharmacy). Although the dream of becoming a pharmacist is
alluring, the pathway to success into the field of pharmacy comes with vigorous effort and work.
Being a pharmacist comes with many responsibilities and it’s more than just organizing
and counting pills. Generally, a pharmacist’s responsibility is to order, prepare, and dispensed
prescribed medication. Other than dispensing medication, pharmacists also need to guide patients
in the right direction and provide them with information about the medication they are taking,
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“Pharmacists should also be mindful of public health and safety, ensuring everyone under their
supervision (including themselves) follows safety protocols when it comes to the storage and
distribution of medication,” (Learn How To Become). A pharmacist’s job is more than just
handing medication over to sick patients. Pharmacists tend to be systematic and pay attention to
detail, which contributes to the accurate and organized aspects of a pharmacist. In order to speak
to interact with a patient, pharmacists must communicate to give detail about the type of
medication the patient is consuming, “Pharmacists must also be good communicators to clearly
explain the steps involved in taking medication and avoiding potentially harmful side effects,”
(Learn How To Become). Caring for patients is one of the contributing factors of the
carefully and logically choose the right kind of medicine that suits the patient in order to cure
them of their illness. They are also responsible for supplying medication constantly so that if the
patient is in need of more medication, there is always enough medication in stock for the patient
to use. In addition, pharmacists are responsible for recording patient medical histories. A
pharmacist must help every patient in every way possible to help decrease their risk of sickness
and that’s what I love about being a pharmacist. I love the feeling of being of help to someone
especially if I contributed to the healing of oneself. It brings me joy when I learn that I have been
a contributing factor to a person’s well being. I love the idea of giving the antidote or medication
to a patient, knowing that I have helped in some sort of way and that it has created a great impact
in their lives. However, being a pharmacist can become very repetitive and eventually I might
grow tired and bored of the career over the course of time. Although the job can be dull and
repetitive, the assets of my personality match well with the occupation of being a pharmacist.
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Usually, many community and hospital pharmacies are open to extended hours, so
pharmacists are expected to work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Since most
pharmacies are open to extended hours, “Most full-time salaried pharmacists worked about 43
hours a week. Some, including many self-employed pharmacists, worked more than 50 hours a
week. About one out of five pharmacists worked part time in 2009,” (Explore Health Careers). A
pharmacist’s work environment tend to be in clean areas, especially because pharmacists handle
medication, “Pharmacists usually work in clean, well-lit and well-ventilated areas,” (Explore
Health Careers). Pharmacists aren’t placed in one exact facility for the rest of their career. Their
medical environment can vary in drug stores, hospitals, private businesses, or long-term
facilities. In most pharmacies, pharmacists spend most of their time working on their feet,
organizing and dispensing medicine for patients. Most pharmacists tend to not travel as much for
work, but, “Consultant pharmacists may travel to nursing homes or other facilities to monitor
patients' drug therapy” (Explore Health Careers). Pharmacists usually stay in their work facility,
but some travel to other facilities to monitor a patient’s drug usage. Pharmacy can be a very
stressful career because of the certain people pharmacists have to deal with and the debt that is
left after being admitted into pharmacy school. Although pharmacy is a well secure job that
makes good money, it can be very stressful because pharmacists have to deal with massive
amounts of people all at once. They have to deal with many people who have the same demand
for medication as well as good service. Being admitted into a school of pharmacy is stressful as
well because the workload, time, effort, and money spent in school can be very stressful just for
trying to get into one career. The subtle, peaceful, and clean work setting would definitely suit
my liking. I like to work in clean and spacious areas, however I don’t think I would like to work
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in a space where it’s cramped. The only downside that I’m afraid of is how hectic it can get if
there are massive waves of people demanding medicines and I can already picture the chaotic
An inexperienced pharmacist would usually have the lowest pay especially since they just
started out. Their wage would be around $89,320 which is the lowest pay as a pharmacist that is
just starting out. Pharmacists are ranked as one of the highest paying jobs in the nation and the
general pay for an experienced pharmacist would be $120,950. As US News & World Report
says, “The median annual salary for a pharmacist was $120,950, or $58.15 per hour, in 2014.
The best-paid 10 percent made $150,550, while the lowest-paid made $89,320,” (US News &
World Report). In order for a pharmacist to go on vacation or have time off, they have to request
time off and get it approved from the department management. Pharmacists may request a leave
of absence, but there is no guarantee that it will be granted. As said by the United States
Department of Labor, “Sick leave will be accrued at a rate of eight (8) hours for every 173.33
hours paid. If the employee is ill and misses a full ten (10) hour shift, he/she will be entitled to
ten (10) hours of sick leave if he/she has accrued ten (10) hours,” (United States Department of
Labor). If a pharmacist is on a leave of absence, their pay will receive 80 hours of pay when
using 70 hours of accrued sick leave. This occupation will definitely provide me with more than
enough income for me to live. The pay is extremely high and this way I will be able to pay my
bills without a problem and afford other necessities, that is unless I lose my job as a pharmacist
Pharmacy is slowly progressing into a more available career to get into because more
people are having their prescriptions filled online or through mail order. As US News and World
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Report states, “However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a slower-than-average 3 percent
employment growth for pharmacists by 2024, with the field adding 9,100 new jobs. Employment
of pharmacists is expected to decline slightly in traditional retail settings because more people
are having their prescriptions filled online or through mail order,” (US News & World Report).
Although statistics predict that the employment for pharmacy will increase, the demand for
medication through pharmacy is still going on. The availability for pharmacy jobs is 9,100 and
the unemployment rate is 1.6%. However, the demand for pharmacy still remains in tact as said
in US News and World Report, “The unique mix of medicinal knowledge and interpersonal
skills required to run a pharmacy counter remain in demand,” (US World and News Report).
Pharmacy requires a lot of patience and productiveness. I feel that the important assets
that one should have in order to be successful in this field, is patience and work ethic. The key to
being successful in the field of pharmacy is to be patient with others and try your best to select
the right kind of medication that the patient needs the most. As I have researched more about
pharmacy, there are some people who absolutely dread the job because they don’t have enough
patience and energy to keep working. Pharmacy is unbelievably difficult to get into and I believe
that you can acquire happiness and success with effort and patience. The thing I like most about
Pharmacy is that it’s very peaceful and reliable. I’m a very quiet person and I enjoy peace and
cleanliness. This occupation fits my personality the most because I tend to be a very low key
person and I love the feeling of helping people and giving them what they need, Pharmacists can
be instrumental in improving the health of patients by choosing the best medicines and helping to
avoid side effects,” (American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy). I like to feel that I matter
in the world and that I have a place in this world. I want to do and feel that through pharmacy. I
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value the helpfulness that comes with this occupation. I believe that this job will teach me how to
be less selfish and think of others for a change. This occupation will significantly help my family
and I tenfold. I value my family and friends more than anything in the world and I believe that
going into pharmacy will not only make my family proud, but it will also help my family and I
financially and healthwise. Becoming a pharmacist will also make me become a highly respected
member of my community as said in AACP, “Pharmacists are visible leaders in our community
who are entrusted with the health of our families,” (American Association of Colleges of
Pharmacy).
Works Cited
"Prospective Students." Resources for High School Students. Web. 22 May 2016.
<http://www.siue.edu/pharmacy/prospective/highschool.shtml>.
"Top Ten Reasons to Become a Pharmacist." AACP -. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.aacp.org/resources/student/pharmacyforyou/Pages/toptenreasons.aspx>.
"How Much Can a Pharmacist Expect to Get Paid?" Pharmacist Salary Information. Web. 22
May 2016.
<http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/pharmacist/salary>.
<http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/14/Pharmacist>.
"Occupation Profile." America's Career InfoNet: Select an Occupation. Web. 22 May 2016.
<http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep>.
<http://pharmacyschool.usc.edu/>.
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"Best Pharmacy Programs | Top Pharmacy Schools | US News Best Grad Schools." Best Pharmacy
Programs | Top Pharmacy Schools | US News Best Grad Schools. Web. 22 May 2016.
<http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/phar
macy-rankings>.
"How to Become a Pharmacist | Pharmacist Careers." How to Become. Web. 22 May 2016.
<http://www.learnhowtobecome.org/pharmacist/>.
"Pharmacist Education and Career Training Information." Study.com. Web. 22 May 2016.
<http://study.com/pharmacist_education.html>.