Here's an example:
I earned a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, but after a summer internship with GE Appliances during my junior year, I became a full-time employee as an Information Management Leadership Program member (IMLP). I originally wanted to pursue a healthcare career, although I hadnt considered pharmacy at the time. Friends and classmates, themselves on healthcare career tracks, were baffled by my decision. I was apprehensive, to be sure, but my analytical mind was drawn to I/Ts technical challenges.
Hindsight is 20/20. Without a single business course under my belt, I joined Corporate America and had no idea what I was in for it gave new meaning to leaving ones comfort zone! Seven years later, and Im still convinced it was one of the best moves Ive made, even if the reasons why have changed. When I joined GE, I was an I/T techie, but the IMLP programs focus on the business side of I/T gradually converted me. Over time I sought to become more well-rounded and balance out my skill sets by moving into a project leadership role, and eventually went back to school for a business degree.
Even after seven years, though, Im drawn to healthcare. While I enjoy I/T and project leadership, theyre not my calling. After completing an MBA degree and re-assessing my professional goals, I began searching for the perfect career. The perfect career for me applies my skills in science and business to fulfill a need in the community, involves continual learning, and has some exposure to technology.
My time with GE has been valuable to my professional growth, developing three skill sets beneficial in any healthcare field: communication, problem-solving/critical thinking, and ability to work under pressure.
Communication skills have been the most challenging to develop for me personally; fortunately, a steady stream of project reviews, meetings, phone calls, and emails provides plenty of practice. Im detail-oriented and a perfectionist. The upside is that I meet my commitments and deliver them with quality. My challenge is to be brief and concise, capturing the essence of the tree without painting each leaf. Knowing the audience is another key to effective communication. No two patients are alike; their counseling needs vary with personality, age, and background. Counseling according to individual needs builds trust and improves dosing compliance. Similarly, establishing rapport with other healthcare professionals yields better therapy decisions. In either event, the patient ultimately benefits.
Pharmacists possess a wealth of pharmaceutical knowledge, and must collect and analyze relevant data to use it effectively. With an introspective and deep-thinking personality, problem solving and critical thinking historically have been my strongest suits, powerful assets in school and workplace. The ability to interpret statistical information also aids analysis and evaluation of data, and is essential for a drug information specialist, one of the clinical areas Id like to explore. I am Greenbelt certified in Six Sigma, GEs statistics-based quality project implementation and problem-solving methodology, giving me practical statistics experience.
Pharmacists in hospital settings work under pressure; I frequently witness it in the inpatient pharmacy where I volunteer. From my own personal experience balancing project and support responsibilities, after acclimating to the work environment, I regularly manage multiple priorities and work well under pressure, even thriving on it to some extent.
Ive taken a longer path arriving at my decision to apply to pharmacy school, using the time for maturation and self-discovery. I believe my education, strengths, motivation, and skills developed in my current career will enable me to make a positive contribution to the pharmacy profession and the health of those I serve. In return, as an expanding field offering a wide range of specialties and work environments, pharmacy would allow me the opportunity to fulfill my career goals. Im eager to make pharmacy a win-win situation!
