Hometown: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Name of Undergraduate Institution: University of South Carolina
Major(s)/Minor(s) in College: Pharmacy Major
Name of Pharmacy School: University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Favorite Quote: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” – Maya Angelou
Contact Info: uniquelymickie@gmail.com
Additional Links:
Blog: Uniquely Mickie
Instagram: @uniquelymickie
Twitter: @uniquelymickie
Facebook: Makaela at Uniquely Mickie
Pinterest: Makaela at Uniquely Mickie
Youtube: Makaela Premont
Where are you currently at in your career path and why did you decide to pursue this career path?
I am currently a second-year pharmacy student at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. I decided to pursue this career path for numerous reasons. One being that I wanted to be in the healthcare field because I enjoy helping others, but I was terrified of blood. The other reason is because I enjoy the different aspects that you can do with a PharmD degree besides working at a hospital or CVS location. The possibilities are endless, which I highly appreciated.
If you could go back and have a chat with your naïve college freshman self, what would you tell her?
I would tell my younger self to take more risks and to enjoy every little moment in college. Once you reach graduate school or professional school, such as pharmacy school, you don’t have as much free time as you do in undergrad. I would want to tell myself to appreciate the journey, the ups and downs, more.
What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a similar path as yours?
Network is literally the key to everything related to the healthcare field, especially pharmacy, because the profession is so small compared to other fields. If you can, try to work in a similar field or jobshadow in your community so that you can meet other professionals and be a part of the community that you want to pursue.
What advice would you give to someone getting ready to start their application process to professional schools?
The biggest advice that I can give you about applying to professional school is take your professional exams like the PCAT, MCAT, or LCAT early enough in the summer to give you a chance to retake the exam if you don’t like your first score. But just realize that you can still get into a professional program with an average or less an average exam score. I got in the 30s on my PCAT, but I had a lot of other activities on my resume that boosted my application to allow me to be accepted as early admissions. In your application, the committee looks to see if you are involved in extracurricular activities, work at a job, and have been active in your profession, such as jobshadowing and joining related organizations.
What do you like to do for fun?
I loving recording Youtube videos and writing for my blog so that is what I do during my free time, besides binge watching Netflix and Hulu during my study breaks.
How have you been able to deal with your romantic relationship and pharmacy school at the same time?
Dating in pharmacy school isn’t as hard as it may seem. You just have to find that balance that works for you to maintain your grades in school and maintain your relationship. My boyfriend and I enjoy having date nights or we’ll spend Sundays catching up on our favorite shows together. You also have to be understanding during the entire process. For example during exams or finals, I tend to be really stressed out and can be a little more cranky so my boyfriend knows to let me be during that time and just do sweet things to cheer me up.
Who are some of your favorite musicians? Favorite books? Shows? Movies?
My favorite TV shows at the moment are Game of Thrones, Empire, CSI, and 24 or Breaking Bad. I have a ton of favorites. My favorite movies are the Lion King and Moana. Those are just the classics, but I have a ton more of course. I haven’t been able to pick up a book for fun in a few years, but when I had more time to do so I enjoyed reading the Hunger Games and the Eragon series. As you can tell, I love things mystical and enchanted.
Thanks so much for all of your widely applicable advice and for some insight into why you decided to pursue a career in Pharmacy! You are very much appreciated Makaela! It's also wonderful to hear that you're able to balance school with other important aspects of your life such as your expansive social media presence and your relationship! Best of luck to you as you continue your studies in pharmacy school!
Health Career Spotlights Home Page
Posted on March 11th, 2018