Personal Statements; fitting into the mold

[jackal head]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I have come to realize that I just can't be myself when writing these things.

It's a lot like how a politician has to be careful not to say anything too controversial or anything that might be taken the wrong way.

I realized that it's probably best if I don't bring up how pharmacy is changing and how jobs will be more competitive in the future. They'll think that I'm only in it for the money. No, it's way better to say that I based my career choice on some arbitrary child hood experience.

I have to be a naive little **** who thinks that pharmacists have a big impact in the world.

 

[chemtopharm]

 

[owlegrad]

I have come to realize that I just can't be myself when writing these things.

It's a lot like how a politician has to be careful not to say anything too controversial or anything that might be taken the wrong way.

I realized that it's probably best if I don't bring up how pharmacy is changing and how jobs will be more competitive in the future. They'll think that I'm only in it for the money. No, it's way better to say that I based my career choice on some arbitrary child hood experience.

I have to be a naive little **** who thinks that pharmacists have a big impact in the world.

You may want to leave that out of the PS.

 

[PharmMiss]

hmm, pharmacists do have a big impact on the world.

 

[jackal head]

hmm, pharmacists do have a big impact on the world.

Pharmacists don't make the major decisions; they function as a safety net.

It's the drug companies, governments and doctors (in that order) who are really the ones in control.

Pharmacists are near the bottom of this hierarchy in terms of how much their thoughts and concerns matter. Sure they have some impact in the world but only in the sense that they keep the train moving rather than deciding where it goes.

Personally, I don't have a problem with this but that's how it is.

 

[hye345]

Your personal statement doesn't have to be that dramatic or cliche, but it should be specific to you. Even the most cynical pre-pharmacy student probably likes something about the work (or at least the idea of it). Just make sure its not overly broad, like "I like to help people", or "I like biology". Those reasons are already implied (or at least they should be).

In this regard, bringing up the issue of a more competitive environment isn't a bad idea: in fact, I think it shows maturity and foresight. You just have to show why you think you will be able to handle the higher standards.

 

[tarrahbear]

I have come to realize that I just can't be myself when writing these things.

It's a lot like how a politician has to be careful not to say anything too controversial or anything that might be taken the wrong way.

I realized that it's probably best if I don't bring up how pharmacy is changing and how jobs will be more competitive in the future. They'll think that I'm only in it for the money. No, it's way better to say that I based my career choice on some arbitrary child hood experience.

I have to be a naive little **** who thinks that pharmacists have a big impact in the world.

Hmm...perhaps think about the fact that pharmacy is part of health care. Many players, each has a role. Pharmacists help many individual people every single day, prevent poisonings and overdoses and duplicate drug orders and such by prescribers and patients who know nothing about medication. It may not seem like much to you but to the patient for whom you intervened it means a lot. If you don't think pharmacists have a big impact and that you have to be a naive person to think that, maybe there is another area of work that might make you happier?

 

[xtsukiyox]

It's the drug companies, governments and doctors (in that order) who are really the ones in control.

Surely you include insurance companies as major players in setting healthcare policy.

Who do you think sets the drug formulary for an insurance company?

 

[kcwang]

ppl who believe pharmacists wont have a big impact in the world are probably not going to change anything.

ppl who believe pharmacists have a big impact in the world are more likely to change the world.

 

[Corpseman]

I have come to realize that I just can't be myself when writing these things.

It's a lot like how a politician has to be careful not to say anything too controversial or anything that might be taken the wrong way.

I realized that it's probably best if I don't bring up how pharmacy is changing and how jobs will be more competitive in the future. They'll think that I'm only in it for the money. No, it's way better to say that I based my career choice on some arbitrary child hood experience.

I have to be a naive little **** who thinks that pharmacists have a big impact in the world.

Tell us how you really feel

 

[Rouelle]

Pharmacists don't make the major decisions; they function as a safety net.

It's the drug companies, governments and doctors (in that order) who are really the ones in control.

Pharmacists are near the bottom of this hierarchy in terms of how much their thoughts and concerns matter. Sure they have some impact in the world but only in the sense that they keep the train moving rather than deciding where it goes.

Personally, I don't have a problem with this but that's how it is.

I think safety nets can be pretty important. 🙂

 

[pharm B]

I have come to realize that I just can't be myself when writing these things.

It's a lot like how a politician has to be careful not to say anything too controversial or anything that might be taken the wrong way.

I realized that it's probably best if I don't bring up how pharmacy is changing and how jobs will be more competitive in the future. They'll think that I'm only in it for the money. No, it's way better to say that I based my career choice on some arbitrary child hood experience.

I have to be a naive little **** who thinks that pharmacists have a big impact in the world.

Statements like this make it sound like you don't really want to be a pharmacist.

I don't think you have to play dumb to write a good PS. Don't write about pharmacists saving the world. Write something legitimate about their expanding role in patient care. Walgreens is now setting up stores with private rooms where the pharmacist can actually sit and do a BP screening on a patient, talk to them about their meds, etc, allowing the patient to form that much of a stronger relationship with their pharmacist.

You could discuss the profession's growing role in hospitals as more pharmacists are on rounding teams, or switching to a floor-based model. Hell, look up the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (I think that's what it's called). It's one of the new buzz words in the profession.

I talked about teamwork, and never tried to make it sound like the pharmacist was a super practitioner who would ultimately displace the physician. Doing that makes us look like just another class of overzealous midlevels.