My two tasks that I wanted to complete was to create my account for the PharCas program and seek volunteer oppurtunities for students who are inspired pharmacists. When i mean volunteer oppurtunities, I mean in hospitals, retirement homes, etc... The PharmCas program is basically a website where a student uploads all the classes they have taken with their grades so it can be sent out to any pharmacy school. In other words, its an online application that is sent out in bulk. I successfully registered, but did not upload any of my classes because I'm not done with school yet and dont know my grades. Once again, I was really prolonging in doing this task, but finally did it.
Another task that I wanted to accomplish was to set up some volunteering to do in the summer during my free time. So, I called up my old pharmacy manager who also works in a hospital to see how I can go about doing this. She told me that she would speak with her boss and set up an interview sometime in mid april. She told me that only few students are chosen due to the type of environment the pharmacist there work in. She also explained to me that there is no interaction between patients and employees because they work in a seperate section of the hospital and this is where they gather the drugs to dispense.
The main idea behind volunteering in a hospital is to get another feel of the duties of a pharmacist other than just retail. In retail, pharmacist apply their education, but in hospitals my manager told me its at a complete different level of application. I believe that if someone puts on their application that they had both experience in retail and in hospital, it would look very good. Hopefully I hear back from them soon so I can begin as soon as possible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Interviewing Professor Rockquemore...and her interviewing me.
Almost 2 weeks ago, I requested to interview Dr. Rock, but it was more about her interviewing me and getting to know me on another level. There were a few reasons I requested this, one important reason is because I wanted her to understand my goals in life and how serious I am in achieving them. With her knowing this, maybe there might be someone who is in my field and my name would potentially come up? Also, there were many questions Dr. Rock had and I was delighted to answer them. Questions about how I got into the field and why.
Another reason behind this 2-way interview was because I requested a letter of recommendation from her. The story behind this is that most professors usually write the same thing about each student because sometimes all they know about the student is their grade. From the way i see it, grades is a plus, but when the professor knows you on a better, personal level...it beats any generic letter. The professor can realize what type of individual you are, your personality, and your dedication. Hopefully Dr. Rock saw a little of each.
Finally, the reason why I chose to have this meeting/interview was to somewhat get to know my professor better. Usually professors dont interact with the students on a level more than just teaching, but i saw that in Dr. Rock's case it was different. She gave me and any other student a chance to understand her personality better. I greatly appreciated that oppurtunity and hope more will come.
Another reason behind this 2-way interview was because I requested a letter of recommendation from her. The story behind this is that most professors usually write the same thing about each student because sometimes all they know about the student is their grade. From the way i see it, grades is a plus, but when the professor knows you on a better, personal level...it beats any generic letter. The professor can realize what type of individual you are, your personality, and your dedication. Hopefully Dr. Rock saw a little of each.
Finally, the reason why I chose to have this meeting/interview was to somewhat get to know my professor better. Usually professors dont interact with the students on a level more than just teaching, but i saw that in Dr. Rock's case it was different. She gave me and any other student a chance to understand her personality better. I greatly appreciated that oppurtunity and hope more will come.
Another Interview/Network expansion
Yesterday, after the longest time of putting off and being lazy, I decided to visit a professor my classmate had recommended for a summer independent research class. The reason why I decided to do this is because it was brought to my attention that it looks very "attractive" on a resume when applying for grad-school. The instructors name is Dr. Bushse and he was a very pleasant individual. When i first was introduced to him by my friend I was very nervous and self-consious on making a great first impression. After a few minutes of name exchange and personal information exchange, I fell into my comfort zone.
Dr. Buhse informed me about the research project and I was immediately interested. I began to ask questions to show my interest and he responded politely. Moreover, the other reason why I decided to do research is so more doors can be opened and more important people can be met in case I decide to further my education in Biology and become a professor. What would be better than having letters of recommendation from a research professorsof Biology? NOT THAT OTHER LETTERS ARE NOT IMPORTANT =). Basically, he took down and my information and said welcome on board!
Overall, I look forward on working on this independent research study and starting my journey in getting my name in the department. This was the one thing i've been trying to accomplish and if it hadnt been for my classmate that i met this year, it wouldnt have been possible. So i cant blow this!
Dr. Buhse informed me about the research project and I was immediately interested. I began to ask questions to show my interest and he responded politely. Moreover, the other reason why I decided to do research is so more doors can be opened and more important people can be met in case I decide to further my education in Biology and become a professor. What would be better than having letters of recommendation from a research professorsof Biology? NOT THAT OTHER LETTERS ARE NOT IMPORTANT =). Basically, he took down and my information and said welcome on board!
Overall, I look forward on working on this independent research study and starting my journey in getting my name in the department. This was the one thing i've been trying to accomplish and if it hadnt been for my classmate that i met this year, it wouldnt have been possible. So i cant blow this!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Fourth Interview
A dream of mine that was on the list was to become a famous international singer, even though I cant sing at all it is something that is a constant fantasy. A close friend of mine were talking earlier this week and I told her about my dream and how I needed to interview someone who could possibly be my role model. She told me about a student that went to her school that she somewhat knew through her other friends. I asked if I was somehow able to contact him to ask questions about his ultimate goal in life dealing with his music.
Almost three days later I get a call from the guy that my friend was talking about and he was somewhat skeptical about the reason he was told to call me. His name was Siraj and I explained to him that my dream is to become a famous international singer and was told that you already sing for school events and other private gatherings. The first question I asked him was how am i able to improve my singing skills and he said that classes with a professional vocal coach is the best method. Siraj did admit that singing is a talent that can be achieved through practice with professionals and long hours of practice.
While on the phone Siraj explained to me that singing for him is almost like a stress reliever as well as a self esteem booster. He told me that people listening attentively when he sings gives him a sense of fulness. I can understand what he meant by that because not only is my dream to become an international singer, but a dancer. When i dance in front of people it also gives me a sing of fulness and self esteem boost. I explained that to him as well. Siraj told me that school always came first for him, but singing was also a big part in his life while growing up. He said his ultimate goal was to get a singing contract and that long hours of practice projecting high and low notes will put him in that position. At the end of our interview, he said he would like to meet me and if I was interested he would help me get started with singing drills and practice. Of course I agreed and cannot wait.
Almost three days later I get a call from the guy that my friend was talking about and he was somewhat skeptical about the reason he was told to call me. His name was Siraj and I explained to him that my dream is to become a famous international singer and was told that you already sing for school events and other private gatherings. The first question I asked him was how am i able to improve my singing skills and he said that classes with a professional vocal coach is the best method. Siraj did admit that singing is a talent that can be achieved through practice with professionals and long hours of practice.
While on the phone Siraj explained to me that singing for him is almost like a stress reliever as well as a self esteem booster. He told me that people listening attentively when he sings gives him a sense of fulness. I can understand what he meant by that because not only is my dream to become an international singer, but a dancer. When i dance in front of people it also gives me a sing of fulness and self esteem boost. I explained that to him as well. Siraj told me that school always came first for him, but singing was also a big part in his life while growing up. He said his ultimate goal was to get a singing contract and that long hours of practice projecting high and low notes will put him in that position. At the end of our interview, he said he would like to meet me and if I was interested he would help me get started with singing drills and practice. Of course I agreed and cannot wait.
Third Interview
Since becoming a pharmacist is my ultimate goal, I decided to interview an individual that was very much outside my network and the method I used to contact him was through my direct network. His name is Paul Simons, PharmD. and he is the Regional Pharmacy Supervisor for my district. The duty that Paul posseses is to pick and chose locations where Walgreen's Pharmacies are needed to be open throughout the Northeast suburbs and downtown chicago areas. His career is somewhat similar to what my dream in life is and that is to open clinics in India. This is one of the main reasons I went about to interview him. I spoke with my pharmacy manager and told him the situation and he basically said here's his office number. I gave him a call and told him the reason for my call. Paul was very surprised because he said no one has ever called him for a favor like this. He asked me when I worked next and that he would stop by my store and give me some of his time. I was very delighted and he did actually coming the following weekend.
I started off the interview by introducing myself and once again reminding him of the purpose for the interview. When i asked him what was the biggest motivation that put him in the position he is in now, he responded by saying "stick to your dream and dont let anything get in the way". This felt like a very vague response so I asked him what kind of things shouldnt get in your way. Paul simply said academically you will sometimes not recieve what you think you got, but dont let that discourage you from excelling the next time. He also spoke about certain individuals who will not believe in you and will sometimes pass that negative energy onto you. "The way to overcome that is to stay close to people who truly believe you obtain those skills to achieve your goal". Paul was very positive and even though we had about 15 minutes to talk, he truly protrayed himself as someone who believed hard work and dedication was the key to reaching any dream.
During the end of the interview, he asked me what my ultimate goals in life were and I first told him to get admission into a pharmacy school. Besides working as a pharmacist I told him my dream about going to India and aiding poor neighborhoods by helping to build clinics and medical service buildings. He was very impressed and told me anything is possible as long as you stick to your plans. I somewhat made "brownie points" with Paul because he never knew who I was until this interview so I guess if I ever wanted to move forward with my company I would know who to contact.
I started off the interview by introducing myself and once again reminding him of the purpose for the interview. When i asked him what was the biggest motivation that put him in the position he is in now, he responded by saying "stick to your dream and dont let anything get in the way". This felt like a very vague response so I asked him what kind of things shouldnt get in your way. Paul simply said academically you will sometimes not recieve what you think you got, but dont let that discourage you from excelling the next time. He also spoke about certain individuals who will not believe in you and will sometimes pass that negative energy onto you. "The way to overcome that is to stay close to people who truly believe you obtain those skills to achieve your goal". Paul was very positive and even though we had about 15 minutes to talk, he truly protrayed himself as someone who believed hard work and dedication was the key to reaching any dream.
During the end of the interview, he asked me what my ultimate goals in life were and I first told him to get admission into a pharmacy school. Besides working as a pharmacist I told him my dream about going to India and aiding poor neighborhoods by helping to build clinics and medical service buildings. He was very impressed and told me anything is possible as long as you stick to your plans. I somewhat made "brownie points" with Paul because he never knew who I was until this interview so I guess if I ever wanted to move forward with my company I would know who to contact.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Interviewing my friend who is a dance instructor
A friend on mine is a private dance instructor for high school students close to where i live and I figured that since she is able to instruct, she has travelled quite far in achieving her dream of becoming a great dancer. When i spoke to her about what encouraged her to become a dance instructor, she responded by saying that her dream is also to become a famous international dancer and by instructing, it will help her reach her goal. Moreover, we spoke about how the passion alone about dancing in general can help anyone reach their goal about being a great international dancer. The love for music is a start, but the love for being able to express your feelings about that song through body movements is even more addicting. Sonali and I both agreed on that concept. I asked if she was ever discouraged because of an obstacle that came in her path and she said no. "The idea is to keep practicing because dancing isn't easy for everyone, it takes time, patience, and concentration." I would have to agree with her because being able to learn a new dance move or improve doesn't require extra effort in the sense of book smarts, but actual mind and body acceleration. As far as advice, I asked her how I can improve to be at a spot where I am able to instruct and she simply said "dance until people go...sh*t, teach me how you did that"
Interviewing Pharmacy Manager
When i spoke with my role model, the pharmacy manager, he told me about how much time and effort he put in to reach his goal as well as obstacles that needed to be crossed to make sure he ended in the spot he wanted to end in. His theory like many others is that whatever your dream or goal may be, you need to put your complete mind and heart into it. This may be in the sense of having a passion or love from the beginning for the particular success you want to achieve as well as the mental ability. Mike spoke about sleepness nights studying and constantly reviewing for exams and tests that come with being enrolled as a pharmacy student. However, he did also mention times where giving up and hopelessness becomes an issue. These are thoughts where things don't turn out as we all expect. In his case, he told me that failing an exam or not understanding something for the first time can really affect your outlook. Mike mentioned a time in pharmacy school when discouragement took over his life and it was due to an exam he did not do so well on. Once receiving his grade, he became very worried and hopeless for further exams in that particular class. This relates much to the story of my life because i become the same way. To compare, i questioned how he overcame that because consequently he had no choice if he wanted to continue being a pharmacy student. Mike said that, "if you sit down, clear your mind, and actually think optimistically with a game plan...you are able to overcome anything that may set you back." When i thought about it, his response was similar to mine except the fact that i usually go to my close friends for help and he doesn't. His overall advise was to concentrate on what you want in life and how to go about achieving that goal. He stated that having a game plan helps, but if you know that your dream is hard to reach, you shouldn't be slacking and be on top of your game constantly.
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