Becoming a Pharmacist: Improving Health & Wealth

I knew about the importance of Pharmacy early on in my life. Me and my two younger brothers had been diagnosed with severe asthma when we were children. Pharmacists saved our lives innumerable times, whether it was because they administered our medicine at the right time, the correct way or because the inhalers, that gave us our breathing back, never spared. As I grew up, the asthma began to dwindle, and the times we went into the Pharmacy, as well. Nevertheless, it was out of this interaction with us as patients and observing the significance of being able to help people in their weakest, that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the health sciences.

My first step toward this goal was to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, with a Chemistry major from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. I chose this major because during my time in high school this class aligned with my desire for becoming a health professional and combined my interest in science and mathematics.

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The healthcare experiences that “showed” me the importance of healthcare education, and the volunteer outreach programs, that gave me the confidence to reach out and connect with people, during my collegial life allowed me the opportunity to grow and confirm what I already knew from the beginning, achieving a Doctor of Pharmacy degree would be the next “best” step in which I could contribute my passion and interests to becoming an excellent healthcare professional.

At the end of my sophomore year, I got accepted in to a summer program for students interested in healthcare professions.

In the program, I was able to experience these different careers by shadowing doctors, speaking with professionals in their respective fields, and taking seminars. During this time, I was uncertain about my career choice, as I had not been exposed to what my future would be like as a Pharmacist, until I met a guest speaker, the Program Coordinator at the College of Pharmacy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, at a workshop. I organized a meeting with her, and she showed me everything that a Pharmacist was responsible for. I had the opportunity to see pharmacists working in real-time and speak to students about their passion for their career choice. I acquired a new understanding of the importance of health education and how necessary doctor-patient relationships were. This event made me realize that my desire to help, and my dream of becoming a Pharmacist and helping those be at ease with their illness, as I once was, had never faded.

My church has been my second home since I was about nine years old. From an early age they instructed me in the ways I could give back to my community and I have never stopped. I love working with people and I appreciate every opportunity I have, to reciprocate what I have been blessed with. Spending time visiting elderly homes, orphanages, working with children and sharing with the homeless, are personal experiences that have had an impact in my life. These volunteer outreach activities, done as part of my life as a college student and in my church, have taught me how to connect with others, be more open-minded, culturally sensitive and understanding, which will be an essential part of working as a pharmacist.

Additionally, being part of organizations like MEDLIFE, the American Chemical Society, Future Pharmacist Association and The Rotaract Club have helped me learn how to cooperate and work with peers. However, one of the most memorable experiences was being a board member for MEDLIFE in my freshman and sophomore years. There, I improved my leadership skills, my ability to work as part of a team and I honed my capacity to build good relationships with people. The time and dedication that I put into all these activities inspire me to apply to the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, where I will keep gaining valuable knowledge about what it will be like to work with patients and where I can work besides the best professionals to enrich my development as a pharmacist.

In pursuing a career in pharmacy, my passion for science has also been an indispensable driving force. I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant for two projects, involving chemistry, in which I have gained valuable knowledge. The first project, “Elucidating the Ammonia Electrochemical Oxidation Mechanism via Electrochemical Techniques at the International Space Station” was an Electrochemical Research, in which I worked with Dr. Carlos Cabrera at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. In addition, I am currently working with Dr. Vilmalí Lopez and Dr. Torsten Steltzer at the Crystallization Design Institute in the University of Puerto Rico’s Molecular Sciences Research Center, with the project “Polymorphic Control of Small Organic Semiconductor Materials using Tetrathiafulvalene based Self-assembled Monolayers”.

Working closely with professionals in the chemistry and pharmacy field allows me to comprehend concepts beyond the classroom that strengthen my communication skills and my understanding of how real science becomes in a research laboratory. The tasks assigned to me taught me how to work in time constraints, how to diligently work on a solution and organize my time properly.


As I am about to finish my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, I reflect on all the experiences I have lived through. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 20, of last year, it was a rough time not having electricity and classes being canceled constantly. There was uncertainty about whether Puerto Rico was going to recover. Despite all the hardships in those months, I worked hard to get back on track in my studies and my job, and I volunteered at the Medical Center of Puerto Rico, distributing and accounting donations for the hospital.

My aspiration to become a Doctor of Pharmacy was unfaltering, and I did not want to miss the chance to help my people in the island, when help was needed most. Every decision I have made throughout the years have given me the competence and knowledge to be an excellent candidate for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program. My personal, educational, and professional background have pushed me to grow in to the mature woman I am today, and the results are gratifying. Achieving my goal of becoming a Doctor of Pharmacy would help me become that which sparked my interest in healthcare from such an early age, a professional who can contribute to science and help people in their weakest, as they had done for me.