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Best Pharmacy School Personal Statement Examples

Check out top 4 sample statements.

Pharmacy school personal statement examples demonstrate that pharmacy school applications require many different documents to adequately assess you as a potential candidate. In addition to looking at your CV , transcripts, letters of recommendation , and any other required materials, most pharmacy programs ask you to submit a personal statement. After gathering so many materials together, a one-page essay may seem like a trivial item to check off on your application to-do list, but beware of treating the personal statement too lightly! Gaining admission to a graduate pharmacy program certainly requires top grades, competitive test scores, and glowing letters of recommendation from referees who know you well, but these aren’t the only components that admissions committees take into account when evaluating your profile. 

Keep in mind that most pharmacy school applicants already have stellar academic records, impressive test scores, and fantastic recommendations. These sorts of accomplishments are important, but are more or less a given in the application process. Furthermore, grades, test scores, and other people’s perceptions of you and the quality of your work are insufficient to determine if you are up for the challenge of the rigors of pharmacy school and the work that follows graduation. With something as serious as pharmacology, it is crucial to determine whether who you are would make you a good fit for the profession. Your knowledge, experiences, and attitudes all play a key role in deciding if you would thrive as a pharmacy student, and eventually, as a pharmacist serving your community. With so many applicants each cycle, admissions officers need some way to gauge these factors in order to narrow the applicant pool down to those they would like to speak to in person, or these days, over the internet. This is where the personal statement comes in! Keep reading to determine what a pharmacy school personal statement measures and how to create one that will make you stand out from other applicants.

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Article Contents 24 min read

4 pharmacy school personal statement examples.

Three days after my thirteenth birthday, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The next twelve months were the toughest in my life, but this experience also gave me something I am forever grateful for—an unwavering passion for pharmacy. I always accompanied my mother to her chemotherapy sessions, where I performed plays for her and the other patients, trying to make them smile. I took an immediate liking to the pharmacist, who returned repeatedly to ask my mother how she was feeling; he explained in detail how these chemo drugs worked and how they interacted with others she had been taking. I listened raptly, entranced by the seemingly magic properties of this medication. It was difficult to watch my mother lose her hair and become frail, but she ultimately made a full recovery, thanks to the wonderful team of medical professionals and to these life-saving drugs. While I lost the naivety of youth that year, I gained a profound new sense of purpose. I was inspired to become a hospital pharmacist and to help patients in times of extreme uncertainty and pain.  

Anyone who has ever faced a challenge has probably heard about the deflating nonexistence of a “magic pill” solution. Want to lose weight? There’s no magic pill for that. Trying to learn a new language? No dice. Hard work is always touted as the solution, and rightly so. As a preteen who struggled with confidence, I desperately yearned for a magic pill solution that would make me the bubbly, carefree girl surrounded by laughter in the cafeteria. Instead, the only bubbly aspect of my lunchtime break was the gurgling, broken faucet inside the girl’s restroom. Though unaware of it at the time, the bathroom was not a refuge from the scary, hormonal social scene of junior high, but from my ever-increasing social anxiety. As for a magic pill to rid me of that affliction? I think you know the answer to that.

Though there may not have been a magic pill to rid me of my mounting social anxiety, hard work seemed like an unlikely solution, too. For months, I put on a happy face, trying to convince myself that there was nothing to fear in locker-side conversations and that my worth was not determined by what a group of gangly middle-schoolers thought of me. Eventually, my parents took me to see a psychiatrist, and after many sweaty-palmed conversations, I was diagnosed with social anxiety and handed a prescription for anti-anxiety medication. Of course, the medication I received was no miracle, but with other coping mechanisms, my world began to seem a little more welcoming. Gradually, I interacted with peers more, who became friends. I still had to work hard in therapy, but the capsules I took in the morning each day removed my constant, debilitating worry.

Without the shadow of anxiety darkening my every social interaction, I felt as though I was beginning to become the version of myself I always wanted to be. Years later, I actually was the girl surrounded by laughter in the high school lunchroom. More importantly, though, I took my first chemistry course and discovered my passion. The ways that elements on the periodic table could combine to create entirely new substances fascinated me. I realized that, just like myself, the world around us is in a constant state of flux, with elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing. As I changed from a high school chemistry novice to a university student, one thing remained constant: my passion for chemistry. Delving into how chemistry can be used as a tool inspired me to pursue it as a major, and I worked in various labs on campus investigating how different combinations could be put to use to solve problems, just like my psychiatrist helped me find ways to deal with my social anxiety.

Through my lab work on campus, I grew close with Dr. Johnson – the principal investigator in a campus lab and a faculty member in the pharmacy program. One evening, as we were locking up the lab, Dr. Johnson asked me if I had ever considered becoming a pharmacist. Initially hesitant, I finally accepted Dr. Johnson’s offer to facilitate a shadowing opportunity with one of his former colleagues. My first day in the pharmacy was overwhelming. The rattling of pills in bottles served as the backdrop to the near-tangible pressure of making sure no life-threatening mistakes occurred. I was intimidated by the responsibility, but excited by the chemical interactions that the pharmacist discussed with me. This was the ultimate problem-solving chemistry I had been seeking! 

After months of shadowing a pharmacist, I was convinced that I wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy. My experiences with Dr. Johnson and his colleague piqued my interest in what seemed like a never-ending field of discovery. Elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing, but in the human body! Figuring out the puzzles of chemical reactions had always been intriguing, but knowing that I could combine that with helping people recover from sickness, manage chronic disease, or even find the strength to leave the middle school bathroom and have lunch with other students was empowering. The medication I took as a preteen may not have been a magic pill for my social anxiety, but there was certainly some magic in it. I look forward to putting in the hard work to bring that magic to others as a pharmacist. (724 words)

‘I want to do more than just counsel on the proper use of Levothyroxine’ was what I told my father when he asked me what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be. He died shortly after, and it saddens me to think that I cannot tell him now how my vision has evolved. Now, besides being someone in charge of educating patients about their medications, I see pharmacists as scientists who design and produce medicines, evaluate lab results and drug interactions for the benefit of the patient, act as a trusted link between doctors and their patients and, ultimately, impact patients’ lives and contribute to their wellbeing. Pharmacists need to be team players, good communicators, detail-oriented problem solvers, and culturally sensitive professionals, and these are some of the characteristics that I have developed through different endeavors.

As the captain of my soccer team in high school, I was put in charge of leading the team both in and outside of the game. On the field, I acted as a mediator between the players, coach, and referee. Successfully guiding players on the strategies dictated by the coach required excellent communication skills. In my team, I was not only a player; I was a key decision maker and a motivator. Making tactical decisions while supporting everyone in their position showed me the true meaning of being a team player and taught me how to handle pressure well. When I look back at those times and think about the titles we won for our school, I know that the characteristics I developed while I led my team to victory will be put to use when I have to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in the future.

In college, while volunteering at a local pharmacy in my hometown, I helped the pharmacist handle prescriptions and dispense a variety of medications. It became clear to me that following a methodical approach and paying great attention to detail were essential in pharmacy. I made it a point to learn from him, and with time, I found myself being thorough, accurate, and organized not only at the pharmacy but at school as well. I also sought to understand both the cause and the effect of a situation, which is an ability that has guided everything I have done since then, including my research work and my academic activities as a Biology major. Seeing the pharmacist interact with patients was truly rewarding. I watched as he explained the treatment, potential side effects, and desired outcomes to them while evaluating the interactions between the drugs they were taking in order to avoid any harm. This showed me that, besides being a problem-solver and having analytical abilities, pharmacists need to be empathetic and care for their patients. Very soon I found myself interacting with people who visited the pharmacy and exercising the same skills the local pharmacist possessed.

This interaction with people helped me refine different characteristics that I bring with me to this new journey. One of the most significant is, perhaps, the cultural awareness that I developed in my shadowing work at the university hospital. Having a patient who does not speak the language, calming them down, and finding a translator, for instance, or understanding how different cultures view certain health practices and looking for ways to respectfully adapt to them has allowed me to learn and practice cultural sensitivity, which is crucial in a multicultural society, such as in Canada, where the population is becoming more diverse. By seeing pharmacists in action in the university hospital setting, I gained insight into the every-day lives of healthcare professionals who work with patients from every background imaginable. Moreover, I also came to realize the pressure to which pharmacists are exposed when the correct medication has to be provided with extreme urgency. Working under pressure is something I do well since my soccer days, so instead of deterring me, this motivates me.

If anyone were to ask me today about the kind of pharmacist I want to be, I would have a much stronger answer than the one I gave to my father many years ago. I want to be the kind of pharmacist that uses their knowledge, skills, and compassion to improve their patients’ health and one that works with other health care professionals to maximize health outcomes. Furthermore, I want to have patients trust me enough to let me become involved in their lives as I guide them on their medications and help them improve their quality of life. Besides all this, and on a much more personal level, I want to be the kind of pharmacist that will make my father proud. (781 words)

“Why would you want to be a pharmacist?” was the question my father asked me when I shared my decision to pursue pharmacy school. This was a question I had asked myself many times as I solidified my decision to pursue this dream. I shared my experience standing in line at a local pharmacy to fill a prescription. This was something I did every month, and not an experience that I had given much thought, however; when I saw the person in line in front of me experience great distress at learned the price of her daughter’s prescription, I realized that not all patrons had the same experience as me. To many, a trip to the pharmacy may be filled with questions over how their medications will affect their body or their ability to afford groceries for the month. The woman in line was worried about the high prescription price in light of other expenses in providing for her family. As I saw the pharmacist assist her in finding a less costly alternative, and the ease come over the woman as she learned that her family would be alright, I had my first glimpse into my future profession as a pharmacist. 

This day sparked my interest in attending pharmacy school, but also a desire to further explore what it meant to be a pharmacist. While donating blood to the Red Cross, I learned of the growing need for pharmacist volunteers, with many underserved communities necessitating additional support. As I was giving blood, I talked with a current pharmacist volunteer, ‘Samantha,’ who recounted her responsibilities to me when I expressed an interest in wanting to learn more. ‘Samantha’ explained why she felt pharmacists made wonderful volunteers in the community. She reflected that pharmacists have the knowledge to make an impact and valuable experience conversing daily with people of all backgrounds. As I talked with ‘Samantha,’ I thought about my own capacity to strike up a conversation with people I had not met before. I recalled that my friends often joke about how I could talk to anyone about anything, a trait I admire in myself. Everyone is skilled in different ways, but my ability to talk to anyone I come across will be an asset to my future as a pharmacist. I look forward to new experiences every day and speaking with new patrons to get to know their needs and concerns. In addition, I hope to volunteer in my community as a pharmacist to expand the number of people I can impact with my loquacious disposition as I guide them towards safe medication use. 

With the personality to be a efficacious pharmacist, I looked to build my experience in the healthcare profession. I secured a volunteer position aiding a hospital pharmacist in educating health professionals on drug side effects. I was responsible for designing educational posters for use in counseling patients about their medications. I was eager to use my artistic talents to help people seeking to understand their prescriptions, like the woman in line ahead of me at the pharmacy. As I designed posters, I asked my friends and family to look at my drafts and provide feedback. I asked if the information was conveyed in a clear, approachable way and I learned that what is clear to one person – such as myself – can be viewed differently by another person with a different background or set of life experiences. As a pharmacist, I will utilize educational materials that have gone through arduous testing to ensure they can deliver the necessary information, but I will also aim to understand community members’ experiences and how this may impact their understanding and outlook towards their medication.   

I explained to my father that, to me, pharmacy is about conversation. As patrons share with you why they have come in to the pharmacy that day, or what is troubling them, it is important to truly listen. This is the starting point for the conversation needed to understand their concerns, provide appropriate medication, and educated them as to how best proceed. Although my friends joke about my ability to talk to anyone, this is a trait that will go far in serving my community as a pharmacist. (702 words)

Here're some more tips for your interview:

Pharmacy school personal statements are a crucial aspect of your application because they help to separate you from the crowd of other accomplished applicants. After all, grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation only go so far in presenting who you are and your talents and strengths. Even a CV does not reveal enough about you and your experiences to adequately reflect your ability to succeed in pharmacy school and beyond. Imagine trying to measure a candidate’s level of motivation or ability to persevere through adversity by looking at his or her GPA! Luckily, you have the power to present the strengths and qualities that would make you an incredible future pharmacist and make your case for admission through your personal statement.

Essentially, this short essay asks you to reflect upon who you are, what led you to want to study pharmacology specifically, and why you would be great at it. Most pharmacy programs in the United States use a central application portal called PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) to distribute application materials like transcripts, test scores, and personal statements to individual university programs. Personal statements for PharmCAS must be 4500 characters or less, including spaces. It is crucial to draft a personal statement that is within the character limit because the online portal will not allow you to save or submit a personal statement that exceeds 4500 characters. As you prepare to write your personal statement, be sure to verify that your program(s) of choice use PharmCAS for receiving application materials. If you find that your university does not utilize PharmCAS, check the program’s website for specific instructions regarding the character or word limit for personal statements.

Canadian pharmacy program application expectations differ from school to school. The University of Toronto’s PharmD program, for example, does not require a personal statement of any kind.  

A common mistake that pharmacy school applicants make is relying upon cliches to discuss their motivations for pursuing a career as a pharmacist. Cliches read as tired and don’t reveal anything meaningful about an applicant. Moreover, many personal statement cliches like expressing a desire to “help people” are so vague that they fail to address an applicant’s desire to study pharmacology precisely. There are a multitude of careers that help people: teachers, doctors, non-profit workers, and more. Similarly, a fascination with science applies to any number of medical professions, researchers, scientists, and so on. In your personal statement, you must clearly express why you want to go to pharmacy school specifically.

Additionally, admissions officers want to ensure they admit only those applicants who demonstrate their capability of handling the demanding course work as well as possess the correct attitude and motivation to pursue a career in pharmacy. You’ve probably heard that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future behavior, and for good reason. For instance, if you have already persevered and exhibited your resilience, work ethic, and determination in past experiences, chances are you will exhibit those same skills in a pharmacy program, no matter the challenges you may face. Showing your skills through relevant anecdotes and relating them to core attributes you possess that will ensure your future success as a pharmacist goes a long way to separate you from an already qualified pool of applicants.

Pharmacy personal statements also assess the value you will add to your matriculating class, the program, and the institution overall. You want to prove you are a mutually beneficial fit for your pharmacy program of choice. As you craft your personal statement, you will likely need to create several versions that cater to each of the institutions to which you plan to apply, highlighting the attractive elements of each program that motivated you to apply and explaining how you would thrive in such an environment and contribute to the program’s culture and mission. Prove that the school would be missing out on an exceptional candidate if you were not offered admission!

How Are Pharmacy Personal Statements Structured?

Although each program has different requirements, pharmacy personal statements are generally around a page long, or 4500 characters for most applications in the United States, and should be structured similar to a traditional, academic paper. Your personal statement should have a clear introduction, a body composed of about 2-3 paragraphs, and a marked conclusion. It is important that you transition well among each of these elements to enhance the flow and overall readability of your statement. The logical progression of your ideas should also be well-defined so that admissions officers can easily follow your train of thought. Keep in mind that each individual reading your personal statement will be looking at many, many personal statements in any given sitting, which can get exhausting. Make their jobs easier by ensuring that your statement is easy to read and makes your points both concisely and clearly. Given the myriad personal statements each admissions officer must review, your statement must be quite unique and engaging in order to stand out and be memorable.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the best choice to start your statement at the beginning by working on the introduction. Part of the reason you should avoid starting with the introduction is because an introduction typically sets the stage for what you discuss in the body of your statement. If you don’t have the content of the body prepared, it is unlikely that you will be able to craft an appropriate introduction. Rather, you want to plan out the body of your statement first by creating a rough outline of the topics you wish to address in your statement to give the reader an overview of what led you to pursue pharmacy school, as well as the experiences and qualities that would make you an excellent addition to the program of your choice, and ultimately, a great pharmacist. Utilizing an outline to plan out your response also takes a bit of the pressure off of you as a writer so that you are not focused on making every single sentence perfect until you have a general idea of where you are going with your statement. After you have the “bones” of your statement planned out via an outline structure, begin to add the “meat” little by little, gradually expanding your outline with more substantial content, including anecdotes that serve as evidence or justification for the claims that you make.  

Pharmacy personal statements are an opportunity to show the admissions committee your personality, values, and goals. With this in mind, think carefully about which experiences you want to emphasize and the skills and values you want those experiences to illustrate. “Illustrate” is a key word here; be sure to show your readers what you mean instead of telling them. For example, don’t just say you are a lifelong learner. Show your readers evidence that demonstrates you are a lifelong learner by narrating and reflecting upon experiences in which you were continuously eager to learn new information. One of the most important tips to remember as you plan the outline for and later write your pharmacy personal statement is to be true to yourself. When applicants communicate what they believe admissions committees want to hear, or in this case read, their inauthenticity is blatantly evident. Being genuine not only serves you in the short-term by creating a personal statement that reads as truly authentic, which is always more convincing and impactful, but it is to your benefit in the long run as well. After all, pharmacy school is 4 years long, which isn’t exactly an insignificant time commitment. You should aim to gain admission into a program that wants you for who you truly are and the potential you’ve demonstrated, and the only way of guaranteeing this is to show who you truly are through your personal statement.

Once you have crafted a full outline, begin to write a rough draft of your body paragraphs. At this point, you still do not need to worry about choosing the best words or making sure that the stylistic elements of your body paragraphs are top notch. Focus on getting your thoughts out on paper in a way that makes sense and flows well in terms of a logical progression of ideas. So, how many experiences should you write about in your personal statement? While there is no concrete number you should aim for, do be selective about which experiences you choose to include. Think quality over quantity. Essentially, as you answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?”, trace the origin of your interest in studying pharmacy through each stage of its development. Given the 4500-character limit, at least for most pharmacy programs in the United States, you will have to limit your discussion to two to three experiences, depending upon the level of depth of your discussion of each experience.

Which kinds of experiences work best? Keeping in mind that the experiences you decide to address and the way in which you write about them should be authentic to you, aim for experiences that involve exposure to the field. Of course, exposure to pharmacy can come in many forms! Perhaps you were exposed to pharmacy and the positive impact it can make in people’s lives through your own use of prescribed pharmaceuticals to treat a chronic illness, which inspired you to learn more about how medications work. Or, maybe you were considering a career in either medicine or pharmacy, decided to shadow physicians and pharmacists alike to accrue more knowledge about the day-to-day responsibilities of each profession, and found yourself enamored with your pharmacy shadowing experience. In any case, make sure that you are specific about which aspects of your experience were particularly influential in your developing desire to study pharmacy and what convinced you that you would make a great pharmacist yourself!

Once you have completed your rough draft, take a day or so away from your statement so that you can achieve mental distance from your writing in order to review it with fresh eyes the next time you read it. With this new perspective, revise your body paragraphs, choosing the strongest vocabulary possible to convey your meaning. Remember, though, that it is important to be authentic, so don’t abuse your thesaurus! Work on strengthening the wording of your statement and try reading it out loud to see how well each sentence fits together. Rinse and repeat.

Tip #1: Be authentic.

The personal statement should explain why you want to study pharmacy, so your discussion of this should be true to your experiences. Instead of writing what you think would be appealing to admissions officers, present a genuine account of why you want to be a pharmacist and the experiences that led you to that conclusion. Inauthenticity is actually quite easy to detect, so it is always preferrable to be authentic.

Tip#2: Start early.

The strength of your personal statement is crucial, and with limited space to show the admissions committee who you are and why you are passionate about becoming a pharmacist, you will likely go through many drafts before you arrive at the final product. In order to accommodate multiple rounds of edits and give yourself time to gain mental distance from each draft before revising again, you must start early.

Tip#3: Get expert feedback.

Notice that we suggest expert feedback, not just feedback in general. Everyone can give you an opinion on the strength of your pharmacy school personal statement, but only a select few can give you constructive criticism that will actually serve to improve your statement. Trusted professors, pharmacist mentors, or admissions experts like the ones at BeMo are all great choices to give you informed and insightful advice.

Tip#4: Be concise.

Since you have limited space to convince your reader that you are passionate about pursuing pharmacy and would make an excellent future pharmacist, every word counts. Recount your experiences in a succinct manner so that you can maximize your character count and include valuable reflections that will demonstrate how strong of an applicant you are!

Tip#5: Avoid cliches.  

While it can definitely be tempting to rely upon commonly used motivations for pursuing pharmacy school like “to help others” or “to give back,” leaning upon these cliches will only hurt your application. Even though part of your motivation for becoming a pharmacist may genuinely be to help others, you need your statement to stand out. If hundreds of other applicants express the same sentiment, your sincere altruism may be lost in the crowd of other personal statements communicating the same thing. Further, helping others and giving back can be achieved in various careers. Your job is to convince the reader that you want to make that impact through pharmacy.

If you are applying to pharmacy schools in the United States, check out PharmCAS’ website to see if your program utilizes this application service.  If so, your personal statement will be restricted to 4,500 characters, including spaces.  If not, check out the program’s website to discover that school’s specific personal statement requirements.

On the other hand, if you are applying to pharmacy schools in Canada, you will need to go directly to that school’s website to see its specific requirements.  Some programs don’t require a personal statement at all.

No, some schools like the University of Toronto don’t require a personal statement or essay of any kind.  Double check the website(s) of your program(s) of choice to see what the specific requirements are.

Unless directed otherwise by your program of choice, your pharmacy personal statement should be structured like a traditional academic essay.  Include an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Please see above for further details.

Overall, your personal statement should answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?” or “Why do you want to go to pharmacy school?”  Your answer to this question should show your reader why you want to pursue this career instead of telling them.  Show your desire to become a pharmacist by discussing key experiences that sparked your interest in pharmacy and developed that interest into a true passion.  Include experiences that exposed you to the profession, whether that is as a patient, working as a pharmacy assistant, or shadowing a pharmacist.

Although it may seem illogical, your introduction should be one of the last things that you write.  The introduction of your personal statement must introduce the content that appears in your 2-3 body paragraphs, so it makes sense to write your body paragraphs first in order to know which content you are introducing.  In order to capture your reader’s attention from the very beginning of your personal statement, the first sentence of your introduction should employ an opening hook that uses some sort of creative element to generate interest in your statement.  Opening hooks often use relevant quotes, pieces of dialogue, or vignettes of a particularly impactful experience to “hook” the reader and make them more invested in the document before them.  Following your opening hook, you should discuss the significance of it, whether that is how a quote relates to your life or an explanation of the significance of the situation described in your vignette.  Finally, your introduction should establish your interest in pharmacy and set the stage for the more substantial content that will follow in subsequent body paragraphs.

The conclusion of your personal statement should not just be a summary of the content covered.  Rather, it should be comprised of reflections upon the experiences you’ve described, draw connections among your experiences, and/or discuss future goals in the field of pharmacy.  Make sure that the last sentence of your conclusion leaves the reader wanting to know more about you.  How memorable your statement is depends heavily on your last sentence, so you should use a creative approach as you did with your opening hook.  Some applicants find it useful to refer back to their opening hook in a creative way.  Try out different endings and see which works best with the statement you’ve written!

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Personal Essay

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In this section, write a personal essay that addresses why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

Do not personalize your essay for a particular pharmacy degree institution. You cannot edit your personal essay after you submit your completed application.

Requirements

• Keep your essay topic general : Follow the prompt to write your statement. Keep the statement general as this essay is sent to all the programs you apply to. If you plan to only apply to one program, we still strongly recommend keeping your statement general in case you later apply to additional programs. Once you submit your application, the statement cannot be edited or changed.
• Do not exceed the maximum length : You can see both the word and character count below the field in the application. The right-hand number shows the maximum number of characters that you can use in your essay. As you type, you can see how many characters are still available and the associated word count. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation. You cannot save your essay if it exceeds the 4,500 character limit.
• Use your own words : Plagiarizing any part of your essay is a violation of the Applicant Code of Conduct and may subject you to sanctions. See the Plagiarism section below for more information.
• Use simple formatting : Formatting such as tabs, italics, multiple spaces, etc., will not be saved. To delineate paragraphs, type a double return between each paragraph.
• Copy and paste from Notepad : Some formatting characters used in Microsoft Word (i.e., angled quotes, accents, special characters, bold, underline, or italic text) do not display properly in PharmCAS. We recommend copying and pasting your statement from Notepad, or a similar plain text editor.

Proofreading

Be sure to read over your essay several times to catch any spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., errors before submitting. Once you submit your application, you cannot edit your essay. If you find an error after submission that you believe could have major effects on your application, we recommend sending a corrected copy directly to the programs you applied to.

Your personal statement is subject to a similarity review via iThenticate/Turnitin (an online plagiarism checker used by PharmCAS) for detection of plagiarism and other potential violations of the Applicant Code of Conduct. Submitted personal statements and other materials may be used as source documents in the iThenticate/Turnitin for Admissions reference database solely for purposes of detecting plagiarism of such documents.

How to Write a Compelling Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Written by Kelly Jeroski

July 12, 2022

If you’re applying to any higher education program, you’re most likely going to run into something called a “personal statement”. Pharmacy school is no exception, and learning how to write a compelling and unique personal statement is a key part in getting accepted to school. Read on to find out how to write one that stands out! 

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement serves as a way to highlight your skills, interests and experiences. Personal statements tend to be somewhat autobiographical, but it is not just a lengthy personal essay of your entire life story. 

Personal statements are also not a regurgitation of all the information you’ve already included in your application and cover letter. Think of your personal statement as more of a narrative, but still keep it informative. 

In writing a personal statement, you’re aiming to give the school or program you’re applying for a snapshot of who you are and why you want to be considered for whatever position. They are as much about how you write as what you write. Schools will receive hundreds of personal statements– make sure yours stands out!  

What is the Difference Between a Personal Statement and a Cover Letter? 

A cover letter generally serves as a means to sell yourself to a company or school. It introduces your resume and all your relevant school and employment history. A personal statement, however, is meant to be more creative and introduce the school to you as a person in an engaging format. 

While an application can come off as just a list of what you’ve done, a personal statement frames all your accomplishments in a way that connects your real-life influences with the dates and degrees on your application. 

What is the Best Format for a Personal Statement for Pharmacy School?

Think of your personal statement as a narrative essay outlining how you got to where you are today, as well as where you want to go next. Within this story, relate back to pharmaceuticals and medicine and healthcare fields in an organic way. You’ve chosen this path for a reason, what are the steps that got you here? 

What Questions Should I Answer in my Personal Statement? 

Some helpful questions to aim to answer throughout your personal statement are:

✅ Why do I want to be a Pharmacist?: Think through the times where you have admired pharmaceuticals or where they have most impacted you. Or, think about when you fell in love with medicine and helped people through pharmaceuticals.

✅ What different pharmaceutical paths would I be interested in pursuing?: Are you interested in nuclear pharmacy? What about private pharmaceutical production? If you have a specific niche in mind for a career path, use this space to talk about your interest.

✅ What makes me an excellent and unique candidate for this program?: Have you taken any specialized courses that make you uniquely qualified for this program? Have you had any outstanding internships or positions within the healthcare world?

✅ What are my strengths?: Where do you excel? What specific strengths could you bring to the program and the team you work with? Use this space to highlight your gifts.

✅ Are there any gaps or inadequacies in my application? How can I explain them here?: If you have anything on your application that may confuse someone not familiar with your life circumstances, try to concisely explain it here. Admissions counselors want to be able to give you the best shot possible at being accepted, and sometimes this requires you being up-front about gaps or missing pieces to your work history. 

What Should I Avoid in My Personal Statement? 

❌ Don’t just repeat what you’ve said in your application. There’s a place for a more sterile, list-based amalgamation of your achievements, but your personal statement is not this place. Admissions staff will learn a lot more about you if you’re creative with your personal statement.

❌ Don’t steal someone else’s work. Plagiarism will disqualify you from admission to pharmacy programs, and it’s also just bad practice for life in general.

❌ Avoid cliches throughout your writing. It may have been a dark and stormy night when you were born, but that is neither relevant nor original. Find fresh ways to tell your story and engage your readers.

❌ Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes. These can be avoided through several rounds of revision

What Are Admissions Counselors Looking for in a Personal Statement? 

What makes a good candidate may vary from program to program, but there are some general things that admissions counselors look for when reviewing personal statements from applicants:

• How have you grown over the years?
• Is your personal statement well-written? Does it show care, consideration and edits?
• Are you up for the challenge of Pharmacy school?
• Do you fit our program? 

What Are the Steps to Form a Compelling Personal Statement?

The creative process for a piece like this may vary form applicant to applicant, but the general steps are as follows

1. Brainstorm

This step can be messy, and is generally the most customizable of the process. To start your brainstorming process, think about all the reasons you’re considering pharmacy school and why this program should consider you. This is also a good place to start thinking about what makes you stand out from other candidates, as well as beginning to organize your education and work history. 

Since personal statements are more narrative than list-based, start to think about how pharmacists have influenced your life and family. Compelling stories from your own experiences will help admissions counselors see you have a full-bodied connection to the program and career field.  

As part of your brainstorming, look at successful personal statements. Websites like Studential and ApplyToUni can give you a good idea of what spelled success for past applicants. Or, if you know anyone who went to pharmacy school already, you can ask them for their best tips. 

2. Outline and Draft

How do you make sense of all the information you just brainstormed out? One of the best ways to sort through your thoughts is by looking for natural connections between events in your life. Be sure to highlight the aspects of your career and schooling that will make you stand out the most. 

Make sure you’re outlining your statement in a way that makes the most sense for both your story and your reader. Linear outlines with clear progressions through your life story usually work best, but that’s not to say you can’t jump around in the story a bit, especially if pharmacology has played a lot of different roles throughout your life and you’re looking to highlight its effect on you over time. 

There are different types of personal statements, generally prompted or unprompted, but they all tend to be between 400-1,000 words long. 

Check your personal statement for basic grammatical and spelling mistakes, as well as making sure your tone is both professional and friendly. Make sure your organization makes sense. A good way to ensure this is to have someone else read it and suggest edits. The more sets of eyes you can have on your personal statement, the better chance you’ll have of submitting a flawless piece. 

Running your personal statement through a program like Grammarly or Hemingway is another good way to weed out mistakes and make sure your statement is clear.

4. Final Revisions and Submission

Do some final checks of your personal statement. Try to read it as if you’re reading it for the first time, with no context as to your own story. An early start in the writing and drafting process is key for this step, so you can take a few days away from your statement before this final revision if necessary. 

If your personal statement was one with a prompt, use this check to be sure you have answered all the questions as fully and uniquely as possible. This is another great place to ask for a second set of eyes to review your statement. 

Finally, submit your personal statement with your application to pharmacy school. Be sure that you’ve submitted it before the deadline! 

How Do I Close a Personal Statement?

In closing your personal statement, include one last push for yourself and why you’re a good fit for the program. Try to naturally conclude and wrap up all that you’ve said about yourself and your story. Be sure to highlight your interest in the program specifically and give a quick “thank you” for their consideration of your application. 

What Now?  

Now that you know how to write a great personal statement for pharmacy school, you should narrow down the schools you want to apply to. If you haven’t already, consider NEOMED’s College of Pharmacy ! Our program will prepare you to make an impact on those around you for the better, whether locally or globally. Graduates from our programs boast high NAPLEX test scores, excellent network connections and a deeper understanding of the communities they serve. Apply to NEOMED ! 

Want to learn more about pharmacy school at NEOMED? Our pharmacy program guide will help you determine if pharmacy school is the right path for you, and how NEOMED can help you begin your future.

Access our eBook "Begin Your Future in Pharmacy at NEOMED" to learn more about what it takes to become a pharmacist.

About the author

Kelly jeroski.

Assistant Director of Admission

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10+ SAMPLE Pharmacy School Personal Statement in PDF

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• You should start early in creating the pharmacy school personal statement. Start a month before you are going to submit your application. You should plan ahead so that you will create the best pharmacy school personal statement. Planning can make you create a polished statement. You can include all the good things that you can think of.
• Use the right grammar and punctuation. Remember, if your grammar will not be good, your statement might get rejected. Right grammar and punctuation are important to not spoil your statement. If someone is reading your statement and they will notice some grammatical errors , they will be disappointed with your statement even how good it is. So, be sure that you are going to use the right grammar and punctuation.
• Make a good structure for your statement. Your statement should have a good format so that it can catch the attention of your readers. Remember, your writing should be neat. You can only do this if you can find a good format for your statement. So, research for the best pharmacy school personal statement format . Use something that can make your statement attractive.
• Make the reader know who you are. This will mean that you have to reveal your emotions. You have to tell your story to the readers. Do not be afraid to do this. The university should have an idea of your character. You can have the pharmacy school personal statement as your monologue. Reveal to them who you are. Through this, the admissions officers can have a heart for you.
• Show that you have a good commitment to everything that you will do. Show them that you are capable of finishing college. If they can see that you can be committed to what you do, they will know that you can be a good student. Someone who can finish college. Then, they will not waste the slot that can be given to you if they will accept you into college.
• Make the reader relate to your story. You must share your experiences that can show that you can be qualified for the course. Share your past activities where you have excelled. You should tell the admissions officer how you hope to progress in your desired field. Share one unique story about you that will show that you are apt to be a pharmacy student.
• You should organize your essay . Avoid anything that will make the readers confused. So, be sure to organize every sentence in your essay. Be clear in covering each topic. Write concisely so that the readers will understand everything that you have to say. Your sentences should have a smooth flow. Avoid everything that will make your sentences obscure.
• Proofread your work five times. This is not too much. You need to ensure that your statement has no grammatical errors. You have to ensure that it will be perfect. Read your statement five times to ensure that it has a good structure. Do not stop until you can see that your work is perfect. Remember, you will only have your application one time. So, you have to perfect everything.

Don’ts

• Do not include your transcript in the personal statement. Remember, they can look at it anytime because you will include it in your college application . You do not have to repeat the content of your personal statement.
• Do not stray from your topics. When you have a topic to say, be sure that you will be specific and direct. Do not stray from what you are explaining. Your words will be meaningless if you stray from the topics. You will just make your readers confused with your statement.
• Do not include unnecessary information in your statement. Do not use filler or fluff. Do not do this just for the sake that your personal statement will be longer. You will waste your time if you do this. Your statement can be rejected because of this. Fluff and filler are highly frowned upon. So, do not do this if you want your statement to be meaningful.
• You should not rush yourself in writing. You can give yourself several months to be sure that you can plan for your statement. After completion, you can revisit your essay to be sure that it is good enough. Read your statement again after each week. This way, you can add something that can make it better.
• You should not include irrelevant things in your statement. For example, you should not include your academic successes that are not related to pharmacy. You must focus on things about pharmacy only.
• You should prevent hyperbole or plagiarism in your work. Do not use the work of others. Remember that it is a personal statement. Everything should be on your own only.
• Do not include controversial topics. They are irrelevant to your statement. You will just be wasting time and space by including those things. They will not do good to your statement.
• You should not include emotional experiences in your statement. If you know that you cannot discuss something that you will write in the interview, do not write it. You do not have to discuss emotional experiences with the university.
• You should not make excuses about anything. If you have to defend something, be sure that you are not going to make an excuse for it. The admissions committee will not like excuses.
• You should not apologize for past mistakes. If you have an underachievement, you do not have to apologize for it. You should not appear to be regretful
• You should not talk about money. You will look bad if you talk about money.
• Do not underestimate the pharmaceutical profession. You have to know that this profession is stressful. Do not think that it is an easy career.

Step 1: Make Preparation

Step 2: write a personal introduction, step 3: choose the best structure, step 4: connect with your readers, step 5: share your pharmacy-related achievements, share this post on your network, file formats, word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates, you may also like these articles, 20+ sample nursing personal statements in pdf | ms word.

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Defining pharmacy and its practice: a conceptual model for an international audience

1 School of Management, Massey Business School, Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

2 Pharmacy School, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

3 School of Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, England, UK

4 School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

There is much fragmentation and little consensus in the use of descriptors for the different disciplines that make up the pharmacy sector. Globalization, reprofessionalization and the influx of other disciplines means there is a requirement for a greater degree of standardization. This has not been well addressed in the pharmacy practice research and education literature.

To identify and define the various subdisciplines of the pharmacy sector and integrate them into an internationally relevant conceptual model based on narrative synthesis of the literature.

A literature review was undertaken to understand the fragmentation in dialogue surrounding definitions relating to concepts and practices in the context of the pharmacy sector. From a synthesis of this literature, the need for this model was justified. Key assumptions of the model were identified, and an organic process of development took place with the three authors engaging in a process of sense-making to theorize the model.

The model is “fit for purpose” across multiple countries and includes two components making up the umbrella term “pharmaceutical practice”. The first component is the four conceptual dimensions, which outline the disciplines including social and administrative sciences, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. The second component of the model describes the “acts of practice”: teaching, research and professional advocacy; service and academic enterprise.

Conclusions

This model aims to expose issues relating to defining pharmacy and its practice and to create dialogue. No model is perfect, but there are implications for what is posited in the areas of policy, education and practice and future research. The main point is the need for increased clarity, or at least beginning the discussion to increase the clarity of definition and consistency of meaning in-and-across the pharmacy sector locally, nationally and internationally.

Introduction

The aim of this article is to identify and define the various subdisciplines of the pharmacy sector and integrate them into an internationally relevant conceptual model based on narrative synthesis of the literature. It is expected that significant dialogue will be derived from this article, and it is expected that it will provide a platform for moving forward in international pharmacy education. This is important because there is much fragmentation and little consensus in the use of descriptors for the different disciplines that make up the pharmaceutical sector. Globalization, reprofessionalization and the influx of other disciplines means there is a requirement for a greater degree of standardization. This has not been well addressed in the pharmacy practice research and education literature.

Pharmacy education can be broadly divided into four areas: 1) pharmaceutics (sometimes labeled as pharmaceutical technology) and pharmacokinetics, 2) pharmaceutical chemistry, 3) pharmacology and 4) pharmacy practice includes clinical pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, social and administrative sciences, and pharmaceutical care. These subparts of the fourth category are often aggregated in a disparate manner. The first three categories are closely aligned with the basic sciences; the fourth category is inclusive of the human sciences. This fourth category has greater ambiguity, at least from the stance of definitions. 1 Internationally, social and administrative pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical care and pharmacy practice are terms used to describe different aspects of pharmacy practice. 1 – 7 However, these terms have a level of subjectivity and mean different things to different people.

There is an emergent literature on the field of social pharmacy 8 – 15 and particularly in terms of education. 16 – 22 There is a literature that defines pharmaceutical care 5 , 23 – 26 with some focus on community pharmacy. 27 – 30 Similarly, there is a dialogue on what constitutes clinical pharmacy and how this relates to pharmaceutical care, 31 – 33 but there is no model which defines these concepts and draws them together as a whole. 34 – 36 Even between the proponents of the closely related concepts of social pharmacy and pharmacy practice, there is a lack of consensus on the research agendas for each subdiscipline and a call for a systematic analysis of this and further dialog. 1 – 4 , 6 , 7 , 32 33 , 37 , 38 Equally, translational sresearch – that is taking bench to bedside (and the reverse) – is increasingly blurring the lines between what is considered “hard science” and what is deemed to be “soft practice”. In fact, “the sciences” fit under the umbrella of pharmaceutical practice, and we argue that these basic sciences should be part of a conceptual model of what it is to be “pharmacy”.

This article posits a model of pharmaceutical practice, which includes the professional practice activities of pharmacist clinicians. The term is distinct and has less controversial connotations than many others used interchangeably. The model also considers the broader roles undertaken by pharmacists, such as involvement in the development of health policy. The model incorporates the influx of significant others (sociologists, psychologists, etc.) into the academic discipline of pharmacy, and the roles that these groupings have and the contribution of their work to pharmaceutical practice. 37 These roles are seen as a series of distinct disciplines within the conceptual model, but are at times blurred and have the potential to influence each other. The model outlines a conceptual approach to redefining the labels attached to these various disciplines, but also the practices of pharmacy within each of these. Absolute consensus of a model like this is near impossible, with the overlap and conflation of the different disciplines being difficult to unpack. What is possible though is an increased level of international dialogue and a drive toward a greater level of consistency than is currently seen. This is a theoretical framework, a beginning!

Alignment between real-world practice and academic pharmacy is thought about and melded into the model. It is expected that this will be an evolving conceptual model informed by the history of research and international commentary surrounding this topic.

The need for a global model

The need for a global conceptual model stems from the series of issues given below:

Reason 1 – different things to different people: multiple definitions

It is generally accepted that the disciplines of pharmaceutical science are founded on the basic sciences. Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics are well-established subdisciplines of the pharmaceutical sciences. The same cannot be said for new evolving clinically oriented disciplines. Even in these relatively circumscribed areas of pharmacy theory and practice, there is a significant divergence in opinion of what constitutes each and how, where and why these terms overlap. 1 , 3 , 4 , 32 , 33 , 39 , 40 Clinical pharmacy, pharmacy practice, community pharmacy, retail pharmacy, social pharmacy and translational research are all likely to mean different things to different people.

In the area of hospital pharmacy, the terms pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, pharmacotherapy and public sector pharmacy have all been used interchangeably. Descriptions for community pharmacy have included pharmacy practice, retail pharmacy, community pharmacy, private sector pharmacy, private sector hospital pharmacy and clinical pharmacy practice in community pharmacies. 1

Social and administrative pharmacy is used loosely to describe a collection of different interests, which outline the social aspects of pharmacy, sometimes labeled social pharmacy, other times administrative pharmacy but also pharmacy management. The broad discipline is founded on the principles of social science and organizational theory and has as a central interest in the beliefs, values and behaviors that people display in relation to medicine use and society at the individual and organizational levels. 1 – 3 , 36 , 38 , 41 – 43 In some Commonwealth countries such as the UK, New Zealand and Australia, pharmacy practice seems to identify with community pharmacy with social pharmacy being considered a part of this. However, in the USA, social and administrative sciences has developed as a completely separate discipline and this also seems to be the case in parts of Asia.

Different from, but linked to, definitional difference is the idea that laws affecting practice will be different around the globe, and this means that it is more difficult to develop a consistent approach to interpreting practice-based definitions. Although the model may be limited by this, there is an expectation that the context will determine how the model is applied in different countries and the overall assumptions and basic reasoning for the model apply globally – the need for further dialogue in this area certainly applies on an international scale! Furthermore, people can take from the model what they wish and apply it locally!

Reason 2 – the trend of clinical pharmacy and the Pharm D “tag”

Clinical pharmacy is an important discipline in the practice of pharmacy – it has a lot to offer and has played an important role in transformation of the pharmacy profession over the past two decades. Clinical pharmacy has been part of the “re-professionalization” agenda both within the hospital and community sectors. 16 , 44 – 47 However, there are many definitions of clinical pharmacy, and the term “clinical pharmacy” has been understood differently across the globe. Some relate it to “patient care”, whereas others associate it more with the “managing appropriate use of medicines”. 32

Amid these discussions in the developed world, the change has also greatly affected the pharmacy sector in developing countries, where establishing “clinical pharmacy” programs is considered a novel phenomenon. Under this influence, pharmaceutical care is popular jargon with the basic undergraduate pharmacy degrees having been changed to Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) and the number of years of study simply extended in expectation of that. 48 It would appear that pharmacy schools across Asia and within the Middle East are joining the “bandwagon” to promote clinical pharmacy. 1 These countries are re-adjusting their degree programs by introducing Pharm D degrees as entry level qualifications into pharmacy. In some countries, in particular, “clinical pharmacy” is evolving in a very interesting manner. For example, in Pakistan, there was no separate discipline of clinical pharmacy, which is being taught under the umbrella of pharmaceutics in some universities. However, recently a new pharmacy practice discipline has been established. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that tensions and rifts between pharmacy and pharmacology colleagues have occurred. Pharmacologists believe that they should teach clinical pharmacy programs. The pharmacologists’ rationale is that clinical pharmacy is close to their domain, pharmacology being the study drug action on the body.

In Western countries, clinical pharmacy is established only when a stable medicine system is in place in the hospitals and drug regulatory authorities are mandated and efficient. Most developing countries do not have this luxury and are struggling with the issues of quality, safety, efficacy and distribution of medicines. 49 In this context, clinical pharmacy is promoted as an isolated concept of practice and the underpinning philosophies are poorly understood and little has changed in terms of patient care. 2

Reason 3 – passionate and motivated by our individual subdisciplines

Academics and practitioners see their discipline as central; yet, the literature is scarce when considering the pharmacy profession as a whole. Ahmed et al recognize these differences and suggest that a strong need exists to definitions relating to clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care. 31 These standard definitions must be agreed upon and disseminated globally so that they are understood clearly (ie, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical care). This needs to be the case not only for pharmacists but also for other healthcare professionals and the wider disciplines, such as sociology and psychology. And, in this article, we take the work of Ahmed et al one step further and expand the need to develop a much broader model for pharmacists, other healthcare workers, government policy-makers and educators to take a sector-wide approach. 31

Reason 4 – what it is to be “pharmacy”

In our experience and through anecdote, a question that is commonly fielded from key stakeholders (patients, public and other health professionals) is “what is pharmacy about?”; “what is it you do as a pharmacy profession – do you just count pills?” How then do we explain to colleagues and external stakeholders what we actually do, what our potential is as a profession and what our teaching encapsulates and what our research is all about? How in the broadest sense do we explain what pharmacy aims to contribute to health outcomes and further, how it might do so? We have a lot of different terminologies to describe ourselves as the pharmacy profession. We might say we work in the area of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy or social and administrative sciences. Importantly, medicines are not singularly the domain of pharmacists, and there is a need to help other nonpharmacy disciplines to understand what constitutes the pharmacy sector by standardizing terminology. In this way, it will also be easier to fit with policy, or at least integrate with and be understood by policy-makers and clinician stakeholders.

Part of the confusion and fragmentation surrounding the pharmacy profession comes from the overlap in “what we do” and “how we do it” but also how we label “who we are” and “what we do”. For example, translational research is where basic and clinical sciences collide, cutting through boundaries between the research bench and patient bedside, empiric knowledge and soft practices. This creates an inherent blurring in what is deemed to be pharmaceutical science and what is deemed to be “clinical practice”; at least, this is the case from an academic viewpoint. Pharmacy practice and social pharmacy are also loose and slippery concepts to define, less so pharmaceutical care. Again the boundaries are blurred, but there is a need to put a stake in the ground and define these concepts so that things are more concrete.

The pharmacy sector is evolving and with the influx of significant others (such as sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, historians, health economists, organizational and political scientists) into pharmacy academia and practice, the boundaries of the sector as a whole seem to have been extended and strengthened. For example, sociologists can conceptualize and operationalize research and practice that contribute significantly to introducing various behavioral models to the understanding of medicines use, thereby improving health outcomes. Research around pharmaceutical policy development and implementation, access to medicines and their use and pharmacoepidemiology are good examples of this type of work.

Summary of the need for a conceptual model

The definition of what constitutes “the pharmacy sector” and disciplines and practices thereof can be defined as broadly or as narrowly as one wishes. A narrow approach would feature the traditional elements of pharmacy, namely source and supply within a professional and regulated distribution model. 44 – 47 Conversely, a broad conceptual stance would adopt elements from social and basic sciences as well. 45 Either way a model is required, which redefines the pharmacy sector and the practices involved within the sector, both academic and professional. The model cuts through the current loose and interchangeable use of terminology and is founded on robust theoretical grounds. The authors’ own insights and experiences are also infused into the model, which has developed in an organic fashion. 50

This conceptual model is founded on the notion of consistency in definitions with respect to both the dimensions of the model and the model as a whole. The literature is scarce in describing the pharmacy sector “as a whole” and there are no “think piece” frameworks in this way. The main implication of the proposed model for theory is the call for clarity about the various parts of the pharmacy sector and how as a profession these dimensions may fit together.

Pharmaceutical practice: a conceptual model

Underpinned by the context previously outlined and with the need firmly established, we posit the term “pharmaceutical practice” and the associated conceptual model, which underpins this notion ( Figure 1 ). The idea is that pharmaceutical practice encompasses everything, which is related to availability of medicines, access and use at the individual and the population levels. This term encapsulates the research, development, formulation, distribution, access and clinical use of medicines. It incorporates the human capital required to deliver pharmacy services and the impact on end users of pharmaceutical products and services.

A conceptual model for pharmaceutical practice.

The dimensions: the glue making the whole

Dimensions of disciplines.

Social and administrative sciences, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences are the dimensions of our conceptual model, and a description of each of the dimensions is outlined below.

Social and administrative sciences

The field of social pharmacy developed initially within high-income countries, including Scandinavia, Finland, the UK and the USA. 45 More recently, there has been interest from academics in low- to middle-income countries and these groups have made significant contributions to this field. 1 , 3 , 31 The International Social Pharmacy Workshop (ISPW) has been a foundation platform for the development of the research and practice networks within the discipline of social and administrative sciences. There are subtle differences between each workshop; however, the focus has been on research directed toward pharmaceutical policy, access to medicines, medicine use and pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, organizational behavior and individual pharmacist practice.

There are pockets of academics particularly passionate about the field of social pharmacy. Norris highlighted the challenges that the discipline of social pharmacy faces. 37 Hassali et al have suggested social pharmacy as a field of study with a particular focus on the needs and challenges in global pharmacy education. 3 However, we believe that social pharmacy is an important part of the broader construct of pharmaceutical practice but is not the central umbrella concept – it is one of the four main dimensions. What are the other three?

Community pharmacy

Found within primary care, the practice of community pharmacy is reasonably clear cut at least with respect to its dual nature, as retailer and as primary healthcare provider and its separation from the rest of the profession. 51 There seems to be a number of “labels” applied to this aspect of pharmacy, including community pharmacy, retail pharmacy, private sector pharmacy and corporate pharmacy. Despite significant differences in service delivery models, we see community pharmacy as a collective form of practice centered on an organization embedded within a community. Although much activity is undertaken in community pharmacy, there is a scarcity of research at the organizational level. 42

Clinical pharmacy

Clinical pharmacy is the term that is most commonly used in the context of hospital pharmacy, where the focus is on pharmacotherapy and advanced subspecialties within this sector. The development of the clinical discipline is best reflected through the professionalization of hospital pharmacy in the USA. 44 Although clinical pharmacy could be deemed to be carried out in the setting of community pharmacy, in the proposed model, there is a clear distinction between advanced clinical practice in the primary (clinical advisory pharmacists), secondary and tertiary care sectors (hospital clinical pharmacists), and clinical activities that are undertaken within the four walls of a community pharmacy. Pharmaceutical care involves a defined process and warrants consideration as it crosses boundaries by being able to be implemented in hospital pharmacy and also in the context of advanced clinical practice in the community pharmacy setting. Essentially, this is a clinical pharmacy service. The term “pharmacotherapy” also introduces a level of ambiguity as the label describes a process that could be owned by any health professional who is considered to have training in the area; nurse practitioners and clinical pharmacists are two examples.

Pharmaceutical sciences

As with the label of community pharmacy, pharmaceutical science is a relatively clear cut and well-defined aspect of the model. Ambiguity in this aspect of practice emerges only when one thinks about the potential of pharmaceutical sciences as a platform for translational research; bench research to bedside clinical use and bedside clinical issues influencing research activities at the bench! This is where crossover at multiple levels creates an inherent “blurriness”, which we believe the proposed model will help to manage. It is also an area where universities are attempting to develop expertise and differentiate themselves from competitors, such as contract research organizations.

The act of practice

The act of practice can be thought of as those normative practices, the activities that are underpinned by what the culture of the specific discipline suggests is “normal”. 52 Regardless of whether the practice is considered clinical pharmacy or community pharmacy, it will be underpinned by values and beliefs that drive normative behavior. 52 , 53 These values and behaviors are expected to align with the concept of what it is to be “pharmacy” within the individual subdisciplines outlined in our model.

Teaching will vary dependent on the models of pharmacy that are practiced in any one country. However, the “labels” for each of the subdimensions of our model should be used in the same manner to describe the normative practices undertaken and the manner in which these practices are taught, regardless of country. That is, despite there being different needs in individual countries, the nomenclature/terminology being used should be broadly the same. The meaning of a definition in one country should be the same as in the next, despite slight variations in practice. The context may change but the meaning should not.

Research underpins practice, and practice can also inform research questions. There is a potential research agenda that could be developed based on questions and issues raised by this model. This agenda is outlined as part of the implications of our model, found later in this modeling paper.

Service – advocacy, professional sector development and academic enterprise

Service and advocacy is an act of practice that does not appear as part of other models in the literature or dialogue about what constitutes a particular discipline. Essential to the model, this act of practice describes professional leadership. The absence of this is a possible contributor to the lack of voice and recognition of pharmacy’s global role and the reason that pharmacy may be marginalized. 54 , 55 As such, we believe this is an important and integral aspect of any pharmaceutical practice model as is the leadership, which underpins the model. 55

The importance of local context in an international world

The individual dimensions of the pharmacy sector and their associated practices are influenced by local context. The proposed model takes this into consideration. There is a potential for tension between the viewpoints of those who call for curriculum development based wholly on local need analysis, alongside those who take the stance that “off-the-shelf ” standardized degree programs from universities located in high-income countries is the optimal approach. 56 The proposed model allows for both, however, but under the proviso that there is standardization in the use of terminology.

International consistency: implications for policy, practice and research

The proposed conceptual model calls for a contemporary “rethink” about what constitutes the pharmacy sector in today’s terms. 45 Historical review suggests that the pharmacy profession has changed over the past 100 years and considerably over the past few decades. This has occurred mostly in the context of high-income countries. 45 However, through migration and technology, the world is becoming an increasingly small place. In general, there has been a lag in pharmacy education and practice change within low- to middle-income countries, which are now playing “catch up”, and there are significant implications of the proposed model, which takes a global perspective. 57 This is not the case for all developing countries and there are examples such as Thailand with a long and strong tradition of social pharmacy and advocacy around medicines regulation, which many in high-income countries could learn from.

Implications for policy

The proposed model has implications for educational policy and practice. The first implication is that this model provides a level of consistency with respect to the different dimensions within the pharmacy sector and the associated practices that relate to these. Therefore, it should be clear to educational and medicine-related policy-makers what the different aspects of the pharmacy sector represent, regardless of country context. In this way, resultant policy is able to be more uniform and ideally could be shared within and across countries. At least this is a starting point, a platform by which to develop locally relevant policy. Furthermore, intercountry comparisons of policy interventions could be undertaken; there is a dearth of information in this area.

Implications for education and practice

There is a level of globalization occurring within pharmacy education and in pharmacy practice circles, with the drift of pharmacists from low- to high-income countries on the increase. 56 For countries that contribute to the “export market” of pharmacists from low- to high-income countries, there will be a need for terminology and definitions that have the same broad meaning within and across these countries. This will also be necessary in those countries that are not contributing to the pharmacist export market, but are publishing practice policy, guidelines or research.

The word “practice” is conceptualized as the “act of doing” 52 and each of the four dimensions that constitute the pharmacy sector have an associated practice. With a conceptual model such as this, the act of practice can be better defined within each of the aspects that make up the pharmacy sector, they being community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, social and administrative sciences and pharmaceutical science.

Implications for a future research agenda

The proposed model of what constitutes the pharmacy sector provides a platform for standardization of pharmacy concepts and ideologies and defines these in a clear manner. The aim is to significantly reduce the ambiguity associated with the labeling what we do in pharmacy; however, it is simply a starting point. There is a need to conduct an international survey (as part of a justification process) among a large number of pharmacy leaders around the globe and others concerned, and then to present any amendments to this model. Facilitation of the survey could occur through the use of established international networks, such as ISPW, Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe or International Pharmaceutical Federation. The finalized model could then provide guidance for action with respect to policy development and implementation, practice and future research.

The proposed model was developed because of a perceived need to reduce the fragmentation and confusion that lies within the various subdisciplines of the pharmacy sector and to provide a starting point for discussion, which might help to unify the sector. A significant and well-informed research agenda is able to be developed by thinking about the different aspects of the proposed model. The model could be used to explore gaps in policy, practice and research across the four aspects of the pharmacy sector within and across high-, low- and middle-income countries.

Through this article, we bring up a very relevant issue and suggest a solution by presenting a conceptual model, which is quite a challenge. There is a definite need for clarifications and international standardizations of different aspects of pharmacy because of the various interpretations both within and between countries. To what extent practicing pharmacists, university professors, researchers and policy-makers agree with our interpretations and our division of conceptual disciplines and facets is less relevant than the thought provoked and the dialogue generated.

The article addresses the high level of fragmentation associated with labels applied to the various disciplines within the pharmacy sector. This model takes due care in outlining high-level reasons for why this model is required, which include the following: discipline labels meaning different things to different people, the upward trend of clinical pharmacy, passionate and motivated drivers for subdisciplines and what it means to be part of the pharmacy sector. The model itself is fit for purpose across multiple countries and includes two components of an umbrella term labeled “pharmaceutical practice”. The first component is the four conceptual dimensions, which outline the disciplines including social and administrative sciences, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. The second component of the model describes the facets of the “act of practice”: teaching, research and professional advocacy. This overarching model is expected to provide a platform for further dialogue in the move toward consistency and rationalization of terminologies, which describe the global pharmacy sector. There are implications of this work for policy, education and practice, the main point being increased clarity, or at least beginning the discussion to increase the clarity of definition and consistency of meaning in and across the pharmacy sector locally, nationally and internationally. Finally, a think piece of this nature throws up as many questions as it attempts to answer and it is expected that multicountry comparisons could be made based on such a model.

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Why I Want to be a Pharmacist Essay: How to Write [2024]

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? An essay on this topic can be challenging, even when you know the answer. The most popular reasons to pursue this profession are the following:

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• helping and saving people;
• career opportunities in an evolving field;
• stable job;
• financial benefits.

Still unsure about your reasons?

Here, at Custom-writing.org , we suggest some ideas for “Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist” essays. If you provide actual reasons for pursuing this career, you’ll convince your readers. We hope you know why you want to be a pharmacist, and we can help explain and reflect it in an academic paper.

• 👩‍⚕️ Reasons
• ⭐ Step-by-Step Guide

👩‍⚕️ Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist: Reasons

Applying for a particular pharmacy school or internship, you have to explain why and elaborate on your reasons. Presenting them clearly and convincingly in your short application essay influences whether the readers see your motivation or not. Undoubtedly, such a task may seem overwhelming and obscure.

You know what?

We are here to suggest several reasons why pursuing this profession, in general, is the right choice. You can mention them in your “Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist” essay or use them to develop your ideas.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

You are a part of the healthcare system and can help people if you want to do this. It’s a well-known fact that helping others always gives you “feel-good” benefits.

Even though some patients can be a bit difficult to work with. Still, you will always have an inimitable feeling when you save someone’s life. This is one of the most significant benefits of being a pharmacist.

The best thing is:

This purpose for pursuing a career is honest and regular for the health sector. You can find it in such essays like “Why I Want to Be a Nurse” or any other medicine-related one.

Pharmacy technicians have plenty of career opportunities because they work not only in drug stores but also in hospitals. They can develop their careers in clinical pharmacy, research, or even in retail. Besides, pharmacists can find themselves becoming science writers or high education lecturers.

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All these opportunities for pharmacists mean that people of this profession can stay flexible. Pursuing a career can respond to all the requirements related to people’s interests, schedule, or other lifestyle choices. If you have ambitions, your future roles in the field can change.

You will have a secure job because people will always get sick and need help with their prescriptions and medications. Deciding upon a drug dosage and communicating therapy methods is a no joke. Such specialists will always stay busy.

Pharmaceutical science is an evolving field that expects you to continually educate yourself, follow the latest trends, and be flexible. It also means that more possibilities for career advancement in pharmacy are expected.

In other words:

You may rest assured that you’ll never stay without a job. Similarly to the case of “Why I Want to Become a Teacher” essay writing, you can incorporate this reason.

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You can make quite a lot of money. On average, pharmacists make $116,670 per year or more, with a growth rate of 14% expected by 2022. Therefore, pharmacist benefits and salary are some of those advantages you may probably like.

Pharmacy practice and education can ensure your prosperous and economically secure future. You won’t even need a doctor’s degree to offer professional help and build a profitable career.

Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist: Essay Topics

• Reasons to choose a career in pharmacy .
• Is working in the pharmaceutical industry profitable?
• What can a pharmacist do for a community health promotion ?
• Why I want to be a hospital pharmacist.
• The important role of a pharmacist in prescribing medicines.
• A pharmacist is a crucial member of a healthcare team.
• Career opportunities for pharmacists in science and research.
• A good pharmacist can boost the quality of healthcare.
• Duties of a retail pharmacy technician.
• The role of a pharmacist in preventing the problem of polypharmacy .
• What a National Pharmacy Technician Association can do to improve the profession.
• Quality pharmacy services are an essential element in a patient’s recovery.
• How can an experienced pharmacist improve pharmacy laws ?
• The procedure of certification and registration of pharmacy technicians.
• The importance of meeting the requirements of compliance procedure for a pharmacist.
• Will pharmacy automation facilitate the pharmacist job?
• Why did I choose pharmacy as my professional field ?
• The advantages of working at the National Pharmacy L.L.C.
• Can pharmacist forge drug prescriptions ?
• The role of a pharmacist in saving lives and health of older adults .
• The importance of employees’ engagement in pharmacy services .
• Pharmacy technician career: programs that help to become a good pharmacy technician.
• The career opportunities for pharmacists in retail and supply chain .
• How can a pharmacist help to resolve the issue of responsible prescription of opioids?
• Role of pharmacist counseling in prevention of medication errors.
• What are the career opportunities for a pharmacy technician in pharmaceutical companies?
• The pharmacy technician’s role in drug development and study.
• The most important skills for a successful career in a pharmaceutical company .
• What are the responsibilities of a pharmaceutical industry manufacturer?
• The role of community pharmacists in distribution chain of pharmaceutical industry .
• How can a pharmacist make difference to a health promotion program?
• Pharmacist’s responsibility in medicines control chain.
• The significance of ethics in pharmacist’s profession.
• The impact of pharmacists on the promotion of new pharmaceuticals .
• Pros and cons of working in pharmaceutical industry .
• Is a job in the pharmaceutical industry one of the most stable?
• Role of a pharmacist in the detection of prescription drug abuse cases.
• How can a community pharmacist develop into a researcher ?
• Pharmacy technician as a key link in good manufacturing practices insurance.
• Can a pharmacist help poor citizens to get access to healthcare services?
• Examine the program Pharmacists’ Action on Smoking .
• Effective communication skills are crucial for a pharmacist.
• How can a pharmacist influence the issue with pharmaceuticals in the U.S.?
• Benefits of choosing a career in a pharmaceutical company .
• Why I choose a pharmaceutical and not a medical career .
• How my being a pharmacist will benefit my local community .
• Having a qualified pharmacist should be a must in every hospital .
• Why do pharmacists need safety and disaster training as well as doctors?
• A pharmacist career is a guarantee of a good salary .
• A consultant pharmacist’s role in health insurance .

⭐ Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist: Essay Writing Guide

Would you like to write an essay about your career goals in the pharmacy? Check out the helpful tips below to craft your breathtaking paper. We’ll illustrate each one with an essay sample to facilitate your journey.

Just follow these four steps!

🧠 Step 1: Brainstorm

You may not have 100% confidence in your future career, as you never know what your future may hold. But you can test yourself by just asking a few crucial questions. They will help you make a final decision about the career of your dreams.

Why exactly do you want to be a pharmacist? Ask yourself these questions to understand:

• What exactly attracts you to the pharmacy?
• When was the first time you became interested in it?
• Is there someone who inspired you or influenced your decision? In what way?
• What do you want to achieve throughout your career?
• Have you already done something to bring you closer to a career in pharmacy? Have you read a book on pharmacy or visited some medical conference?
• What will you learn and do in college that will help you prepare for this career?
• Which of these questions was the easiest or most challenging to answer?

📌 Step 2: State Your Point

A strong main point is essential for your “Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist” essay. What you have to do is clearly and concisely communicate to your readers what you’re going to tell them.

Here is an example of a start to a successful “why pharmacy’ essay.

I’ve never asked myself the question, “Is a pharmacist a good career?” I simply knew that I would pursue it someday when I grew up. So, here I am, feeling completely ready to start learning and practicing to become a highly qualified pharmacist.

What will be the main point of the essay you’re going to wow your professor with?

🏗️ Step 3: Build Your Story

Include the details that support your central idea from the heart of your story. Don’t forget to use vivid examples to bring your main ideas to life. To make your essay one of a kind, choose your words and expressions with care.

Make sure you build up your essay correctly, as you see in the following example:

The focus of the essay:

My dream is to become a pharmacist. This job will be a great opportunity for me to combine my love for medicine with my passion for making others healthier and happier.

The details:

Pharmacy is the field I’ve always been most interested in. This year I’m going to take a pharmacy class, and I have prepared myself well for it. I’ve read two amazing books on this topic, from time to time I visit pharmacy conferences in my town, and I’ve also subscribed to the Medicine Channel. All of these activities have already assisted me in acquiring some knowledge in this sphere. With this foundation and background information, I am sure that I want to devote my life to this.

🚧 Step 4: End Your Essay Strong

At this final stage, restate and put a new face on the main point you’ve already covered. Summarize what you’ve elaborate on in your pharmacy essay and give some kind of closure. Also, try to leave your readers with some exciting ideas to think about.

Being a pharmacist, like my mother, and giving a helping hand to people who need it the most, is a very respectful and honorable mission. I know that it requires a lot of responsibility, but it will pay off people’s gratitude. Going to college will make my dream come true and assist me in reaching my lifelong goal.

As soon as you’ve finished your essay, put down your draft for a day or two. Look at it with fresh eyes to see what needs to be changed, added, or deleted. If you follow these recommendations, your “Why I Want to Be a Pharmacist” essay will succeed!

Essays are the most common academic paper that might seem easy to a writer. Our free tips will help you get through any kind of essay. Still, if you are stuck on writing, you can always ask us for professional help !

Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed the article, share it with others and leave a comment below.

You might also be interested in:

• Scholarship Essay Examples about Yourself
• How to Write a Scholarship Essay about Why You Deserve It
• Financial Assistance Essay: Useful Tips to Make It Rock
• How to Write an Essay Describing Your Financial Need
• Why I Want to be a Teacher Essay Writing Guide
• College Application Essay Writing Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Write a 250 Words College Personal Statement

✏️ Why Pharmacy Essay: FAQ

A hospital, clinical, retail pharmacist — each of the occupations has its peculiarities. Still, there are standard features of the profession as well. It is a rewarding role as a pharmacist helps people save their health. However, this means a high level of responsibility, too.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys helping people and following precise prescriptions, you might become a great pharmacist. Responsibility and communication skills can give you bonus points.

The main advantage of becoming a pharmacist is an opportunity to help people daily. Other bonuses are a competitive compensation and a typically excellent security package. Relatively high and stable demand for such specialists is also a plus.

First of all, you should focus on studying such subjects as chemistry and biology. They might be your major at university. Additionally, you would need personal qualities like patience, attention to detail, accuracy, persistence, etc.

• Ending the Essay—Conclusions: Pat Bellanca, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
• Essay writing in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science: Research & Learning Online, Monash University
• Essays That Worked: Undergraduate Admissions, Johns Hopkins University
• Write Your Essay: UNSW Sydney, Current Students
• Why I Want Become A Pharmacist Essay: BartleBy
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How to Double Space in Word for Your Essay: A Guide for Students

If you are a student working on an important essay, you would know how crucial formatting truly is, as a significant grade can be impacted by it if you don't comply with the formatting guidelines. Even if you weren't mindful of it before, you should prioritize it now. Many colleges require essays to be submitted in MLA or APA format, which necessitates double spacing among other specifications. In this article, we will explore the major formatting styles and explain how to double space in Word for your essay to ensure your formatting adheres to the standards.

Double-Space in APA and MLA Format

Double spacing is a requirement for both APA and MLA formats, the two most popular styles used for essays in academic writing . Here's why:

Improved Readability : Double spacing creates a clear visual distinction between lines of text, making your essay easier to read and follow.

Facilitates Editing and Feedback : Instructors (and you!) can easily add comments or edits between lines without overcrowding the document.

Standardization : Double spacing ensures consistency across different essays and disciplines, allowing for a professional appearance.

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Examples of Double Spacing in APA and MLA Formats:

Here are some examples of double spacing in APA and MLA formats:

APA Formatting Guide:

The entire document is double-spaced.

The margins are one inch on all sides.

Each paragraph in the body text starts with a hanging indent (the first line remains flush left, while subsequent lines are indented half an inch).

The title is centered at the top of the page, followed by your name and institution information centered below.

The font is 12-point throughout.

Page numbers appear in the upper right corner of each page.

MLA Formatting Guide:

Each paragraph in the body text starts with a half-inch indent.

The title is centered at the top of the page, followed by your name, instructor's name, course name, and date (all left-aligned in a block format).

The font is Times New Roman 12-point throughout.

There are no page numbers on the first page, but subsequent pages have page numbers placed in the upper right corner.

Preparing Double Spacing in Word Before You Start Writing Your Essay

There are specific formatting standards that students are generally required to follow when submitting their essays, one of which includes double-spacing in Word. As I will demonstrate to you on how to do double spacing in Word you will learn to maintain consistent formatting throughout your document.

I'll demonstrate using WPS Office because it is a free suite and ultimately the best option for students. It's compatible with all Word document versions and can even convert your papers to PDF without losing formatting, allowing you to follow along regardless of whether you are using Windows, Mac, or Android.

Using the Home ribbon

Let's take a look at the first method, which is available in the home tab and is relatively quicker to perform.

Step 1 : Open WPS Office on your system. Remember, WPS Office is available for both MAC and Windows, making it an easier option to work with.

Step 2 : Now, let's create a new document. Click on "New" in the left panel.

Step 3 : Next, click on "Docs" located in the left panel, followed by "Blank", to create a new blank document on WPS Office.

Step 4 : You will now have a fresh new document open on WPS Writer. To format our document to double space, click on "Home" in the ribbon menu.

Step 5 : Next, click on the "Line Spacing" icon, which is a double arrow with horizontal lines.

Step 6 : Now, the line spacing option is available in the drop-down menu. Click on "2.0" to set the line spacing as double.

And that's it! Your new document has now been formatted for both your APA style essays or MLA style. Using WPS Office has its benefits. It provides software compatible for both Mac and Windows, which reduces the likelihood of glitches or crashes compared to Microsoft Word, which is not compatible with MacOS.

Additionally, it allows users to save their files on the cloud. So, if you need to make changes to your document on the go, they are easily available. Plus, if you need to work on the go, you might be using your handheld device, and luckily, WPS Office is available on both Android and iOS for free.

Using the Context menu

The second option involves opening a few other dialog boxes, but the special feature of this method is that if you're formatting your document from scratch, you can also format indentation or alignment using the same steps.

Step 1 : So, we have our new blank document open in WPS Office, currently formatted with single spacing.

Step 2 : Let's right-click anywhere on the document to open the context menu, and then click on "Paragraph".

Step 3 : Now, we have the Paragraph dialog open. Go to the "Line spacing" field and change the Line spacing to "Double".

Step 4 : To exit the paragraph settings, click on "OK" to return to your document and start working on your essay.

How to Double-Space in Word for Your Written Essay

You've completed your essay but can't seem to find how to double space it? Often, when students try to double space using any method, only the current paragraph where their cursor is located gets double spaced, and it's due to a simple error. So let's see how to double space in Word in a written essay.

Since we are using WPS Office to demonstrate the steps, it would be wise to download and perform these steps on WPS Office to ensure that there is no confusion or error.

Step 1 : So, first of all, we'll open our written essay in WPS Office. To do this, simply open WPS Office and click on "Docs" in the left panel.

Step 2 : Now, click on "Open" and browse for your written essay document. Whether you've created your document in a writing software like MS Word, it will open in WPS Office because it is compatible with all document formats.

Step 3 : Once the document is open, you need to press the "Ctrl + A" shortcut key to ensure that the entire document is selected.

Step 4 : Now, simply click on the "Home" tab and head over to the "Line Spacing" option in the home ribbon.

Step 5 : Since we need our document to be double spaced, we will click on "2.0" to change our line spacing to double-space.

Step 6 : Make sure to save your document either by using the shortcut key; "Ctrl + S", or by visiting the Menu option in the top left corner and clicking on "Save" to save your work.

As a student, it's important to understand these small details while formatting documents because essays and assignments are crucial. Having an easy-to-use writing software like WPS Office can make a whole world of difference.

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Shortcuts for Double Spacing in Word

How to Double-Space in Word: Keyboard Shortcuts

While there are several ways to double-space your text in Word, keyboard shortcuts offer a quick and efficient method. Here are the shortcuts for both Windows and Mac users:

Windows : Press Ctrl + 2.

Mac : Press Command + 2.

Bonus Tip: How to Convert Word to PDF Without Losing Formatting

WPS Office is an exceptional office suite, offering everything from word processing to presentations and spreadsheets. It's particularly beneficial for students, providing them with the tools they need to create documents effortlessly, which they can then use for their academic pursuits. Committed to delivering an optimal experience for students, WPS Office is not only free but also user-friendly, making it a preferred choice. It's also incredibly lightweight, requiring minimal storage space.

Formatting essays can often be a hassle, especially when converting them to Word, where formatting is frequently lost. However, WPS Office addresses this issue with its robust PDF features, seamlessly converting essays into PDF format with ease. With WPS Office, students across all disciplines can streamline their academic tasks and enhance their productivity.

Here is how students can convert their written essays or any document to PDF using WPS Office, without the need for any additional software:

Step 1 : Open your document in WPS Office and go to the Menu button in the top left corner of the screen.

Step 2 : Hover over or click on the "Save as" option and then select "More formats" in the flyout menu.

Step 3 : Now, with the Save as dialog open, go to the "File Type" field and select .PDF as the file format.

Step 4 : Students can change the name of their file in the "File Name" field and then hit "Save" to save their document as a PDF.

FAQs about Double Spacing in Word

1. how to change the line spacing to single in word.

Following these simple steps will help you change the line spacing to single in Microsoft Word:

Step 1 : Let's open the document in Microsoft Word in which we need to change the line spacing.

Step 2 : If you have already worked on your document and need to change its formatting, it's important to first select all the contents of the document. To select everything in the document, simply use the "CTRL + A" shortcut key.

Step 3 : Now, to change the line spacing, click on the "Home" tab on the Microsoft Word ribbon.

Step 4 : In the Home ribbon, find the "Paragraph" section. This is where the "Line and Paragraph Spacing" icon is located, so click on it.

Step 5 : A drop-down menu will open. To set your document to single spacing, click on the "1.0" option, and your document will be formatted according to single spacing.

2. Should I double space the entire essay?

Yes, according to APA guidelines (2020), double spacing is recommended for the entire paper, encompassing the title page, abstract, main text, headings, block quotes, reference list, table and figure annotations, and appendices. Nonetheless, this guideline doesn't apply to the table body and figure imagery, footnotes, and presented mathematical expressions.

3. Are university essays typically double spaced?

Yes, university essays often use double spacing. However, it’s essential to follow your professor’s guidelines. They usually specify formatting preferences, including spacing and font choices. Always review instructions carefully to ensure your work aligns with the required standards.

Word is a great tool for writing your student assignments , but students' efficiency and easy to use tools at hand ultimately get great grades. For instance it is quite a hassle learning how to double space in Word for your essay. WPS Office delivers all of that with its Writer tool and integrated PDF tool.

Here, you can edit and print with ease, not to mention the formatting is completely easy to manage. Not to mention, the formatting is perfectly preserved when converting to PDF or sharing the file. Download WPS Office today to experience hassle-free formatting so you can focus more on your work and less on formatting!

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

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New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.