Second Interview Questions

1. How did you get to the point you are at?
2. What was the academic pathway you took?
3. What was the hardest part of becoming a pharmacist?
4. How long did it take you to become a pharmacist?
5. What other classes did you have to take that you didn't expect to take to become a pharmacist?
6. What was the biggest obstacle you had to face when you were becoming a pharmacist?
7. Where did you work before?
8. What are things you think not a lot of people know you do as a pharmacist?

Working EQ

The Pentagon
1. Positive Statement. What positive thing has happened as  a result of what you have completed so far?

One positive thing that has happened to me as a result of what I have completed so far  is finding a better mentor. Over the summer, I worked with a mentor who was really busy and didn't really have a chance to actually talk to me. Because of this, I was on a search for a mentor who was hopefully a little bit more understandable and nearby home. Now that I have a better mentor, I have learned so much within only a couple of times volunteering with them.

2. EQ Content. How has your interview helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

My interview has helped me improve my understanding of my topic by finding out how much work goes into not only becoming a pharmacist but being one. I also learned the different aspects of a pharmacist and what it takes to maintain a pharmacy. My interviewee was extremely helpful and knowledgeable by not only giving me advice on what to do next but willing to tell me what is important in the field of pharmacy. It really improved my understanding of pharmacy by giving me an inside look of what happens in the pharmacy field that not a lot of people know what happens behind their prescription.

3. What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

What has really worked for me in the senior project is the mentorship. I am really enjoying it and learning so much from it. I also love how the senior project is broken up into small parts that will come together eventually so it's not so overwhelming.

4. What hasn't worked so far?

Although there isn't much that hasn't worked so far would be the scheduling of my mentorship. I think it's more of a personal issue with the fact that I don't really have much transportation to my mentorship but I believe once we get more into the school year I'll be able to find ways to them.

5. Finding Value.

What possible question or questions come to mind regarding what you would like to study this year?

What is the most important quality/trait a pharmacist has to have to succeed?

What is the most effective way to get a patient out effectively and happily in the pharmacy field?

What is your end goal this year with your senior project?

My end goal this year with my senior project is to decide if pharmacy is really what I want to do with my life. Being in the medical field is a huge commitment and I want to make sure that this is really the commitment I really want to take. I also hope to possibly gain my pharmacy technician's license if I really love the field at the end of the year.

Who would you like to talk to next? Why?

I would like to talk to a clinical pharmacist and a pharmacist that works for a bigger chain such as CVS, Rite Aid, etc. Clinical pharmacy is something I'm interested in based on my research so I believe it would be a good opportunity to really learn about their daily duties. I also think that by talking to a community pharmacist might be a different perspective from someone who works in an independent pharmacy. 

Problem Statement

1. What is your senior project topic? 

Pharmacy is my senior project topic.

2. What are two problems with your topic? What will you do when you solve each problem?

One problem with pharmacy is internet pharmacy. The problem with internet pharmacy is that some pharmacists sell prescription drugs without a prescription as well as patients going to these pharmacies to get drugs that doctors are not willing to prescribe to them. This type of pharmacy has been deemed "potentially dangerous" because of the fact that patients especially younger ones can obtain medication that is not prescribed to them.

I believe internet pharmacy can really be a major part of pharmacy because technology is so prevalent in our society. Therefore, when I solve the problem of internet pharmacy, I plan to introduce the concept to my present mentor and see if she can implement it into her pharmacy. If I ever own my own pharmacy or when I work in a pharmacy in the future, I will definitely present internet pharmacy as an option that can be convenient for patients and bring in more revenue.

Another problem is not enough integration of pharmacy care with patient care. One study showed that by a hospital integrating a "patient centered integrated model of pharmacy practice" they reduced readmission rates of patients with heart failure.

I really love the idea of being in clinical pharmacy. Clinical pharmacy mostly revolves anything to do with the patient. I really love helping people and what better way to help them by prescribing something that will make them feel better. I believe that by knowing why and how important it is to integrate more patient centered pharmacy care I will be able to decide where I would want to work for the pharmacy field and be able to help more people effectively. 

Interview Preparation

Content

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?
I plan to interview Tony Villanueva for my first interview because she owns her own pharmacy and I believe that she would have a different perspective than just any pharmacist has.

2. What additional questions do you plan to ask?  

I also plan to ask: 

How did you get to the point you are at right now?

Was this what you originally wanted to do?

What is the most enjoyable part of the pharmacy field?

Are there any downfalls to becoming a pharmacist or getting into that field? 

Pharmacy

a. What is your topic and why? 

My topic is pharmacy. I chose this because it's something I'm interested in investing my future career in. Before I take the huge task of being in medical school for four years, I want to be sure that pharmacy is really what I want to do and study.

b.  What do you hope to accomplish this year with this topic? (Relating to ESLRs)

-iPoly Citizen: 

I plan to contribute more to the community in finding multiple connections with different pharmacists.  This relates to me improving as a iPoly citizen because it allows me to take responsibilities for myself and for my actions. By being able to build more connections, I will be able to learn  more about current issues and history regarding the field of pharmacy and an even more broader field, medical. Learning more about these things will allow me to develop an awareness and appreciation of how the field itself makes an impact.

-Effective Communicator:

This year, I plan to be able to observe and apply all the communicating and teamwork skills that a pharmacist has. As a pharmacist, they work with tons of people from patients with consultants to techs with communicating about prescriptions. This will make me more effective as a communicator because being in a pharmacy can be a stressful environment dealing with more crucial things such as giving the right prescription and other things like that. Observing how they deal with the certain situations can allow me to learn and apply them to any stressful situation and in the future career. By applying this, it will allow me to be a better contributor, collaborator and work better with people and in turn, make me a more effective communicator.

-Effective Learner:

This year, I plan to learn basic medical knowledge and to apply this to medical situations that come up. For example, if someone has sprained their leg or has the cold, be able to know what to do. (Seeing Brandon Zelaya know so much information about specific medicines in his senior presentation just amazed me.) This will make an effective learner  to me improving as a iPoly citizen because knowing basic knowledge can help me become a better problem solver with a topic I am not really familiar with. Having this knowledge also opens up to my mind to learning even more knowledge and being able to really help people out.

-Effective User of Technology:

I plan to improve my researching skills with not only researching my topic but also other things that I need research for in the future. This will make me more effective as a user of technology because I will be able to find ways to research more effectively and be able to integrate it into becoming a more effective learner.