Interview with 2019 Ton Hoek Scholarship Recipient, Margarita Gutierrez
By Saurabh Mamtani
Named after the late General Secretary of International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Mr. Ton Hoek, a scholarship is offered by the FIP Foundation for Education and Research annually to an individual young pharmacist, pharmaceutical scientist, or a pharmacy student (undergraduate or postgraduate) with outstanding leadership skills, to assist him or her to attend a Congress organized by FIP. The objective of this scholarship is to recognize the work of a young leader in inspiring others to advance pharmacy practice, the pharmaceutical sciences and/or pharmacy education, and to give him or her the opportunity to attend the FIP Congress in order to improve his or her knowledge and skills and become better acquainted with the work of FIP.
In the year 2019, the Ton Hoek scholarship was awarded to the very well deserved and extremely talented immediate past president of YPG Philippines, Ms. Margarita Gutierrez, who is currently pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social and Administrative Pharmacy studies in Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. She has also been a faculty member at the University of Philippines-Manila. In an interview with the FIP YPG publications team, she tells us about her life changing experiences at the FIP World Congress in Abu Dhabi. She also walks us through her thought process while applying for the Ton Hoek Scholarship.
How did you find out about the Ton Hoek Scholarship? What encouraged you to apply for the scholarship? And now that you have won, what does it feel like?
During my term, as the president of the YPG Philippines in 2018–2019, I was encouraged by my team and the president of the Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA), Dr. Yolanda Robles, to apply for a scholarship offered by FIP. With humility and gratitude, I would like to say that I am the 2019 Ton Hoek Scholarship recipient which gave me the opportunity to attend my first FIP World Congress in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is one of the most progressive and beautiful countries in the Middle East. I express my deepest appreciation to the generosity of the FIP Foundation for Education and Research for paving the way for me to attain such a prestigious experience.
How was your application process? It would be great if you could walk us through your thought process while applying for the scholarship.
The instructions and requirements needed are pretty straightforward and are posted on the FIP website. The key to every application is to prepare and submit the requirements in a timely manner, but the challenge is to do so while also being productive in your own job. My work as a full-time educator could be overwhelming at times. Moreover, I was juggling other responsibilities including those for YPG Philippines. Therefore, accomplishing these tasks required multitasking and time management.
Likewise, during the application period, I made sure that I had time to reflect on this journey. I was not expecting that I would be chosen as the scholar but I already knew that I would regret it if I did not, at least, take the chance. When I eventually received the good news, I was excited to share this achievement with my family, colleagues in the Pharmacy Department at UP College of Pharmacy, and, of course, with YPG Philippines.
Applicants from various countries aspire for the Ton Hoek Scholarship, all of which are highly competitive, what do you think made your application standout from the rest?
To stand out, it is important to highlight and discuss your team achievements and engagements, and emphasize how they contributed to the advancement of pharmacy practice, the pharmaceutical sciences, and/or pharmacy education in the country. One of the things that I am grateful for to the YPG Philippines is that the organization has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and contribute to the profession on a higher scale. I believe that this helped me to be chosen by the FIP. By being awarded the scholarship, I am assured that the YPG Philippines has made an impact to the international organization, and that we established our local organization in the right direction.
How was your experience being the former president of a national organization? How do you think winning the Ton Hoek Scholarship ameliorated the functions of YPG Philippines?
I have been an active member of the YPG Philippines for the past years, and it was an honor to finally be able to serve the organization and its members to the fullest of my abilities as the former president. Working with some of the active members in various occasions and facing challenges with them along the way have been eye-opening and humbling. The lessons I learned from the experience will definitely guide me in my future endeavors as a professional and as a person. And although being in an organization such as the YPG Philippines meant social development, my time as the president became a period of personal growth, as well.
Winning the Ton Hoek Scholarship opened doors that allowed me to serve the FIP YPG as part of their professional development team, specifically, as head of the mentoring program. This provided me a wider platform to apply my learnings and experience from YPG Philippines. By being actively involved in the FIP YPG and as the immediate past president of the YPG Philippines, it is my goal to establish direct communication link between both organisations. It is my hope that I can serve as a bridge and inspiration not only for YPG Philippines but also for the YPG organizations in Asia to be more actively involved in FIP activities.
It was mentioned in your pre-congress interview that it’s your first time to attend the FIP World Congress, how was your experience? Were there any realizations during the congress?
Being the Ton Hoek Scholarship recipient, I was given the privilege to attend and participate in some of the remarkable events in the Congress. During the President’s Reception, I was able to meet the FIP President Dominique Jordan, as well as Mr. John Ware, the chairman of the FIP Foundation, and the Foundation board, to whom I personally thanked for this wonderful opportunity. The opening ceremony was held the next day in the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), where I was presented with my award. It was definitely one of the most unforgettable and defining moments in my career.
Experiencing the Congress first-hand gave me an enhanced view of the broad structure of the organization and its varied work processes. I took on the challenge to figure out where my capabilities would fit best. With my past experience in the YPG Philippines, I opted to participate in the activities of the FIP YPG. My participation in the FIP YPG activities gave me the chance to have an encounter with the dynamic and hardworking ladies of the YPG Steering Committee to whom I expressed my willingness to assist in their cause. I was in attendance for the first FIP YPG Business Meeting and voted on the motion to actively involve existing global YPGs or related organizations. I also lent a helping hand to the organization by volunteering my services during the election of the 2020 Steering Committee in the second FIP YPG Business Meeting. Being able to wholeheartedly provide my assistance to the accomplishment of the goals and plans of such a prestigious body gave me a sense of fulfillment as a pharmacy leader. This served as my drive to be more effective in the YPG Philippines once I return home.
Furthermore, I was invited to be part of the FIP YPG research on Global Research on Job and Career Satisfaction for Young Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists and FIP YPG projects related to continuing professional education. I enthusiastically accepted, and I am delighted to be part of such a purposeful global movement.
Additionally, the Congress offered interesting and diverse sections covering a wide range of topics including clinical, leadership, and education matters. With my educational background and work experience, I was particularly drawn to the discussion of themes of pharmacy education, pharmacy workforce, and social administrative pharmacy. But, I would like to iterate that FIP Congress is not only a learning venue for pharmacists but also a chance to get to know colleagues from other countries. The social aspect of the Congress was made even more momentous because we had the opportunity to celebrate the “World Pharmacists Day” together. Being at such an international convention was surely the most suitable way to commemorate the value of our profession. On the same day, I was able to have a quick chat with Mr. John Jackson, the president of the Western Pacific Pharmaceutical Forum, and shared my eagerness to contribute my capabilities to the development of the profession in the region.
To top it all, there was no better way to celebrate the success of the FIP Congress than to culminate it with a luxurious dinner in the Emirates Palace. The location itself was a sight to behold, and it was the perfect place to accommodate such an exquisite event. As the Congress came to a close, rather than a finish, I consider it as the start of my journey and personal endeavor to enact what I have learned in this one-of-a-kind opportunity. All the lessons obtained from it will definitely be passed to my students, co-faculty members, and the members of the YPG Philippines.
This short but memorable event truly gave me the motivation and inspiration to strive harder and overcome trials in my chosen career path in pharmacy. With all the events I witnessed and became part of the FIP Congress, I surely look forward to my participation in the future ones. I am excited to, once again, feel inspired and motivated by the outstanding pharmacy professionals brought together by it.
Now that you have experienced pharmacy practice from a global perspective at the FIP World Congress, what are the changes you would like to witness in the Philippines? In your opinion, what are the key areas in which improvement is necessary?
The University of Philippines-College of Pharmacy is in the process of creating and developing Master in Pharmacy, Major in Social and Administrative Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. As a pharmacy educator empowered by my experience in the Congress, I shall ensure to play an active role in the enhancement of these programs. Through the conference, I was able to benchmark education structures as shared by my fellow pharmacy educators around the world. Moreover, the Congress presented important and useful frameworks that will serve as a foundation for my dissertation for my PhD degree. These concepts shall be appropriately used not only for my own intentions but also to improve systems and processes in our local circumstances.
To what extent winning the scholarship has helped you develop yourself personally and professionally? Would you like to give us a gist of your future career prospects?
Personally, the scholarship paved way for me to go to another country which I truly looked forward to as an avid traveler. Because of the FIP Foundation, I was able to set foot in the beautiful country of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and cross it off my list of places to visit. I was definitely delighted not only to learn about the culture of UAE, particularly Abu Dhabi, but also to meet and socialize with the people, especially my fellow pharmacists from all over the world.
In the professional aspect, the FIP Congress offered interesting and diverse sections covering a wide range of topics including clinical, leadership, and education matters. As I am currently enrolled in PhD in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, the knowledge imparted by the Congress shall be applied in my studies and research as I pursue it. After my graduate studies, I plan to return to the Philippines and continue teaching at the College of Pharmacy, University of the Philippines-Manila. I plan to incorporate my learnings, both from the FIP Congress and my PhD studies, for the further enhancement of our curricular offerings together with my co-faculty members.
Do you have any advice for those who aspire to apply for the Ton Hoek Scholarship in the future?
I live by the saying of Mark Twain that goes, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” This saying is the same one that propelled me to apply for the scholarship in the first place. Therefore, given the opportunities, have the courage to go out of your comfort zone and the diligence to fulfill your commitments and responsibilities. With that said, always look for ways to contribute and serve the profession, and in your own capacity, change what you can for the better. Opportunities will come your way if you dedicate time and effort to serve first. Lastly, during the application process, it is recommended that the applicant should have a clear and achievable action plan on how to share and/or apply the knowledge and experience that will be gained through the FIP Congress. Hence, it is important to have a clear goal and proposed action in mind when you learn and witness more about the profession through service and volunteerism.
Lastly, how would you describe the FIP World Congress in one word?
MEMORABLE.
