This blog post explores how to authentically convey your reasons for wanting to become a pharmacist in pharmacy school applications and personal statements.

Academic Experience and Reflections

“On the Journey to Pharmacy School”
I grew up dreaming of becoming a pharmacist since childhood. To achieve that dream, I knew I had to get into pharmacy school, and to get into pharmacy school, I had to maintain excellent grades—a conviction I always kept close to my heart. So, I studied my hardest every moment, sitting at my desk focused enough to get heat rash on my butt during summer. But studying wasn’t everything. I made a conscious effort not to forget that my true reason for wanting to become a pharmacist wasn’t simply for the ‘job’ or ‘stability,’ but to realize the ‘power to heal people.’ In other words, to me, being a pharmacist was a profession that embodied human compassion.
Because I held these values, I believed that understanding people, life, and human existence was just as important as studying. So, whenever I had free time, I sought out and read humanities books, contemplating the essence and value of humanity. I also actively attended related lectures to broaden my horizons. My mindset shifted from simply thinking, ‘I’ll study hard to become a pharmacist,’ to a growing conviction: ‘I will become a pharmacist to create an environment where people can live healthily, and to practice love and respect for humanity.’ This conviction clarified my academic motivation and became the driving force behind expanding my knowledge and perspectives across diverse fields.
Of course, the journey wasn’t always smooth. For pharmacy school admission, science-focused subjects, especially math scores, were crucial. But math was my weakest subject, making improving that grade a major challenge. Initially, I studied the way my friends did, but I saw no noticeable improvement. So, I decided to re-examine my study methods themselves. By analyzing each mock exam question and examining the types I got wrong, I discovered that my foundation was shaky at the ‘basic concepts’ level, rather than struggling with complex problem-solving.
From that moment, I resolved to change direction. Even if it meant progressing slower than others, I decided to rebuild my foundation solidly from the ground up. While my friends honed their skills tackling difficult problems, I suppressed my anxiety and systematically reorganized my understanding of the fundamental concepts. Though I felt impatient at first, over time, solving problems became much easier, and I began to tangibly feel my skills improving. Ultimately, my math grades rose noticeably, and I deeply realized how crucial it is to correct your course without giving up.
Through this experience, I came to deeply appreciate the value of learning gained during the journey toward a goal, beyond simply studying to raise grades. While the goal of entering pharmacy school is important, I believe what matters even more is living a life where I can answer the question, ‘With what mindset and attitude am I walking this path?’ without shame. Building on the experiences and convictions I’ve accumulated so far, I want to continue realizing my dreams one by one with a warm regard for people and consistent effort.

Key School Activities and Reflections

Humanities Reading Club Activities – A Time of Growth Through Deep Reading
I have always enjoyed reading books related to the humanities. The human essence, societal reflections, and philosophical questions contained within books have always left a deep impression on me. This interest naturally led me to join a reading-related club. Wanting to go beyond simply reading books and engage in deeper reading and meaningful communication, I planned and ran a small group within the club called ‘Love of Humanities’.
‘Humanities Love’ is a gathering where we collectively select humanities books, read them, summarize the content, and then share our individual thoughts through discussion. Serving as both the organizer and facilitator for this group, I was able to go beyond simply understanding the book’s content; I embraced diverse perspectives and broadened the scope of my thinking. Above all, the greatest learning came from deeply reflecting on the value of ‘humanity’ – understanding and empathy towards others – during the discussion process. Additionally, leading the group naturally cultivated my leadership skills. Coordinating and guiding diverse opinions also helped me grow my communication and empathy abilities. Thus, this humanities reading club activity gave me meaning beyond simple reading and became an opportunity to approach my dream of pursuing pharmacy more seriously.

The Value of Sharing Experienced Through Volunteering – Times Practicing Humanity

While participating in school activities and maintaining my grades, I also considered volunteering to be an equally important value. Initially, I started because I needed volunteer hours, but as I experienced various volunteer activities, I gradually focused on the essential meaning of service and came to place significance in sincerely practicing ‘humanity’.
I participated in many activities, such as delivering lunch boxes to seniors living alone, carrying coal briquettes, and caring for seniors with dementia. However, what stands out most in my memory is blood donation and promoting blood donation. My first donation was simply about participating, but as I gradually realized its value, I became actively involved in guiding and promoting the necessity and importance of blood donation. The fact that donating blood could help save someone’s life deeply moved me. This led me to donate regularly, and through volunteering at blood donation centers, I strive to spread awareness about the meaning of blood donation to more people. Through these experiences, I realized the true value of sharing and learned that small but precious acts for the community can accumulate to create significant change.

Study Group to Build Math Foundations – Efforts That Were Stronger Together

There was a time when my math grades fell short of expectations, causing me distress. Rather than struggling alone, I realized that studying with friends facing similar challenges could be a great source of strength for each other. That’s how I started the ‘Math Foundations Study Group’.
True to its name, this study group focused less on flashy methods and more on solidifying the fundamental concepts and principles of math. We shared our individually organized notes, reviewed problem-solving processes together, and helped each other fill in gaps. By dividing up the time-consuming task of concept organization, we efficiently reduced study time and naturally maximized learning effectiveness. Whenever motivation waned during our studies, we encouraged each other, sometimes even kept each other accountable, approaching our work with a sense of responsibility. This led to the clear result of improved grades. Most importantly, however, was the joy of growing together and experiencing the power of cooperation throughout this process.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation and Reflections

“Sharing Important Math Theorem Notes”
I have my own precious notebook, meticulously organized and collected over a long time to build a solid foundation in math. This notebook, systematically organizing the core principles for each math topic, was a huge help whenever I tackled difficult problems. It was like a secret weapon I always carried in my bag, glancing at whenever I had free time. Because the content was so well-organized and easy to reference, it was my secret weapon for improving my math grades.
Then one day, as my math scores rose noticeably, my classmates started asking how I studied. Being someone who always spoke honestly without hiding anything, I explained how crucial I considered the fundamental principles of math and showed them the notebook where I had organized those principles. Later, a friend who struggled due to weak math fundamentals cautiously approached me and asked if they could borrow the notebook temporarily. Hearing that they wanted to use it as a reference to create their own notes, not to copy, reminded me of my past self. So, I didn’t hesitate and gladly lent it to them.
Following that incident, I also copied the notebook’s contents and shared them with a few other friends who had similar struggles. To be honest, I did have reservations at first. This notebook was the core of my study achievements, my own unique learning resource. I even worried that if the friends who saw my notes improved their grades, my relative ranking might drop. But upon careful reflection, I realized that the fundamental principles of math are knowledge open to everyone, and keeping them solely to myself didn’t hold much significance. Instead, I came to see sharing that knowledge and growing together as more rewarding and valuable.
As a result, the friends who received my notes gradually started seeing their math grades improve too. Now, a few friends, including me, have formed a study group. In this group, we motivate each other, help fill in each other’s gaps, and harmoniously blend competition with cooperation. It was also an experience that made me realize studying together creates far greater synergy than studying alone.
I don’t believe the value of sharing is only realized through grand or extraordinary acts. Rather, I believe we can fully practice sharing even in the ordinary situations of our daily lives. Just like when I shared my notes summarizing fundamental math principles, a small but sincere act of sharing can be a big help to someone. Moving forward, I want to live a life practicing these small yet warm acts of sharing. It was a precious time where, through the experience of sharing and growing together, I could deeply feel the value of consideration and cooperation once again.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

I have consistently dreamed of becoming a pharmacist. From childhood, witnessing people heal and regain health through medicine—either directly or indirectly through news—naturally made me realize how meaningful the profession of ‘pharmacist’ is. My motivation wasn’t merely ‘I should become a pharmacist because I’m good at studying’ or ‘pharmacists have stable income,’ but rather a clear goal: to realize the value of human compassion through the profession of pharmacy.
Based on this goal, I didn’t just focus on maintaining grades to get into pharmacy school. I consistently pondered what human health truly means, why humans must live healthily, and what significance a ‘healthy life’ holds. To remind myself of the value of realizing human compassion, I sought out humanities books and philosophy lectures to study. Sometimes, when I seriously discussed these concerns, adults or friends would tell me, “You can think about that later; just focus on studying hard for now.” However, I believed that the most crucial aspect of becoming a pharmacist wasn’t merely academic grades, but deeply understanding why one should become a pharmacist and forming the corresponding values. Therefore, I wasn’t easily swayed by those words.
Since the profession of pharmacist fundamentally involves treating and helping people, I believe it must be grounded in a ‘heart that loves people’. And I believe this human compassion isn’t only revealed in grand gestures; it’s contained within the small yet precious actions we can practice in our daily lives. I have always considered realizing the value of sharing and caring just as important as studying. I helped friends studying in difficult circumstances by learning together, actively participated in various volunteer activities including blood donation, and listened attentively to the worries of those around me, striving to find solutions together. Throughout this process, I always strove to maintain ‘courtesy’ and never forgot to adopt an attitude of understanding others’ perspectives.
Alongside this, to cultivate humanistic thinking, I consistently participated in philosophy-related programs and debate competitions, establishing my own perspectives and thoughts. Thanks to this, I achieved good results not only in my academic performance but also in various activities, gaining a deeper perspective on human life, health, and values.
Moving forward, I intend to maintain this mindset and attitude, realizing human compassion on the path of pharmacy and striving to be a source of help for others. Even now, I study diligently every day to achieve this dream, keeping in mind that the profession of pharmacy is not merely a specialized occupation, but a role that connects the warm values between people.