In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic efforts, school activities, and volunteer experiences during high school, as well as my motivation for applying to the School of Pharmacy at Pusan National University and my career plans.
Academic Experience and Reflections
Ever since high school, I set a goal to enter the medical field and approached my studies with a clear commitment to a career in pharmacy. My parents supported my choice, and their high expectations for my admission to pharmacy school gave me the motivation to study diligently.
During my freshman year of high school, I focused on building a solid foundation in math and science, and I tried to get ahead as much as possible to quickly master the high school curriculum. I was told that excellent College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores are essential for admission to pharmacy school, and I received a lot of advice from those around me that I needed to study at the college level concurrently.
Consequently, I enrolled in a cram school and began studying for the Pharmacy College Entrance Test (PEET) right away. However, the PEET subjects—biology, chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry—contained a great deal of content at the sophomore college level and featured many inference-based questions, making it difficult for me to adapt at first. Organic chemistry, in particular, was hard to grasp, and I sometimes felt like I was falling behind other students.
Nevertheless, since most of my friends preparing for medical or pharmacy school were going through this process, I couldn’t give up. So, to reinforce my foundational understanding of organic chemistry, I practiced recognizing three-dimensional structures using basic concept textbooks like McMurry’s. I also consistently practiced identifying the main products of competitive reactions and understanding and applying reaction mechanisms.
For biology, I prioritized establishing a solid conceptual foundation and learning relevant terminology before moving on to repeated problem-solving practice. At first, the college-level content was unfamiliar, but my understanding deepened as I studied the same material multiple times. After about a year of consistent study, I was able to keep up with the curriculum by the middle of my senior year of high school. Thanks to my experience preparing for the college-level PEET exam, my academic level had improved to the point where the high school-level College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) seemed relatively easy.
Major Extracurricular Activities and Reflections
While in high school, I systematically prepared for my future career by participating in the Pharmacy Club, one of the school’s career-oriented clubs. The club was a group where students with similar career goals gathered to study, conduct experiments, and exchange ideas together, and my activities centered on pharmaceutical research and experiments.
The experiments I primarily conducted during club activities included the synthesis of aspirin and the extraction of casein. For the aspirin synthesis experiment, we had to prepare the experimental materials and tools ourselves. I divided the roles with my club members but approached the task with a mindset of shared responsibility for the entire experimental process. We prepared materials such as salicylic acid, anhydrous acetic acid, phosphoric acid, and distilled water, and gathered experimental tools including vials, filtration devices, a water bath, a thermometer, a medicine spoon, a pipette, an electronic balance, and laboratory gloves. Sometimes we obtained materials from the science lab, and when supplies were insufficient, we visited a pharmacy to purchase them ourselves.
During the aspirin experiment, we mixed various substances, heated them in a water bath, cooled the mixture to induce crystallization, separated the crystals using filter paper, and dried them to obtain aspirin. We reused the synthesized substances as various experimental reagents—such as for pH testing and the phenol red color reaction—to verify their properties. For the casein extraction experiment, we added food coloring to milk, heated it, added vinegar to coagulate the protein, and then filtered it through gauze to crystallize the casein. Through these experiments, we were able to experience the entire process of experimental design, execution, and interpretation of results.
In addition to laboratory activities, we selected and read books relevant to pharmaceutical research and held book discussion sessions. The books we selected included ‘The History of Infectious Diseases That Changed the World’, ‘Fleming’s Story of Penicillin’, ‘The History of Modern Medicine’, ‘Pharmaceutical Therapy for Infections’, and ‘Martin’s Physical Pharmacy’. Since the difficulty levels varied by book, we adjusted the reading load individually; I was particularly interested in viruses, infectious diseases, and infection treatment, so I delved deeply into those topics. By discussing specific details—such as the causes of the HIV virus and the historical significance of penicillin—I gained experience in developing my own ideas and diversifying the evidence supporting my arguments.
Writing About Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
Although I was actively involved in career-related activities during my three years in the high school pharmacy club, I did not participate in many volunteer activities. Feeling that I needed to rekindle my interest in medical volunteer work as a future healthcare professional, I planned a volunteer project with my club friends during my sophomore winter break. This was a plan I prepared in advance, anticipating that I would be busy with college entrance exam preparations once I entered my senior year.
We decided to conduct a fundraising campaign to help children overseas who needed medical support, food, and treatment costs. Rather than simply raising funds once and calling it a day, we planned event-based activities to attract more public interest and support. To this end, we prepared blanket-making and egg-crafting events, built our own booths, and operated them at high-traffic locations such as subway stations to promote the initiative.
We also used online media to publicize the events and reached out to interested organizations. As we carried out these activities, we met a variety of people and representatives from various organizations. It was particularly rewarding to see children and their parents participate in the blanket-making and egg-crafting workshops and contribute to the cause. As a result, we were able to successfully conclude our volunteer activities by donating over 5 million won.
Throughout this process, I learned how to collaborate by continuously communicating with team members and coordinating roles for planning, promotion, and on-site operations. I also realized that the meaning of volunteer work can be expanded by encouraging people’s participation, rather than relying solely on simple donations.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
When deciding on my career path as a senior in high school, I set my sights on applying to the School of Pharmacy at Pusan National University. Although I lived in Cheonan during my school years, my family moved to Busan when I entered college. Among the educational institutions within my reach, I determined that the School of Pharmacy at Pusan National University offered a systematically structured curriculum, so I visited the campus and ultimately decided to apply.
To prepare for the Regional Talent Admission Track, I consistently maintained my school records and grades, and I applied with a school recommendation. To this end, I studied subjects considered important by the School of Pharmacy—such as biology, chemistry, and physics—in depth, even reading college-level textbooks. In the pharmacy research club, I selected my own experimental topics and gained experience ranging from experimental design to writing results reports, thereby developing my foundational skills as a researcher.
If I am admitted to Pusan National University, I plan to focus primarily on preparing for the PEET exam and devote myself to my studies. I have been advised that in the College of Pharmacy, one must prepare diligently for the exam starting in the first year to navigate subsequent years more smoothly. Building on the foundational PEET knowledge I acquired in high school, I will continue to prepare for the exam diligently throughout my undergraduate studies.
After passing the exam, I intend to steadily prepare for more advanced exams, obtain relevant certifications, and gain practical experience through internships. My goal is to work as a pharmacist at a large hospital or university hospital as part of an organization, and I believe my personality—which values organizational operations and collaboration over individual autonomy—is well-suited to such an environment.
After graduating from college, I plan to prepare step-by-step for a position at a university hospital. Once I have gained practical experience, I intend to pursue graduate studies to develop my capabilities as a pharmaceutical researcher. I will strive to grow into a better researcher while balancing my professional work and academic studies, and through this, I hope to play a role in bridging the gap between clinical practice and research.
