UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy - Association of Student Pharmacists, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA (2026)

04/23/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Howard Phang (current PharmD/PhD student)
Spring 2021 - Week 4

Q: What can you tell us about your experience with the PharmD/PhD program?
A: My experience in the beginning was unique and challenging since I started the PhD during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point, lab activities have ramped up and I’m learning a ton, but the slow start has definitely made it harder for me to adjust from pharmacy student to graduate researcher. Other than that, it’s a nice change of pace to not be studying 24/7 and to instead focus on projects that I get to personally develop and flesh out. I’m in a fun, financially-stable lab and have an awesome thesis advisor, Dr. Anthony Molina. I can’t complain!
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Q: What are your future career goals?
A: My long-term end-goal is to become a professor and teach while running my own lab. I’ve always had a passion for teaching others and I want to be in a position to mentor and inspire the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals. We need more diverse role models in higher-level education/academia!
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Q: How have you been adapting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: Honestly, I’m a huge introvert so getting to stay home all the time has been a blessing for me (recognizing my privilege to able to do so comfortably) and not entirely different from life prior, haha! I suppose I’ve been more motivated to work out and prepare healthier meals for myself to avoid a completely sedentary lifestyle.
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Q: What are some small things that make you happy?
A: I’ll list a few: sticky notes with nice messages, pronouns on email signatures and Zoom names, and oxford commas. I am also a fan of literally small things. I have this tiny set of colored pencils that are absolutely useless but are fun to look at.

04/02/2021

Welcome back Skaggies! We hope everyone enjoyed their Spring break and is ready to take on the last quarter of the school year 🙂

Humans of Skaggs
Ryan Ha (Class of 2024, current P1)
Spring 2021 - Week 1

Q: Why did you decide pharmacy was a good career choice for you?
A: Growing up, I was fascinated about how medications could be used to treat so many different illnesses. That curiosity combined with a passion for helping others through patient care drove me towards choosing pharmacy!
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Q: What superpower would you give to all pharmacists?
A: The power to have our brains automatically connected to Clinical Pharmacology and Lexicomp. 200 IQ plays every day!
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Q: If you could travel to any fictional place, where would you go?A: The Pokémon World!
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Q: What are some small things that make you happy?
A: Good company and good food!

03/05/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Penelope Nwaukwa (Class of 2023, current P2)
Winter 2021 - Week 9

Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your choice of pharmacy as a career?
A: I actually didn’t have a big influence on my choice of pharmacy as a career. A lot of my friends and family actually wanted me to be an MD. My decision to pursue pharmacy was something I decided on my own because, after a lot of research, I felt like a career in pharmacy best suited my strengths and interests.
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Q: What is your favorite medication and why?
A: My favorite medication is oxymetazoline because i get the worst nasal congestion at night during allergy season and oxymetazoline relieves my congestion really fast and I am finally able to sleep!
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Q: If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: Sushi!
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Q: What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?
A: Hanging out with my friends! Trying new foods, having movie nights with lots of snacks, and trying new outdoor activities.

02/26/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Masara Issa (Class of 2021, current P4)
Winter 2021 - Week 8

Q: How are you liking rotations of P4 year so far? Do you have any advice regarding preparing for P4 year?
A: Surprisingly, rotations have been going by quite quickly! At first, you think 6 weeks is an eternity but the next thing you know, you are moving on to the next block. My advice is to be flexible, especially due to the changes the pandemic has presented. You may have a sudden site change but I have learned that can bring along great experiences.
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Q: If you could live anywhere, where would live?
A: I would love to live in Montreal, Canada for at least one year. Montreal is multi-cultural, historic, and very European-like. It’s a bilingual city and I would enjoy practicing my French. Plus they have the best poutine out there!
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Q: What are you looking forward to after graduation?
A: Honestly, I am looking forward to having some time off before starting my fellowship in July. I am hoping to make some COVID-safe travel plans and spend time with my friends and family.

02/23/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Dr. Eric Chen (Class of 2019)
Winter 2021 - Week 8

This week we are featuring Dr. Eric Chen, Class of 2019 and current UCSD PGY2 Infectious Disease Resident!

Q: When did you graduate from Skaggs and what have you been up to since?
A: I graduated from Skaggs in May 2019 and haven't really left the UCSD scene since. I completed a PGY1 Acute Care Residency at UCSD Health from 2019-2020, and I am currently in the middle of a PGY2 Infectious Diseases Residency at UCSD Health.
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Q: What advice would you give a current pharmacy student?
A: Explore your options and find what it is you are passionate about. Healthcare is a vast field and there are many things you can do to impact patients as a pharmacist, including non-traditional paths. Don't go into something just because everyone else is doing it or it is the norm.
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Q: What is something you enjoy doing while you are not working?
A: My personal hobbies include tennis, snowboarding, surfing, strength training, computer games and reading manga. In addition to infectious diseases, I am passionate about nutrition/chronic disease prevention and spend a lot of time learning about these topics and promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
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Q: What is a quote or motto that you live by?
A: Live the life you want and not the one someone else wants.

02/09/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Victoria Nguyen (Class of 2022, current P3)
Winter 2021 - Week 6

Q: What has been your most memorable experience at Skaggs so far?
A: The most memorable experience at Skaggs for me definitely has to be all the friends I have made along the way. My whole class is supportive of each other and they’ve made my experience throughout pharmacy school so much better! Even though we haven’t been able to see each other, I’m glad most of us are still able to keep in touch.
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Q: This job is repetitive. What would motivate you to do it well everyday?
A: The health and well being of my patients would motivate me to do my job to the best of my ability and be the best pharmacist for my patients. There are many patients who need help with their medication and how to manage their medications and it is fulfilling to me that I can help my patients with any concerns they may have. Knowing that I can help them, even if it is only for a little bit, motivates me to do my job well everyday.
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Q: If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
A: I would definitely live in Positano, Italy. A friend of mine recommended that I go there when I traveled through Italy. It was by far my favorite stop! It is a little town along the Almalfi coast of Italy. We took a boat to get to and from the city and the scenery was unforgettable. They also have the best lemon ice cream too! The views were incredible and the people in the city were so nice and welcoming. I love beaches and mountains and this place is combination of both.
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Q: If you could choose to do anything for an entire day, what would you do?
A: If I could choose to do anything, I would choose to do nothing all day. This is super ironic but I think it is hard to have a truly relaxing day nowadays. I would spend the whole day relaxing at the beach, reading book and enjoying my free time without having to worry about school, work or anything else.

01/29/2021

Humans of Skaggs
Beverly Hirk (Class of 2023, current P2)
Winter 2021 - Week 4

Q: If you could live a day as someone else, who would you pick?
A: I’d probably choose any famous chef/foodie that gets paid to travel to different places to try different foods. I love discovering new foods and learning about different cultures through their cuisines. Also getting paid to eat and travel would be the biggest win.
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Q: What’s one thing on your bucket list that you want to do post COVID?
A: Travel! Japan is at the top of the list, but I usually love any place that I visit. There’s so much to be learned from exposing yourself to new environments, cultures, and experiences.
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Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your choice of pharmacy as a career?
A: Myself! Just kidding, but I worked at a pharmacy during undergrad and really enjoyed it. The rest is history!
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Q: What do you hope to be doing in pharmacy 10 yrs from now?
A: To be honest, I’m not sure! I’m keeping my options open right now and still figuring out what field fits me best. 10 years is a long time and so many things can shape what I end up doing. As of right now, I’m leaning towards community pharmacy, but I’ll keep an open mind and welcome any opportunity to explore other options. All I can hope for is that I’m happy with where I’m at 10 years from now!

11/24/2020

Humans of Skaggs
Karen Siazon (Class of 2022, current P3)
Fall 2020 - Week 9

The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the final board member to be featured is Karen Siazon (ASP Co-VP of Pharmacy Outreach)!

Q: What has been your most memorable event/experience at Skaggs so far?
A: Planning and speaking at the Body Donor Memorial in my first year. I love public speaking, but I wanted to really do my best job to pay tribute to those donors and their families. It was a ~15 minute speech to a sea of people: faculty, classmates, medical students, families and friends. We had planned the event over a few months and the day of was crazy just running around making sure the decorations, the performers, speakers, and everything was going well- I felt like I was coordinating a wedding. It was great. 10/10 would do again.
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Q: What is your favorite medication and why?
A: Maybe albuterol. I have really mild asthma, but gotta give it to my inhaler to being there when I need it. Even though it's not really first line anymore, it did me some good. So, thanks albuterol.
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Q: What's one of the best or worst purchases you've ever made?
A: Over the summer, I bought a stuffed animal- Pascal from Tangled that has a magnet attachment so that it can rest on your shoulder like a real chameleon. I also bought the little fire spirit version from Frozen II. They were $20 each, but it was worth it. My 1 year old nephew has them now though and tries to feed them to the dog.
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Q: What did you do this past summer?
A: Nothing I was expecting, that's for sure. I bought a new car. Both my parents actually got COVID over summer, so I was helping with that (happy to report they're both doing well). I spent a lot of time with my sister, brother-in-law, baby nephew, one of our friends and the dog, so it felt very "Full House." While staying with them, I learned how to cook healthy, lift weights properly, and how to take care of a fountain (don't get a fountain). Also did a lot of yoga and perfected a cheese ball recipe.

11/17/2020

Humans of Skaggs
Michael Kieu (Class of 2023, current P2)
Fall 2020 - Week 8

Q: What do you think are the greatest barriers to the growth of the pharmacy profession today?
A: I can think of two barriers that greatly impact the growth of pharmacy. First, the public's perspective of what pharmacists do. Most of the public is unaware that the prescriptions they receive were decided and finalized through a collaborative interdisciplinary effort. There's a whole healthcare team behind these decisions to ensure this will result in the best possible outcome for the patient. Generating awareness of what pharmacists do will allow the profession to pursue other avenues and use the clinical knowledge we acquired to the fullest. Second, pharmacy corporations putting higher emphasis on profits over patient care. This obstacle pertains more to the community setting. I do understand that corporations need to make money, however, if it comes at the expense of poor patient care something needs to be re-evaluated. Patient care and safety should be a top priority of every pharmacist and healthcare professional. This pigeonholing from corporate prevents our profession from advancing.
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Q: What will you be doing in pharmacy 10 years from now?
A: That's hard to say. Having only been exposed to the community aspect of pharmacy so far, I don't have the most in-depth insight or perspective of other fields in pharmacy. I'm always going to keep an open mind to other potential opportunities, especially because pharmacy is a very dynamic field. New specialties could pop up by the time I enter the workforce that might catch my interest. It seems to be a common theme, from current pharmacists, that they just sort of "fell into" where they are now. However, this doesn't mean you should sit back, relax, and expect things to come to you. Work, effort, and time still must be put into pushing yourself to be the best pharmacist you can be.
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Q: What makes you laugh the most?
A: Corgis doing absolutely anything
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Q: What would be your ideal way to spend the weekend?
A: An ideal weekend would include spending time with my girlfriend and friends, eating enough food for 4 people, and of course, going to the gym.

11/11/2020

Humans of Skaggs
Jeffrey Rodriguez (Class of 2022, current P3)
Fall 2020 - Week 7

The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Jeffrey Rodriguez (ASP Co-VP of Pharmacy Outreach)!

Q: What superpower would you give to all pharmacists?
A: I’d give them all the power to create copies or clones. I’ve had many experiences where I wished there was another person or body helping out in the pharmacy. It could also help in emergency situations, since they’d always have another person to help out with things such as CPR.
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Q: This job is repetitive. What would motivate you to do it well every day?
A: While some parts of the job can be repetitive, one reason why I think being a pharmacist would be fulfilling is because more often than not, everyday in the pharmacy brings its own new challenges. There are never days where you aren’t faced with a new problem or asked a question that requires you to critically think. This would motivate me to always stay on top of things so that I can provide the best care to my patients.
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Q: What makes you laugh the most?
A: I love memes. Especially Spongebob memes. If you ever see me on my phone or laptop, there’s a really good chance I’m just looking at Spongebob memes on Reddit.
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Q: What did you want to be when you were little?
A: When I was little, I wanted to be a paleontologist. I loved digging stuff out of the dirt, reading books about dinosaurs, and imagining what the world was like millions of years ago. I’ve always wanted to travel around the world and see what treasures and discoveries lie beneath the earth below us.

11/03/2020

Humans of Skaggs
Jessica Scarlata (Class of 2022, current P3)
Fall 2020 - Week 6

The majority of posts this quarter will feature our ASP board and the board member to be featured is Jessica Scarlata (ASP VP of Networking)!

Q: What advice would you give to incoming P1 students?
A: My advice to the P1s would be to get involved and get to know your classmates. Also, enjoy your first year because it goes by really fast. Study hard but remember to do fun things too!
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Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your choice of pharmacy as a career?
A: My grandpa is one of the many reasons I decided to pursue pharmacy as a career. He came to this country from Italy and was the first person in his family to go to college as he became a pharmacist. He always tells me stories about how they use to roll out long pieces of medication and cut them into pills for their patients. He is one of my biggest supporters and calls me every Friday to cheer me on.
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Q: If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A: If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life it would definitely be pasta with marinara sauce :)
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Q: What did you do this past summer?
A: This summer during quarantine I decided to dye my hair blonde. I have had long brown hair my whole life and have always wanted to go blonde. Quarantine made me just bored enough to finally do it.

10/30/2020

Humans of Skaggs
Phuong Tran (Class of 2024, current P1)
Fall 2020 - Week 5

Q: What is your favorite medication and why?
A: That would be Benadryl! Why? As a student, life can be stressful. For me, I cannot sleep when I am super stressed. However, I can always depend on my Benadryl to give me a good rest.
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Q: This job is repetitive. What would motivate you to do it well every day?
A: Personally, I find direct patient interaction a valuable aspect of a pharmacist’s career. Although the job is repetitive, the interaction I have each day with every patient will always be different. The impact I will be making is my motivation and of course, one happy patient is enough to make my day!
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Q: Who is your hero?
A: Tina Belcher in Bob’s Burger is my hero and my spirit animal. Despite her social awkwardness and quirkiness, she always seems confident. Her positivity is something I admire.
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Q: If you could travel to any fictional place, where would you go?
A: I would to travel to Bikini Bottom to eat the Krabby Patty. I feel like it would taste like an In-N-Out burger but because of the hype, I would love to eat it once!

UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy - Association of Student Pharmacists

04/23/2021

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