Pharmacy Perspectives - Winter/Spring 2014 - (Page 7)

A LT ER EGOS WINTER/SPRING 2014 A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR MAKES THE MEDICINE GO DOWN F rom a young age, fourthyear pharmacy student Doug Clark loved to cook. His passion was baking. And for years he flirted with being a pastry chef - even pursuing an associate's degree from Johnston & Wales in applied sciences. But after graduating and working for six months in New Hampshire at Mount Washington Hotel and Resort he found that the sweet life really wasn't so sweet. "The restaurant business is very demanding. It's not all fun and games like you see on Cake Boss. It's grueling. The hours are long and the stress high." After blindly jumping into a profession that he thought he would love, he wasn't going to do that again. This time he began investigating career choices. He knew he loved the sciences and education. He started volunteering in a pharmacy and for the next two and half years shadowed a pharmacist, became a SNPhA affiliate member and attended Colorado Pharmacist Society meetings - for fun! "I explored all fields and learned a lot about myself. I also learned about the steps you need to take to make an informed decision about a career path. That's not something they teach you in high school." After fulfilling his prerequisites at UC Denver he applied to pharmacy school. He made a case for acceptance by drawing on the parallels of pharmacy and baking. "You'd be surprised at the similarities. Both require precision, attention to detail, and thought. Both require a fundamental knowledge of chemistry and how compounds combine. And both are driven by the need to care for people." OLYMPIC DREAMS I magine being one of a few thousand athletes good enough to qualify for the Olympic Games. Second-year pharmacy student Mercedes Farhat doesn't have to imagine. In '08, Mercedes marched in the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and swam the 100-meter breaststroke - winning her heat. She even met her Olympic idol and role model Dara Torres. Her journey to the Olympics began when she started swimming at the age of seven. With her father, Kamal, by her side as her coach, she swam her way into record books. By the time she was in her teens she was "pretty good." While watching the '04 Olympics with her father, he suggested she swim for his home country Libya. His simple, somewhat outlandish, proposal became reality. But first there was paperwork - lots of it. Mercedes applied for dual citizenship - Libyan and American. A requirement for citizenship is a Libyan first name. She was given the name Asmahan, which she used to compete while representing Libya. Her American name remains Mercedes. Then, hours of swimming and training, and finally qualifying at the 2008 FINA World Swimming Championships in Manchester, England. Mercedes displays her "Most valuable athlete" Olympic medal One of 11 members of the Libyan contingent, she marched in the Opening Ceremony wearing an elaborate native costume. "It literally was built on me. It took hours to create and was so heavy and ornate that I was exhausted afterwards." In addition to achieving her Olympic dream, Mercedes received an extra honor. She was selected for the equivalent of the "most valuable athlete" award. During the Olympics, each country receives a medal to honor the most valuable member of their team. Libya chose Mercedes. Not one to bask in her accomplishments, within days of the Olympics, Mercedes started undergrad at the University of Florida, where she swam for the Gators. Today, Mercedes looks back fondly on her Olympic past. She has little time for the pool, but does have a bucket list that includes a triathlon. www.ucdenver.edu/pharmacy 7 http://www.ucdenver.edu/pharmacy

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmacy Perspectives - Winter/Spring 2014

In This Issue

Pharmacy Perspectives - Winter/Spring 2014

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2019graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2019winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2018summerfall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2018graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2018winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2017summerfall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2017winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2017graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2016graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2016winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2015summerfall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2015graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2015winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2014summerfall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2014graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2014winterspring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2013summerfall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2013graduation
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2012fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2011fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2011grad
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2010fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2010grad
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ucdenver/pharmperspectives_2010spring
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com