An Interview with the pharmacist behind ‘Diverse discussions with Aska Patel’
Received on 06/06/2022.
Dear Aska,
Thank you for agreeing to do this interview. Could you please tell us more about how you started out your career?
First of all, thank you very much for considering me for this feature as I am truly humbled and honored. I started my journey into pharmacy almost accidentally actually. When I moved to Canada with my family at the age of 12, I was certain that I wished to be a physician when I grow up. During this time, in high school, we had to do mandatory volunteer hours, and my father’s friend who is a pharmacist, had a health and wellness clinic taking place at his pharmacy over a weekend. My father signed me up for it and I volunteered, without realizing it at that time, what would be my first exposure to a profession I cherish so much. I didn’t have a good understanding of what pharmacists do at that time and took up the opportunity to learn. When I volunteered for the event, I realised how much of an impact pharmacists have on their patients’ health and wellness. It mesmerized me and I continued to volunteer whenever required and asked questions to learn more. Since then I have never looked back. I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist when I was in grade 10 and continued to pursue my goal of becoming a pharmacist till I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 2012 and a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2016 from the University of Waterloo.
How did “Diverse Conversations with Aska Patel” come about and what keeps you going?
Diverse Conversations Podcast was envisioned and created to find answers to questions many pharmacists and pharmacy professionals have globally. The profession of pharmacy and healthcare overall is rapidly evolving, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacy professionals have demonstrated how critical they are to the healthcare system by stepping up to provide COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and most importantly being open to the public throughout the pandemic. However, what we are uncertain about is how will these gains impact our future and what does our future look like? These are some of the questions I am addressing through my conversations on the podcast to help us come together to identify a strategy that supports a future that is collaborative, fulfilling, and clear.
Through the podcast, I have been fortunate to have interviewed Lars-Åke Söderlund of FIP as my first guest and many other pharmacy thought leaders who give us a glimpse of what the future holds. I have interviewed guests from various countries and will continue to bring these conversations to help us learn about the future of pharmacy, healthcare, and health tech from around the globe to support a global dialogue.
Kindly describe your experience in FIP since you joined.
I joined FIP in 2019 and have been a member since. I joined as I was curious to learn about the work being done at FIP. I truly resonate with the mission and vision of FIP and support it through membership. Through my membership, I have also been fortunate to present my research paper at the first FIP virtual Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic and join YPG. I also served as the FIP YPG Congress Liaison in the 2020/2021 mandate however due to the pandemic did not get an opportunity to participate in the Congress planning. I am hoping to attend my first FIP Congress this year in Spain.
What are some ways you think FIP- YPG members can get involved?
Small actions go a long way in achieving lasting change. I think the work being done at FIP YPG is incredible. The energy, passion, and rigor demonstrated by the young professionals are a testimony to our upcoming future. If I can share my experiences, I will encourage everyone to become involved in various organizations and associations such as FIP YPG to contribute to our collective future. It doesn’t matter what role you hold if any, if you want to learn reach out to someone who is doing what you wish to do. Ask questions and continue to learn. Be part of task forces or committees. Attend the Congress and network. Listen to or read about thought leaders who ha breaking barriers. This is how I learned and continue to learn to become a better pharmacist for my patients.
How do you see the importance of FIP to the pharmacy profession in general?
We need an organization that supports the global voice of the profession and FIP provides just that. FIP is doing some amazing work in addressing issues and challenges present today as well as those we may anticipate in the future. I have learned and continue to learn so much about the profession from a global perspective especially and for that, I am grateful to FIP.
These are my Social media channels:
LinkedIn: Aska Patel https://www.linkedin.com/in/askapatel
Diverse Conversations Podcast:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/diverse-conversations-podcast/
YouTube: Diverse Conversations Podcast https://youtube.com/channel/UCx9d7yddotj7GlnQCutTJTQ
Thank you so much for your time. We wish you the best in your endeavors.
