Sample Pharmacy Personal Statement
Having been strongly interested in the biochemical dimensions of human health for several years now, over the course of completing a BSc in Biochemistry my interests became increasingly drawn to pharmacy. My enthusiasm for this area is based on two different strands. Firstly, the area of science that has always interested me the most from an intellectual point of view has been the ways in which the human body responds to different types of chemical stimuli, particularly with regard to the effects that these stimuli can have on the body’s own natural processes and its attempts to fight off disease and infection. Secondly, and more importantly, my interest in pharmacy is based around a desire to put my passion for science to use to help people and society. The strides made by pharmaceutical researchers in producing drugs to combat the effects of illnesses such as cancer and HIV are nothing short of remarkable, and I would be proud to be involved in the fight against diseases through research science. Indeed, my interest in being involved in such research is partly motivated by my own experiences of a serious illness. Although these years were very trying and had a substantial effect on my ability to engage fully with my studies, I am acutely aware that without the appropriate treatments that have been created in pharmaceutical laboratories, its effects would have been much, much worse. I am therefore highly motivated, now that I am fully recovered, to invest all of my efforts into a degree in pharmacy so that I too can make a similarly positive contribution.
I read journals and books on pharmacy avidly and enthusiastically in my spare time, keeping myself up-to-date with the latest advances in pharmaceutical research. I am interested in both the scientific side of pharmacy, and also in how the pharmaceutical industry itself operates. The economics of drugs manufacturing is something that I believe it is essential for all pharmacists to understand, and it has been fascinating to learn about the sometimes difficult relationships and conflicting interests of academic researchers and drug companies. Debates such as those regarding the potential conflicts between profitability and saving lives are fascinating to me, and I look forward to learning more about this complex area as I become more involved in the pharmaceutical world.
I believe that my degree in biochemistry has given me a solid grounding in the scientific foundations that underpin a pharmacy degree. However, the past few years have also left me with a sense that I have not as yet fulfilled my academic potential. My illness certainly held me back at A Level and university, but rather than simply accept this as an unchangeable state of affairs, I am determined to strengthen my scientific knowledge and skills in preparation for studying pharmacy at university. Since completing my BSc I have returned to A Level study, to improve on the results that I attained in 2006. In full health and with renewed enthusiasm, I am now confident that I will attain top grades and as a consequence be fully prepared for the demands of a degree in pharmacy.
I intend for my professional future to be dedicated to pharmacy. I hope that studying for a degree in pharmacy will be a crucial step forward, allowing me to gain the skills and scientific knowledge that are required for a career in this field. I hope that in the future I will be able to gain experience in both working in pharmaceutical research, and also be able to take up a professional role in which I work more directly with those who are in need of medication. Accordingly, looking ahead to the future, my tentative plan is to follow a degree in pharmacy with a period involved in postgraduate and perhaps postdoctoral research, before moving on ultimately to open my own pharmacy business.
We hope that this sample Pharmacy personal statement will provide others with some inspiration for writing a personal statement of their own.