Teaching Philosophy

  As a teacher, I want to uplift my students and provide an environment that is suitable for learning and inspire them to become the best pharmacists. A major way to do that is by developing my students’ and residents’ critical thinking skills, asking thought-provoking questions, and encouraging them to go the extra mile. My experiences as a learner in different capacities have taught me that these skills are necessary to guarantee success as a pharmacist. 

Critical thinking skills are important in practice because learners will have to independently solve problems. These skills are needed for every area of pharmacy because pharmacists are not only medication experts, but they are also problem solvers. These skills require learners to improve on their ability to understand and communicate information, analyze a situation, and come up with an appropriate solution. These skills can be taught to learners by modeling and showing them your thought process on how you would analyze a situation. 

Another way to teach learners is through asking thought-provoking questions. By doing this, instructors allow self-directed learning and allows learners to ask appropriate questions and find their answers. It is not only a good way to keep students and residents engaged, but it is also a way to train them to become life-long learners. As a pharmacist, you are always a life-long learner, because there are new medications and new indications every day. By asking thought-provoking questions, I am also preparing learners for pharmacist practice. They are learning to anticipate questions before they are asked, and they are learning how to find the appropriate answers. 

The last way to teach learners is by encouraging them to go the extra mile. I think this is important because having a support system encourages learners to reach their potential. When I was a student, it was important to have teachers that supported my aspirations, because it showed me that there were people who noticed my hard work. This gave me the confidence I needed to try different organizations and rotations. As an instructor, I want to be a support system for students and residents. I want to give them the confidence they need to try new endeavors and show them that someone has noticed their hard work. 

When I was learner, I thought it was important to have instructors who challenged me and helped develop my critical thinking skills. Because of them, I can solve clinical and operational problems independently. They also gave me the confidence to try new things that really diversified my experience as a pharmacist. I want to continue this with other learners and be their support system. I want to teach them the importance of thought-provoking questions, and how it can better prepare them for pharmacy practice. By doing this, I am giving them the tools they need to succeed.