UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy

Humans of Skaggs Nhi Truong (Class of 2022, current P3) Fall 2020 - Week 5 The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Nhi Truong (ASP VP of Info Resources)!... Q: What advice would you give to an incoming P1 student? A: Take advantage of the opportunities that are around you. I am quite the introvert so one of the scariest things for me was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. This is definitely something I still work at. So I encourage you to keep an open mind. You never know what things you might discover and who you might meet! Q: If you weren't a pharmacist, what career would you pursue? A: If I wasn’t a pharmacist, I would still be somewhere in the realm of healthcare. If healthcare wasn’t an option, I would most likely be doing something in interior design, event planning or growing my Etsy shop. Essentially, something where I can carry out my passion for organization but still be creative at the same time :) Q: What did you do this past summer? A: In general, this year has been a good one for self reflection and growth. I’m super grateful to have been able to continue working through this pandemic. This past summer, I worked A LOT, but also learned A TON. I also chopped off & donated about 12 in of hair. I rode in a hot air balloon for the first time. I’ve taken up a lot of new hobbies too: embroidering, fishing, and lots of living room workouts with my roommate. I also started cooking a lot more because of quarantine. (Follow me @mamanhi_kitchen). My next feat is ROLLER BLADING :) Q: What is your biggest fear? A: Honestly, the unknown, the abyss? Concepts like outer space and the depths of the ocean freak me out. It probably doesn’t help that I can’t swim either. #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Harp Sindhar (Class of 2021, current P4) Fall 2020 - Week 4 Q: How are you liking your P4 year rotations so far? Do you have any advice regarding preparing for P4 year?... A: Rotations are going well I guess! Everyday is a challenge, but I’m learning a lot and enjoying the process. For everyone prepping for the P4 year, have confidence in yourself. You put time in your didactic studies, so be confident when you present your recommendations because we strive to do the best for our patients. Q: If you weren't a pharmacist, what career would you pursue? A: I would definitely become a chef with an emphasis on Punjabi and Mexican fusion. The hypothetical plan has always been to open up a restaurant called M&H which comes from the first letters of my cooking buddy, Medardo, and myself. There will only be two items on the menu: daily special and QR code to Postmates. Also, just extending from the first question, explore your hobbies. I got really close to one of my preceptors after our discussion on food. Q: What would you sing at karaoke night? A: In the End by Linkin Park just because we would always overplay it when I was a kid, and I am confident that I would have every word correct without even needing to look at the lyrics. Q: What game or movie universe would you most like to live in? A: I would definitely want to experience the Star Wars universe. I don’t remember where I read this, but the quote was: Our generation is 100 years too late to explore Earth but 100 years too early to explore space. That resonated with me a lot. Since I can’t afford the expensive ticket for a rocket trip by SpaceX, the Star Wars universe wouldn’t be a horrible alternative. Also, moving stuff with the Force, manipulating people’s minds, and having a lightsaber would be chill as well. #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Aman Sarai (Class of 2022, current P3) Fall 2020 - Week 4 The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Aman Sarai (ASP VP of Communications)!... Q: What are important qualities that all pharmacists must have? A: Patience and empathy. I work in a busy outpatient pharmacy as an intern and it can be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and get frustrated at little things, but it's important to remember that rarely any patient is at the pharmacy for a happy reason. So be empathetic to their worries and be patient with yourself and your team! Q: What has been your most memorable event/experience at Skaggs so far? A: Kappa Psi Province is definitely a standout memory for me! I got to spend the whole weekend in SF meeting Brothers and learning about the fraternity. Also, I was able to spend time with classmates that I don't know that well and it was nice getting to know them outside of the classroom, explore SF, and eat some great food. Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? A: This is really random, but definitely Finland. In undergrad, I learned about their prison reform system, their health care system, and how young adults are given discounted housing to live in nursing homes as long as they spend a minimum of 3-5 hrs with their elderly neighbors, who are often left alone without anybody to talk to. How cool is that?! It all seems too good to be true, but they're making it work and I would love to live in such a progressive place. Q: If you could travel to any fictional place, where would you go? A: Oh for sure Hogwarts and specifically to get sorted into my House! Like most people, I feel like a true Gryffindor, but I always end up in Ravenclaw :( #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Tanner Melton (Class of 2022, current P3) Fall 2020 - Week 3 Q: What did you do this past summer?... A: It was a pretty busy summer because I did a lot of running and bicycling to prepare for four virtual duathlons I participated in. I also basically worked full time for the last half of the summer and tried out a new cooking recipes and coffee recipes (I essentially have a small café in my apartment now). I also spent time reading, finishing at least 4 books, and played some video games as well. I did get some time to see family too so that was a nice break from everything. Q: How did you get to where you are today? A: Honestly most of it is because of my parents. They supported me in whatever I've tried to do and always helped me find ways to explore the world. I feel lucky too to have had great teachers and coaches to push me to do my best and develop an intrinsic motivation that drives me every day. Once I found that, found how much I love helping people, and how much I enjoy learning, I eventually ended up where I am today. Q: What advice would you give to an incoming P1 student? A: Enjoy the early years. Also, speaking as a P3, we understand that yes it's all stressful but we've all been there and genuinely want to share our experience with you and help you. This school is one of opportunity and you can find ways to grow/develop at every turn. That being said, also know your limits and make sure to practice good mental and physical health along the way. These are so important and I always make sure to set aside time to make sure I am healthy and it has helped me get through school so far. My last piece of advice is to reach out to older students and just get to know them, you may find a new friend, future colleague, or just someone with something interesting to share that you hadn't thought of before, and in all cases you will likely grow far beyond class studies. Also, we want to meet you all as well and not being on campus makes that hard for us. Q: What is your proudest accomplishment so far? A: My proudest accomplishment is probably from when I was 5. At that age, I wanted to do a canned food drive to help the homeless population in my home town. I planned on getting 100 items initially but was really ecstatic to be able to end up getting over 300 items. I was particularly proud especially since I was able to do it as 5 years old and it made me realize that I was able to help people, even from a very young age. This is where I began develop my passion for helping people and also learned to set my own goals and strive to meet, if not surpass them. #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Daniel Tran (Class of 2023, current P2) Fall 2020 - Week 3 The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Daniel Tran (ASP VP of Finance)!... Q: What advice would you give a current pharmacy student? // What are your thoughts on the current job market for pharmacists? A: As we may all know, there is a huge emphasis on how saturated the pharmacy job market is currently. I’m not imploring anyone to leave the field, but want to illustrate that passing and receiving your license is no longer the "golden ticket" to secure a pharmacy job. What can we do about it? Figure out where you want to be in the future, and work aggressively for it. Surround yourself with like-minded people and bring value into their lives. Seek mentors who can guide you towards the path you desire. Remember that your network is your net worth. Pursue experiences and work that prepares you for your goal. Create a logical arc with your relationships and experiences to reach that end goal and be passionate about the things you love. Q: How did you get to where you are today? A: My journey to UCSD is quite extended. From high school, I was reselling calculators and started an online eBay business. In college, I was shooting particle accelerators in a radical kinetics research lab then performed brain surgeries on rats in my neuroendocrinology lab. I then found myself in the docbox at UCLA-Harbor Medical Center collabing with attendings and residents and jumping in their rounds. From there, I got stuck and went into tutoring, eventually becoming an academic director managing individual curricula, making decisions that impacted the direction of the company, and was part of an investment opportunity and eventual acquisition. Along the way, I've tutored high school students who got into Ivy's like Harvard and Columbia, and undergrads into MD, PT, OT, and Pharmacy programs. The values that resonated with me and led me to where I am today was to be congruent with yourself, continuously ask questions without fear of judgement, and to pursue opportunities that open to you. Q: What's one of the best or worst purchases you've ever made? A: Best: 100% in VTSAX Mid March 2020. Worst: Clothes that you don't actually like or that don't fit you right, but were on sale. Q: What is a quote or motto that you live by? A: You gotta let go (Let go) If you want to fly, take the leap You gotta risk it all (Risk it all) Or they'll be lots of things you'll never see You gotta let, let go 'Cause you never know what's in store Mister entrepreneur Entrepreneur - Pharrell Williams ft. Jay-Z #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Jenny Yang (Class of 2023, current P2) Fall 2020 - Week 2 Meet P2 student, Jenny as she describes her favorite moments of pharmacy school and offers some advice to P1 students! ... Q: What has been your most memorable event/experience at Skaggs so far? Skaggs has really helped me, as someone who is naturally shy, open up to building connections and relationships with classmates, upperclassmen and faculty since everyone is so approachable and friendly here. Some of my most memorable experiences are when I’m studying with my friends because we’re working hard together, and at the same time having the most fun together when we start to tell each other funny jokes based on our learning material to help each other learn it better. Q: What advice would you give to an incoming P1 student? While staying on top of school work is important and may be overwhelming at times, don’t forget to take time out of the day for self-care and find that activity you enjoy doing to help you de-stress (for me it’s a trip to the supermarkets!). I find that extra visual guides on top of the school calendar very helpful for me to stay organized with important dates, so try to find something, whether if it’s planner, desktop calendar, post it notes, to help you stay organized too! Q: If you could live anywhere, where would you live? I would love to live in Japan and be surrounded with vending machines, convenient stores and amazing food! Q: What are some small things that make you happy? 1. Happy and satisfied patients at the pharmacy 2. First sip of hot tea in the cold morning 3. Crossing off a busy day on my calendar #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Amy Leung (Class of 2023, current P2) Fall 2020 - Week 2 The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Amy Leung (ASP President-Elect)!... Q1: What superpower would you give to all pharmacists? The ability to ACCURATELY and EFFECTIVELY multi-task. I feel like this skill is very much needed in a busy pharmacy but only 2% of the population could effectively do so. Q2: What is your favorite medication and why? Claritin! It works wonders and it's pretty much the only pill I could swallow easily.... :D Q3: What makes you laugh the most? Being unapologetically weird and delirious with my close friends! Even the smallest thing that we say or do, would get me cackling for the whole hour xD Q4: If you could choose to do anything for an entire day, what would you choose? Eat, sleep, and repeat! #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Destini Nguyen (Class of 2024, current P1) Fall 2020 - Week 1 Let's all show Destini some love as she begins her pharmacy journey at Skaggs!... Q1: How would your friends describe you? They would describe me as a patient, easy going and open-minded person. I am usually the one who is down for anything when asked to hang out. I’m not really picky when it comes to food or music and I always try to keep an open mind when exploring new ideas or things. ____ Q2: If you could choose to do anything for an entire day, what would you choose? Though this might be a cliché answer, I would choose to travel to as many places as I can. I think traveling exposes you to difference challenges and opportunities to get new perspective. Plus, it’s fun getting to experience different cultures and customs. ____ Q3: What influenced you to pursue a career in pharmacy? I think what influenced me was actually the fact that I didn’t know anything about pharmacy. I always had an interest in health and growing up I knew what dentists, doctors, and optometrists did due to my annual (or biannual) checkups. Thankfully, since I was a healthy child, I never really went to a pharmacist or picked up prescription medications at a pharmacy. So, when it was time to choose a career, I explored the option least familiar to me and ended up finding something I could envision myself doing for a long time. #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Erin Yamanaka (Class of 2022, current P3) Fall 2020 - Week 1 The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Erin Yamanaka (ASP President)!... Q1: What did you do this past summer? This past summer was definitely filled with quite memorable experiences. In spite of there being a pandemic, I did activities that had always been on my bucket list. I visited the Grand Canyon for the first time and explored more beautiful sites around San Diego. After really trying to focus on self-care this summer, I definitely want to prioritize that more during this school year. Also, one major highlight that finished out my summer was that I GOT ENGAGED to my boyfriend who I've been with since high school. I am still in shock, but I am SO excited to start this next chapter with him. Q2: If you weren't a pharmacist, what non-medical career would you pursue? I had always imagined myself working as an entertainment news correspondent for E! I am truly a pop culture junkie and have always enjoyed keeping up with entertainment news. At my old pharmacy tech job, my nickname was Ms. Little TMZ and they always could count on me for filling them in on the latest Hollywood break-up or latest scandal. Q3: If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life it would be PASTA! Carbs are truly the way to my heart and soul! Italian food is one of my favorite cuisines as it is so diverse and there are so many ingredients and possible combinations. I highly recommend checking out Little Italy in San Diego, as they have some of the best restaurants that are absolutely fantastico! #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Bryan Bau (Class of 2021, current P3) Spring 2020 - Week 9 Q1: What superpower would you give to all pharmacists?... It’d be nice if all pharmacists had the power of telepathy like Professor Xavier from X-Men. My reasoning is that pharmacists could just tell patients how they are supposed to take their medications appropriately using only their mind. This would also help decrease HIPAA violations and be useful especially when dealing with vocally combative patients or patients on the phone who simply have poor telephone connection and you can’t get your message across. But with great power comes great responsibilities, and so, a safer and alternative power would be for all pharmacists to have a photographic memory. No more needing to look up information on Micromedex, Lexicomp, or Clinical Pharmacology ____ Q2: This job is repetitive. What would motivate you to do it well every day? I try to stay motivated by setting small goals for each shift and to be open to learning new tasks or skills. I think having a set goal to accomplish really helps pass the time when I’m at work as it makes me focus less on the repetitive aspects of the job. As for being open-minded, learning new shortcuts from more experienced co-workers and seeing how different pharmacists handle situations makes each shift new and interesting. ____ Q3: How would your friends describe you? My friends would most likely describe me as a considerate, reserved, and a Star Wars nerd. If my friends were to use pop culture references to describe me, I believe the quote Ogres are like onions from the movie Shrek and Eeyore’s persona would be the most apt description they would use. ____ Q4: If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? It’s not healthy, but if I could eat one meal for the rest of my life, it would be gyudon (Beef Bowl from Yoshinoya). I ate that meal a lot when I was growing up and it’s just such a simple, flavorful, and filling comfort food. It brings back good memories whenever I eat it and I haven’t had it in a long time. #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Ernest Chow (Class of 2023, current P1) Spring 2020 - Week 7 We hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe throughout the whole COVID-19 situation! We can't wait to see everyone again but for now, heres a chance to learn more about Ernest.... Q1: What has been your most memorable event/experience at Skaggs so far? I really enjoyed the UCSD Student Association Fair during the first few weeks of Fall Quarter. The Student Association Fair was an humble event, consisting of only about 10 booths with each pharmacy student organization boasting their tables and posters proudly. I did find it to be intimidating at first, but after meeting and talking with the many board members, this event was invaluable in how it widened my future perspective in pharmacy and instilled an excitement in me to be involved with student organizations at Skaggs! ____ Q2: Why did you decide pharmacy was a good career choice for you? As simple as it sounds, I think drugs are just super interesting! Learning about the science behind pharmacology and many different disciplines of biology and healthcare is enjoyable for me. But I think what makes pharmacy so appealing, is being able to directly translate that knowledge into patient care through skills like counseling or medication reconciliation. There’s a special place in the healthcare system for pharmacists! ____ Q3: If you could choose to do anything for an entire day, what would you choose? I would hang out with my friends all day! Since I went to UCSD for undergrad, I still have a close group of friends I met through church in San Diego. A perfect day with them would include rock climbing, all-you-can-eat sushi, and good talks. ____ Q4: What is your proudest accomplishment so far? It was several years ago, but I got 3rd place at a pho eating contest! #HumansofSkaggs

Humans of Skaggs Christie Hoang (Class of 2020, current P4) Spring 2020 - Week 4 Q1: How are you liking rotations of P4 year so far? Do you have any advice regarding preparing for the P4 year?... P4 year is actually my favorite year because of rotations! I learn best through application and was fortunate enough to connect with wonderful preceptors/mentors, which definitely made rotations a very enjoyable experience. Please be punctual, respectful, and professional. Show your enthusiasm for learning by asking questions and showing good work ethic. This is your year to really focus and prepare yourself for the next chapter in your life. You might feel nervous about not being able to correctly answer every question your preceptors ask; but just remember that all of them have been in your shoes before and understand that P4 students are still learners. Your preceptors will not expect you to know every single answer, but they do expect to see your thought process in how you connect the concepts you studied in school to real-life patients. So try your best, work hard, and you will do great! Good Luck! ____ Q2: If you could be any medication, what would you be and why? Steroids because they are super versatile and can treat a plethora of conditions. ____ Q3: What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend? Listening to live music at a festival/concert with my closest friends. That is my happy place! :) ____ Q4: What is a quote or motto that you live by? Work hard, play hard! #HumansofSkaggs

Hi everyone! We hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe during quarantine. Taking a small study break? Spend some time learning more about what Allison is doing with her spare time below. Humans of Skaggs Allison Vu (Class of 2022, current P2) Spring 2020 - Week 2... Q1: What advice would you give to an incoming P1 student? Be open-minded and take advantage of the opportunities around you. As students, our main jobs are to learn and grow. Even though school is inevitably demanding, just think about how your knowledge could help so many people now and in the future! Also, build your support system because it makes the hard times manageable and the fun times so much more amazing! Give yourself a memorable experience. Q2: What are important qualities that all pharmacists must have? This is a lifelong learning profession where our roles can expand, guidelines for treatments/immunizations change, medications enter/are taken off the market, and different patients may require individualized care. For the best patient care, I believe it’s important for pharmacists to be detail oriented, trustworthy, and empathetic. Purpose fuels passion, and I definitely see it around me! Q3: What are some small things that make you happy? Oh there are so many things that make me happy: walking down Main Street at Disney, waking up in time for sunrise yoga, lighting a scented candle without setting off an alarm, getting a package and wondering what I ordered, lots of cooking and eating my Trader Joe’s quarantine snacks Q4: What game or movie universe would you most like to live in? A musical!! HSM, Mamma Mia, Hairspray, etc. Just imagine if we could all break out in song/synchronized dance to solve problems and have a happy ending!! #HumansofSkaggs