Name: Akanksha Nigam (MedBound handle: @akankshanigam)
Birth Place: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Educational Qualification: B. Pharma from Integral University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India (Admission Batch: 2019)
Languages you speak or write: English and Hindi
What do you do?
I'm currently in the final year of my Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy.
What’s the best part of your profession?
The best part of my profession is its close association with the Healthcare Sector, serving a noble cause and acting as the backbone of the healthcare system.
What made you choose this profession?
I've always aspired to serve humanity and be a part of the healthcare system, which motivated me to choose this profession.
Are you happy/satisfied with the current scenario of pharmacy education in your country?
I'm somewhat unsatisfied with the Pharmacy Education in India. It needs relevant organization in its overall framework, curriculum improvements, more industrial and clinical exposure, and a focus on professionalism and innovative research.
What can be done to improve education in this sector? Improvements need to be made in the course curriculum to match professional requirements, provide more industrial and clinical exposure, and cultivate professionalism and innovative research among graduates and postgraduates.
What are some fun facts about pharmacy that you want the readers to know?
India's Pharmaceutical Sector has become the third-largest producer and the largest growing sector in terms of the economy, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. India has been called the "Pharmacy of the World," and it's self-reliant in vaccines, drugs, and medical devices, with a significant share in exports.
What are the challenges that you face in your day-to-day life? As a Bachelor's student in pharmacy, the major challenge I face is the lack of industrial and clinical exposure in the Indian pharmacy education system.
8. What is your current designation?
I'm a student, currently pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy.
9. What is the salary one can expect after completing graduation in pharmacy as a fresher?
A pharmacy graduate as a fresher can expect a salary of 2.5 - 3.5 Lakhs/annum on average.
10. Is there a healthy work-life balance in your profession?
Yes, there is a healthy work-life balance in this profession if one has good self-discipline and flexibility.
11. Do you like reading? What was the last thing you read?
Yes, I enjoy reading. The last book I read was "Dear Stranger, I Know How You Feel" by Ashish Bagrecha.
12. What is your favorite dish?
My favorite dish is Indian Rajma-Rice.
13. What’s one thing that people are generally surprised to find out about you?
Probably that I speak quite infrequently.
14. What is your least favorite subject?
My least favorite subject is Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence.
15. Your favorite subject(s)?
My favorite subjects are Pharmacology & Pharmacovigilance.
16. What’s something you wish to change about the world?
I wish to change the judgmental mindset of the world towards various aspects.
17. What’s your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is losing any of the very few people I can trust.
18. Best/memorable moment?
Each of my family trips has been full of memorable moments for me.
19. What do you love to do in your leisure time?
I love listening to music on repeat.
20. What do you hate the most?
Lies and two-facedness of people.
21. If given a choice, what alternate career would you have opted for? I would have opted for a career in the IT sector as an alternative.
22. What is your dream travel destination?
As of now, the Maldives is my dream travel destination.
23. Where would you like to work in the future?
In pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer or Novartis.
24. Finally, a quote you relate to.
The quote I relate to the most is “Everything happens for a reason.”
(PharmaDose /Akanksha Nigam/PB)