My ambition to become a Pharmacist has been inspired by the example of my father, who ran a Pharmacy in Afghanistan where I was born and brought up. As a result, I was involved in the world of Pharmacology from an early age, and soon began to understand the value of the profession and its role in the community.  Also important in my choice of career is my love of chemistry as a school subject, which, combined with another of my favourite academic subjects, mathematics, seems to lie at the heart of Pharmaceutical science.  I am very interested in the way drugs work in the body and how they are formulated, and I am eager to explore the physiological and biochemical processes on which medication can operate.  In Afghanistan the normal services of a civilized community were seriously disturbed by war, and I saw many people whose access to proper Pharmacology was very limited.  It was also clear that many of those who ran Pharmacies there were poorly qualified for the job and consequently might give wrong advice and offer inappropriate medication, and this was one of the factors which figured in my own ambition to become fully professional as a Pharmacist.  I fully understand the importance of the service in society and the way people view it and rely on it.  I am equally aware of the heavy burden of responsibility the Pharmacist bears, and how precise and accurate his or her work must be, but I feel confident that I can meet the demands of the profession, and enjoy the privilege of being a respected and trusted member of the community. Work experience at an ASDA Pharmacy gave me some useful insight into how a business is run and what duties and routines fill the Pharmacist’s day.  One very striking aspect was the fact that many people come to consult the Pharmacist before they see their GP, so that the Pharmacist is often the first resort of patients who might have a problem, particularly if it is a minor ailment, such as a cough, cold or hay fever symptoms.  I soon realized that one of the Pharmacist’s prime requirements is the ability to communicate clearly.  I learned that when a patient came to discuss a problem it was essential to listen carefully, show patience and respond as positively as possible.  I discovered much about customer care, the ways GPs prescribe, the nature of the drugs we handled and, most importantly, the feel of working within the NHS at community level.

My international background means that I am fluent in four languages.  My mother tongue, from my early life in Afghanistan, is Pashto, and I also speak Dari, or Persian.  When we left Afghanistan we spent some time in Pakistan, where I learnt Urdu, and we came to the UK in 2009, where I mastered English.  This range of languages is, I believe, a considerable asset in an increasingly multicultural society such as one encounters in the UK now.

I am quite proud of the way I have been able to adapt to the various changes in my life and surroundings, and that I have been able to perform well in GCSE and AS examinations after so short a time in a UK school.  I am a keen chess player, representing my College in local competitions.  I am also careful to keep myself fit, and attend a gym regularly, as well as playing cricket.  I have had a part-time job at an ASDA store for four years, which has been very beneficial to my skills in handling customers, offering them advice and communicating clearly.

I work hard, am reliable and extremely careful about punctuality.  One of my best qualities is my ability to be patient, and my work experience placement taught me very clearly that working patiently and carefully is the first requirement in the professional Pharmacist. I enjoy teamwork and know that those I work with can depend on me absolutely, and that once I am committed to a goal, nothing will divert me from completing it.  I am fully determined to achieve my ambition, and believe I have the necessary qualities to become a very efficient Pharmacist.

We hope this Pharmacy personal statement sample proves to be a useful guide when writing your personal statement for your university application.