<p>I'm trying to get into pharmacy programs like USP and Wilkes University. My test scores aren't stellar (25 on ACT, 1680 SAT) but I shadowed 2 pharmacists (1 at an independent pharmacy and one at Thomas Jefferson Univ Hospital) so I'm hoping that will improve my chances. I wrote my 1st draft of the essay and I was hoping to get some feedback. Here it is:</p>
<p>A pharmacy has never been a strange place for me. Contact with germs is inevitable. So it is no surprise that over the years, I have gotten sick and had to pay a visit to my local Kmart or Rite-Aid to pick up a prescription. Although I have visited them many times, Ive always wondered how pharmacies looked on the inside. This summer, I had the chance to venture into uncharted territory: the other side of the pharmacy counter.
My first experience behind the pharmacy counter was at my grandmothers long-time pharmacy. At first, I watched the pharmacist do a lot of filling and checking prescriptions. But, I soon learned that working in a community retail pharmacy is much more that counting by fives. I learned that this type of career takes a lot of patience. That there will be customers, many customers that will interrupt your work to ask questions about their prescriptions or need assistance in finding over-the-counter drugs. Above all, I learned that at the end of the day, all the questions and consultations were worth it because each and every day, the pharmacist was helping a person improve their quality of life.
My shadowing experience at Thompsons Pharmacy was an amazing opportunity that solidified my decision to become a pharmacist. I cannot see myself doing anything else. I want to be that person who has the knowledge and capability of granting people the most valuable gift of all in life: health. </p>
<p>what do you think? Is it a good start? Should I throw it out and start all over again? How can I improve it? Thanks for all the help.</p>