General interview questions COPY

Question 1

Tell me about yourself

Answer 1

My name is Nawasa! I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, but was rasied in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I did my undergraduate studies at New Mexico State University, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After that, I moved to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico for pharmacy school.

Throughout my time in pharmacy school, I was pretty active and held a couple of different leadership positions with different organizations like APHA and NCODA. During school my passion for oncology continue to grow and I also developed a new love for anticoagulation. During school, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a pharmacy intern here at UNMH during my time as an intern I also served as a Transition of Care Intern for the Anticoagulation Stewardship at the hospital this is where my love for anticoag started.
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Outside of school and work, I love exploring local businesses, in particularly coffee shops and farmers’ markets. I also love reading romcoms and watching anime when I have more free time.

Question 2

What has been your favorite patient care experience in pharmacy thus far?

Answer 2

One of my favorite patient care experiences was during my emergency medicine APPE rotations. This rotation was at Memorial Medical Center, which is a smaller hospital in Las Cruces, New Mexico. What made this rotation stand out was the high level of involvement that pharmacists played in the ED. Because the hospital was a bit smaller, it was truly an ‘all hands-on deck’ environment. So Everyone pitched in during patient care, and this created a more collaborative environment. I distinctly remember an instance where a patient came into the ED with a 5-inch laceration on his scalp and I found myself holding his wound together as the doctor was suturing it. Another moment was when I actively participated in administering CPR alongside a nurse during a code. These instances not only showcased the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration but also the active roles that pharmacists can play in these situations, and I thought that was really awesome!

Question 3

Tell us about your most significant learning experience during pharmacy school. What made it so valuable?

Answer 3

One of the significant learning experiences during my time in school was participating in the P&T or (Pharmacy and Therapeutics) competitions through my local AMCP chapter. Although I initially had no experience in managed care, I decided to take on the challenge to push myself to learn something new. Participating in these competitions has contributed to my research and clinical skills and has helped me gain more self-confidence during presentations. Little did I know that these experiences would come back to help me. So Fast forward to my P4 year, I was given the wonderful opportunity to deliver a presentation on ABECMA to the P&T committee here at UNMH. And being a part of the hospital’s milestone was so meaningful for me, especially given my strong interest in oncology. I credit the presentation’s success to the groundwork my team and I had laid during the P&T competitions that we did through school. It helped me build a strong foundation and gain a better understanding of what P&T entails. This experience not only taught me about managed care but also highlighted the unexpected places where learning and growth can happen. It also reinforces the idea that sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to prepare yourself for unexpected yet rewarding opportunities.

Question 4

How one challenges a proposed idea affects the quality of subsequent discussion. Describe a time when you challenged an idea in a way that promoted constructive discussion of alternative views. How did you do so? / **intervention question! **

Answer 4

During my inpatient anticoagulation APPE rotation, a patient was admitted for a recurrent DVT. The patient had been on rivaroxaban at home, and the attending physician considered this situation to be a DOAC therapy failure, the physician was also planning to switch the patient from rivaroxaban to enoxaparin upon discharge. So given that DOAC failure is relatively rare, I decided to conduct my own interview with the patient. During our conversation, I discovered that he had missed about three doses of his rivaroxaban. He reported to me that he was unsure as to why he was put on it to begin with. I reported this information to my preceptor and brought it to the attention of the attending physician. I explained my belief that this may not be a DOAC failure but rather a patient compliance issue. I also voiced concerns about initiating enoxaparin due to cost and potential challenges with self-administration of the injections. I recommended that the patient should continue with rivaroxaban and that, upon discharge, my preceptor and I would provide the patient with education and counseling. The physician accepted my intervention. This whole experience taught me about the critical role of proper information gathering, having a questioning mind, and the importance of patient education. This also provided me with extra practice and understanding of how to provide detailed counseling to a patient who may have lower health literacy.

Question 5

How do you manage your time?/ How is your time managment skills?

Answer 5

I would say I can manage my time fairly efficently. I like utilizing both electronic and hardcopy planners and I have kinda of a systematic approach to organizing my tasks. Each day, I would wite down a to-do list in advance, which helps me plan for the day. I also like to prioritize my task and make sure I get the most important thing done first.

I also find that I do well at limiting distractions to help me better utilize my time and be proactive. To do this I typically like to put my phone away and have a clean space to work in. I also found that having quiet jazz music in the background helps me concentrate better!

I believe my effective time mangemnt skills is showcased success in balancing school commitments, my role as a pharmacy intern, and my active participation in volunteer work and being able to fulfill my leadership responsibilities within different organizations on campus.

Question 6

What are your three strengths?

Answer 6

• One of my greatest strengths is my love for learning and having a continuous learning mindset. I see every experience, whether success or challenge, as an opportunity to new knowledge and skills. I dont shy away from opportunites even if they are outside of my comfort zone and I see all expereinces as a way to help me grow.
• Another strength of mine is my empathetic nature. I find it really easy for me to put myself in other people’s position and understand where they are coming from. I find this strength of mine has helped me build and maintain strong positive relationships and help enchance team collaboration. With patients I find an easier time making hem feel comfortable and it helps build trust with my patients as well
• Another strenght of mine is time management - I find that I am able to utilize my time wisely and be productive when I need to be. I credit this to my many planners that I have - which may be excessive but it gets the job done! I like using both electronic and hardcopy planner and if the task is urgent I prioritize it on sticky notes and plaster it on my wall because i will see that. When i am also working on somwthing important I will typically have my phone away from me so it will be charging on the other side of my room so I dont feel the need to look at it or go on the internet.

Question 7

What are your 3 weaknesses?

Answer 7

• One of my weaknesses is my proficiency in certain clinical skills and knowledge domains, particularly in fields like infectious disease and cardiovascular health. These more complex topics definitly present a learning curve for me. So i try to ask my preceptor if I could focus more on these topics during topic discuss. Additonally, My freinds who are currently in residency created a google drive with some of their materials/ topic discussions they have done and that also help me stay on top of new material. I belive that being able to work at a teaching hospital like UNMH as a pharamcist will help me further develop my skills and knowlege
• Another weakness of mine is public speaknig and .. interviews. Sometimes I would get nervous and sometimes my thai and english would just get mixed up and come out all at once and it’s a mess but I’ve been working hard on that before every presentations or interviews I would like to practice practice practice typically with my family or a close freind and they would give me some pretty awsome feedbacks to help me. I think with this, is just practicing, the more I preactice the better I feel. So I try to practice a lot.
• Another weakness of mine is that I sometimes take a bit longer to catch up with the new electronic changes at the hospital. I am not the most tech savvy person so it takes me a while to get use to new system changes, typically what helps me with this is I love asking questions and so I would ask our techs or pharamcist who have been working more often than I have to see if they can help me - I also like wirting things down to help me remeber for the future.

Question 8

Tell me about a stressful event that happened during an APPE rotation, what happened and how did you deal with it?

Answer 8

A stressful event that occured was during my emergency medicine APPE rotation. So Initially, I hadn’t planned to take this rotation as it was definitely outside my comfort zone. I prefer having time to think and plan recommendations, which is not always the case in the ED. However, I decied to challege myself and try something new.

The ED I was assigned to was at a smaller hospital, so this really did created an all hands on deck type of senario - the pharmacist were very much involved in the action as I like to call it. During on of the code blues we had, we reached the scene before many other staff members. My pharmacist was occupied preparing medications, so a nurse pulled me in to perform CPR. This was my first CPR expereience which defiently caugth me off gaurd

Despite the high-stress situation, the nurse did an excellent job of keeping me composed. She gavesupport by counting with me o make sure I was okay and that I was giving proper compressions. This unexpected challenge, although stressful, was defiently managed well with the assistance and encouragement from my coworkers that was there.

Question 9

Tell me about a time you worked on a project/ what was the outcome?

Answer 9

A project that I worked focused on my research poster, which looks into the appropriate use of anticoagulation in patients with multiple myeloma based on the SAVED score. The SAVED score is a VTE risk prediction model specifically designed for patients multiple myeloma

The primary objective of my study was to assess whether the thromboprophylaxis strategies for multiple myeloma patients at our cancer center, align with the SAVED score. Additionally, we aimed to observe any VTE-related outcomes in these patients.

This project is my baby :). I initiated it from scratch, and I collaborated with my preceptor (Dr. Nick Crozier) during my second APPE rotation. The process of creating this project from the ground up was not only helpful for me to be able to see a project from start to finish but it was also super fun. I had the opportunity to formulate my own research questions, conduct the chart reviews and at then at the end being able to put all the data together and see everything laid out at the end on a poster really just made me so happy.

Question 10

If you were a drug, what would you be?

Answer 10

Fluoxietine (Prozac) - SSRI:
I’d choose to be Prozac - bringing a bit of sunshine whenever someone is down, promoting mental well-being, and helping people navigate through the ups and downs.

Question 11

Tell me about a recent paper you’ve read or a presentation you have attended

Answer 11

A recent paper I read was actually on a thailand health newsletter, it was regarding PM 2.5, fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers, is a significant air pollutant with serious health risks. Due to its small size, it can bypass the body’s natural defenses and enter the lungs, causing respiratory and cardiovascular issues. Sources of PM 2.5 include burning fossil fuels, industrial activities, wildfires, and household cooking.

Health impacts include aggravated respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, reduced lung function, and an increased risk of lung cancer. Long-term exposure is linked to premature mortality, particularly for the elderly and those with existing health conditions. Vulnerable groups include children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

To minimize risks, individuals should monitor air quality, use air purifiers, wear protective masks, and avoid outdoor activities during high pollution days. Those experiencing persistent respiratory or cardiovascular symptoms, or worsening pre-existing conditions, should seek medical advice. Reducing exposure and early medical intervention are key in mitigating the harmful effects of PM 2.5.

Question 12

What would your coworkers say about you?

Answer 12

Reserve and shy when you first get to know me but is freindly and nice; hardworking and would go above and beyond to help coworker

Question 13

Who among all your teachers and mentors has had the most influence on you and why?

Answer 13

Dr. Nick Crozier

Question 14

● What are you most proud of? What are you most proud of that is not on your CV?

Answer 14

Girl scout troop leader

Question 15

What qualities would your ideal preceptor have?

Answer 15

• Able to relay info in different manners/ different people have different learning method, a good preceptor should be able to teach in different methods that best cater to the student
• patient and understanding
• support student in asking questions/ fostering a supportive and enviroment that encourage studetns to ask question

Question 16

What will you bring to the program? / why should we pick you

Answer 16

I would bring to your program a diverse solid clinical background, a passion for continuous learning, an open-minded attitude, and a commitment to diversity and serving a diverse patient population

My clinical foundation is shown through diverse APPE rotations, along with a unique intern experience at UNMH, which includes weekend clinical shifts for extra training and also working as a part of the anticoagulation transition of care team. These experiences has helped me developed unique skill sets that I believe would be valuable. Having worked at UNMh, I’ve been exposed to a diverse patient population as NM really is a melting pot wiht so many differernt people of different background. I want to continue to contribute to the diverse patient community your program serves.

My involvement in multidisciplinary teams has also helped improve my communication skills and instilled a collaborative approach to patient care. I deeply understand the importance of teamwork in achieving optimal patient outcomes. As someone who values continuous learning, I embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and am confident in my ability to adapt to the fast-paced and evolving nature of this residency program.

Coming from a Thai background, I believe I can contribute to providing a sense of comfort to patients from diverse backgrounds. My unique cultural perspective allows me to connect with and understand patients from various culutres, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone

Question 17

Tell us about a time you wish you had handled your response to a situation differently

Answer 17

So a time when I wish I had handled my response to a situation differently disappear the case of reaching out and providing more support for a friend so during this time I believe I was a second year pharmacy student my friend has been going through a lot of stuff in her life and I just felt like there was more that I could have done for her that I didn’t do at that time I wish I would have offered her more support during that time she was going through a lot of stuff that ended up landing her in the hospital and I did carry a huge sense of guilt with me during that time but after talking with her she reassured me that it wasn’t my fault but I think after that situation itself I became a lot more attentive and receptive to my peers feeling and just making sure I take a little bit of extra step to check in on them and provide them with emotional support if they need it and I think the whole experience itself has definitely made me a lot more aware of how my peers are doing as well as what type of support they would like and just providing them with that safe space.

Question 18

Tell us about a time when you overcame an obstacle or created a new opportunity by rethinking a situation. Walk us through how you approached it.

Answer 18

So a time when I overcame an obstacle and created a new opportunity was during the time when I was preparing for the mid year regional meeting showcase during that time a lot of things were going on at once and I definitely needed extra hands and help with these showcase in terms of setting up the meeting reaching out to venues as well as contacting different endeavors to showcase I knew I couldn’t do it alone and so I worked very closely with the APHA chapter president at the time and I pose an idea and asked her if it would be possible for us to give out APHA points for people who help me and volunteer to help me with the mid year regional meeting showcase she supported the idea and was on board with the idea and so that ended up giving a lot of student opportunities to not only gain points through alpha but also gain volunteering experiences as well as event planning and coordinating experiences in addition this also in turns helped me alleviate some of the stress in planning this event and So what I realized is collaboration teamwork and communication is definitely key and that it’s always a good idea to seek out help when you can to try to take things off of your plate and also shared the benefits of your experience with others as well.

Question 19

Tell us about a time that you proactively informed others about developments that were relevant to them.

Answer 19

So a time when I proactively informed other about development that were relevant to them so this took place during the time when I was a treasurer for my local encoda chapter and so I was tasked with creating school branded sweatshirts to be sold I got this design approved by the marketing and got it OK before putting it on sale however they ended up reaching out to me about a week and 1/2 into the sale saying that I could not sell the product because the color were off and that the logo belonged to the sports team and so after a bit of going back and forth with the marketing department they came into an agreement that they will let me keep the logo however there has to be some minor changes to the colors so with this in mind I updated the students and staff members that had previously ordered the sweatshirt to inform them that there has been changes and I updated them with the new color palettes for the sweatshirts and I told them that we would be happy to refund them as well and so from this whole experience although being the barrier of bad news is always tough it’s definitely still important to convey that and communicate that to those that are affected and being transparent with what the issue was and what we’re doing to fix it I believe a lot of people are very understanding in that aspect so just being honest and transparent is always an important factor when it comes to updating those that are involved in a situation.

Question 20

Tell us about a time when you had to speak up and be assertive to get a point across
that was important to you or crucial to your patient

Answer 20

So a time when I had to speak up to get my point across so this happened during one of my shifts as the anticoagulation transition of care intern so this happened during the last hour of my ship I believe and I called the nursing home that our patient was discharged to to double check to see if they were on the appropriate anticoagulation regimen and the nurse verified for me that the patient was on 15 milligram of apixaban twice a day and so my first question was is the patient experiencing any type of bleeds or anything like that the patient was fine however I also verified to her the there was two script that was written one was for apixaban 10 milligram twice a day for seven days and then the other one being apixaban 5 milligram twice a day thereafter and so I made this clarification to her and the nurse was very hesitant and was not really listening to me and so I told her that there was no regimen for apixaban 15 milligram twice a day but she would not change the order unless it was from a doctor or a doctor’s note and so I told her that I have to doctor no in our system here as a discharge note and that I would fax it over to her and if she could change the order in the system and so I followed through sent out the facts and gave her another call to make sure she has to fax and she changed the input in her system on her end and I informed her that we will do a follow up phone call with her tomorrow just to make sure that the patient is receiving the correct dose of the medication although I wasn’t working the shift the next day I made sure to talk to my intern who was working that day to make sure that he followed up with this patient in particular to make sure that they’re on the correct regimen and I was in touch with him and he did notify me that the patient was on the correct regimen and so this was the time that I had to be a little bit more observative in this case as the nurse really wasn’t taking my recommendations or my words and so I stood my ground and made sure to follow through from start to finish and followed up with her to make sure that the patient is receiving the correct medication So what I learned from this is in any situation even if I do get pushed back or not it’s always important to follow up with the patient to see if your recommendation has been accepted and made and implemented especially in a case where there’s a discrepancy

Question 21

Tell us about the most stressful time period during your pharmacy education. How did you handle the stress?

Answer 21

I think one of the most trustful time period during my pharmacy education was starting my P1 year strictly online due to COVID I would say initially it did made me feel a little bit lonely and disconnected from my peers especially starting out at a Newtown a new program that adjustment I felt was a little bit more difficult for me and having more complex courses online I felt like I would learn better in person rather than online so how I dealt with that stress I would say was keeping in touch with my peers even though it was really hard to see them we did have a very awesome class group chat that we would use and I actually befriended 2 very close friends who are still very close to me to this day and we would talk on the phone we would text each other just keeping in touch just to make sure we’re all doing good just trying to make it through and what really also helped me was talking with my close friends and my husband my brother is also in pharmacy school as well at that time he was a 3rd year pharmacy student so having him there was definitely a game changer because we were able to talk to each other and he was able to kind of lead me into the right direction in terms of how I need to study what I need to focus on so that definitely made it a lot easier to transition and I think being able to talk about my straws being able to talk about it with loved ones and with close friends has definitely been a huge stress reliever for me.

Question 22

Tell us about a time when you adapted the content and delivery of a communication to ensure that it would be meaningful to a particular audience.

Answer 22

So a time where I had to adapt the contacts and delivery of a communication was during a time when I had this wonderful opportunity so my father is a professor at the College in Bangkok and he wanted me to come on via zoom to talk to his students about the education system here in the United states and the education system is vastly different when compared to US versus Bangkok in terms of how each level is ranked so middle school and elementary school encompasses a certain age group and high school encompass certain age group and so I had to make that translation to make sure that I don’t say 5th grade 6th grade or 7th grade or etcetera but I use a certain term that would encompass these age groups together just to make it a little bit easier for the Thai students to understand what age group I was talking about I also have to explain to them that college is definitely different and because in Thailand you pick your specialty going out of high school meaning that you can do medical school right out of high school and it is a eight years training in that sense and so that is just something that I have to kind of distinguish between the two so I definitely learned a lot from this experience I think preparing learning to prepare for your audience is very important just to make sure you get the message across so I think preparation is definitely a key factor in if you are communicating to a particular audience group just to make the context more meaningful and easier for them to understand.

Question 23

conflict question!!! Name a time when you had conflict with someone, what happened/ how did it get resolved. Tell us about one of your most difficult experiences working on a team. What made it
challenging? What was your role in helping the team to be successful?

Answer 23

I would say one of the most difficult experience working on a team for me was during the time when I was the chair for the professional development organization at my college so myself and including two team members as well as the ashp chapter president at that time was tasked with hosting a residency showcase both in person and online there was definitely a lot of work and effort that needs to be put into making sure this gets it set up and everything goes smoothly these showcase took place in November however we did started planning for this at the beginning during summer so myself and my team member would often host meetups to check in and plan for the events however in those instances one team member has missed a couple of these meetings and it was getting to a point where it was very difficult to reach the team member So what I did was I went out of my way to approach this team member right after their class because we were in different classes it was hard to catch them in class but I confronted them and I asked them if there’s a reason why they haven’t been going to these meetings if the time wasn’t working well for them or if there’s something that I could do to help them be a little bit more involved and they admitted to me that on top of school and work and also being a full time mom they were having a lot of trouble balancing the workload and I asked them if there was anything that I can make it better and I also gave her the options of if she wanted she could still participate the day of the event to help set up and if she would like to step down from the role I would have to take on another student to be able to help alleviate the stress and the workload that my team and I are currently facing right now because she’s not there to help us she agreed that she would prefer to step down and help during the day of the event and I believe the conversation went very smoothly I think giving her the opportunity to still be involved I think she was very thankful for her and I appreciate any amount of help that we can get I believe my role in helping the team be successful is just taking that initiative step to figure out what the problem was and finding out a solution that works best for everyone while still having everyone be included because I still believe that this opportunity to set up a residency showcase is a great learning experience for any one and I still want her to be to partake in that experience however I also need to help my team out as well so it’s just learning that balance of being inclusive and including everyone on the team but also doing what’s best for everyone as well.

Question 24

Tell us about the most difficult time you had in meeting a deadline. What obstacles hindered your progress and how did you overcome them?

Answer 24

So the most difficult time I had in meeting a deadline and so this would have to take place during one of my first P&T competition presentation and so our group was established prior to winter break and we would allocate the different parts before winter break and work on them during winter break individually however about a week before the presentation one of our team member that we had so we have a team of five people however two of them decide to drop out about one to two week prior to our presentation and they have also not started on their portion of the presentation so that really has um put a huge set back and we were definitely struggling to make the deadline in this case So what we did was we talked with the AMC P chapter president and voiced our concerns and we did say that we may have to forfeit because the presentation is incomplete and we wouldn’t feel comfortable presenting something that is not complete the chapter president at the time was very understanding and was very kind in that she let us use portions of her data that she collected for her own presentation so she definitely helped us out there even though we are in another team competing against her team she was very kind enough to help us kind of get back on our feet and presented us with enough material for us to be able to work on it ourselves and to be able to complete the project on time and we did voiced his concern to the committee and the judges as well prior to our presentation and told them that two of our team members had dropped out and this was the best presentation that we could have come up with with the material and the time that was given so it definitely took a lot of team effort from the three of us who were still participating and also being able to communicate our concerns with the chapter president and her providing us with the information was definitely helpful and as has definitely given me more insights than the sense that communication is key being transparent with our chapter president and also her integrity to help us has definitely motivated me to do the same.

Question 25

Tell us about a time when you encountered or saw a problem and took the initiative to address the problem. What was the outcome?

Answer 25

So a time where I encountered a problem and took the initiative to address this problem so this occurred during my anticoagulation transition of care stewardship sheriff so initially what happened in our in our system is that patients put into a pool or a list that we would have to follow up after they get discharged from the hospital and they’re on an anticoagulation medication and so initially we would just work down the list however I thought about streamlining the process a little bit more to prioritize patient who has a new DVT or a new PE and would prioritize them higher on the list to make sure that we follow up with them within 48 hours after discharge and this is important because a new clot a risk for a new clot is the highest in those first few days after discharge and so I believe prioritizing those patients higher rather than someone who has been on an anticoagulation for years I think would be the most important so we went about streamlining this process and what we did was patients who were diagnosed with a new VTE and were discharged on a new anticoagulation would have a subject title that would be different from the rest of the patient so that we would be able to distinguish those patients from and separate them from our other patient population making it easier to target those patients 1st and make sure those patient calls get completed first and have that be our priority so this whole experience is really taught me that there’s always room for improvement and a lot of systems that we have installed and so just looking at rooms for improvement and ways for us to better patient care I think is very important and also being able to initiate and address these concerns and talk about them I give so much credit to my supervisor who’s very receptive of these feedbacks and is very open minded in making these changes to streamline the process and to better help our patients.

Question 26

Think of a time when you worked closely with someone who clearly had a different perspective, background, or style than you. Tell me what you did to be able to work effectively with this person despite your differences.

Answer 26

So this took place during the time where I was the chair for our speak organization which is a non pharmacy related volunterring based organization and so at this time I had another student with me who was to take over my position the following year and her leadership style and background is definitely a lot different from mine she was a little bit more relaxed and sort of nervous to take on the role and initiative and really make that first step she mainly relied on me to do the work and she would just take a step back and would only really do things when I ask her to and So what I did was I set up a private meeting with just the two of us and I told her a little bit about my concern that I was having just because I want her to be comfortable to be able to be able to take over my position the following year and so I was asking her how I could make it easier for her to take this initiative and how I can better make her into a lever for this organization and she really did give me a good feedback in the sense that she thinks I like to jump into things and this is very quick on making the plan whereas you needed a little bit more time to work things out and make these plans

Question 27

Tell us about a time when you felt your goals were unreasonable. What did you do about it?

Answer 27

So a time that I felt that my goals were unreasonable was when I expected myself to perform as well as I did in undergrad versus pharmacy school so I maintain a 4.0 for three years during my undergrad and I had the same expectations for during pharmacy school however it was definitely a learning curve for me in a sense that I wasn’t able to of course maintain a 4.0 and just coming to terms with that during the second year of pharmacy school was a little bit tough because I had set such a high expectation for myself but I also needed to be a little bit more realistic as well in terms of this is a doctorate and not an undergraduate school the learning levels are different and I shouldn’t beat myself up for it so just changing my mindset around the whole situation has really helped me overcome that hurdle it’s definitely tough at first but I think now I am a lot more better at it and just seeing things from a different perspective and point of view has definitely been very helpful so as long as I’m learning and as long as I’m trying my hardest I can’t beat myself up over that.

Question 28

Why did you not do a residency/ why did you resigned from residency

Answer 28

There were several factors that led to my decision to resign from the residency. The primary reason was that I did not pass the MPJE, and while I had one more opportunity to retake it, I realized that I was feeling unhappy with my situation. During my staffing shifts, I felt more valued, and that made me reflect on whether the residency was the right fit for me. Additionally, I missed the support system I had back in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, and I knew that, in the long term, I wanted to return to New Mexico to serve and contribute to the community. Ultimately, it was a personal decision based on where I felt I could be most fulfilled and make the most impact.
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I was able to pass my New Mexico MPJE so that stress is off my shoulders lol

Question 29

Mistake?

Answer 29

During my fourth-year community retail rotation at the Walgreens in Presbyterian, a specialized pharmacy focusing on transplant medications, I made a mistake during the first week. My role involved calling patients to check if they were due for refills. If so, I would package and ship their medications via FedEx. On one occasion, I failed to thoroughly review a patient’s entire medication list. The transplant medications appeared first in the system, and I mistakenly only processed those, overlooking the patient’s other medications. As a result, we shipped only the transplant medications and missed the others.

The patient became understandably upset, and since I was at lunch at the time, I returned the call after my break. I calmly explained the situation, apologized sincerely, and reassured him that we would send the remaining medications that day. Although the issue was resolved, I felt terrible about the oversight. To ensure it wouldn’t happen again, I requested additional training on the new system. I also made it a point to have a tech or pharmacist double-check my work moving forward to avoid similar errors.

Question 30

Why UNMH?

Answer 30

I would like to return to UNMH for several reasons. As an international student, being hired as an intern during pharmacy school was a rare and incredible opportunity. I vividly remember telling Dr. Jeff Gabaldon, my supervisor at the time, that while I came with a lot of paperwork, I was eager for the chance. Being given that opportunity opened many doors for me and significantly shaped both my professional and academic growth.

I found that the UNMH intern program provided more opportunities than other programs I encountered. For instance, I had the chance to assist with various research projects, present to the hospital’s P&T committee, and contribute to the anticoagulation TOC stewardship team… and I am definitly grateful for all of the expereinces I gained at UNMH.

I am excited about the opportunity to continue my growth and education here, while giving back to the New Mexican community, which has supported me throughout my journey. It would be an honor to stay in Albuquerque and contribute further to the amazing work being done at UNMH.