Example Pharmacy Personal Statement
My current role at Northampton General Hospital has proven a valuable opportunity to gain experience of working effectively across multi-disciplinary teams. At times this has proven to be a steep learning curve but, through maintaining excellent communication with colleagues and patients, I have learnt a great deal about the treatment of elderly care, stroke rehabilitation, cardiology and respiratory conditions. Through extensive training in these areas I have supplemented the knowledge I gained throughout study and previous employment, utilising and adapting it to the shifting demands of a highly varied role. The varied nature of the role first became clear to me during a 4-week cross-sector placement at Guy’s and St. Thomas’, which motivated me to choose hospital pharmacy as my career path.
Before deciding to focus on hospital pharmacy, however, I also gained extensive experience of community pharmacy through working within a range of dispensing chemists. This means that I have also gained a wide knowledge of over-the-counter medicines and have gained experience of diagnosing and counselling on the appropriate medication for a range of ailments. I have also always been encouraged to apply my logical approach to problem solving to providing effective patient care. This includes taking part in Medicine Usage Reviews (MURs), working with a multidisciplinary team to assess the effectiveness of treatment, and working within unique, experimental systems, such as Manor Pharmacy’s KISS (Keep It Simple Service) for managing repeat prescriptions in an accurate and timely manner.
Each of the roles that I have occupied has both utilised and developed transferable skills that are essential across the profession. Excellent communication skills are paramount, not just for communicating with patients to establish medical and drug histories to assess drug interaction, but also for maintaining smooth professional relationships with colleagues and healthcare professionals. Accuracy is also important, and a particular strength of mine, with precision in the mathematical and administrative aspects of the role central to ensuring continued patient safety. As part of a larger system of patient care it is also important to recognise and respect the interactions that lead to effective patient care. Through well-honed leadership and teamwork skills, I have also shown effective organisational, administrative, time and people management skills, all of which allow for effective planning and problem solving to create integrated patient care solutions.
My excellent communication skills have also been utilised in the voluntary work that I have done in my spare time. Being bi-lingual, I have used my Kurdish and English language skills to help the elderly and disabled through the Kurdish Disability Organisation, interpreting and translating for new arrivals to the country. Being active in my local community is very important to me, and I find my career is very rewarding in this respect.
Having worked hard to begin my career as a pharmacist by working across multiple disciplines within the field, I am now seeking the opportunity to focus these skills within a role which allows me to learn more about working within hospital pharmacy. I am particularly interested in cardiology, oncology and mental health and find the idea of making an impact on people’s lives through working in these areas hugely inspiring. My ambition and determination drive me on in my career, and I am always looking to improve, whether through taking a clinical postgraduate diploma, or through taking every opportunity for training and feedback that individual roles offer. My ability to communicate and be receptive to this feedback means that I never stop learning and I relish the thought of challenging myself even further in this new role.
This example Pharmacy personal statement can be used as a helping hand to hone your personal statement to perfection in order to progress your education.