Cinita Cyriac, Pi Charter - July 2019

What are you doing today and how did joining Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. prepare you for this? I am currently a joint PharmD/MPH Student at Touro University California. As a Pharmacy Student, every day I learn everything there is to know about the infinite number of medications that are available for patients to receive. Having completed the Master of Public Health portion of my curriculum has definitely helped me learn about health threats around the world and the disparities in care for different groups of people. I think having this information helps develop knowledge but also empathy, especially when you are approaching your patients. Being a part of Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. taught me all about management and service. KPhiG taught me how to juggle an array of leadership positions, work, and school and how to prioritize, but also, how to learn everything I needed to in a timely manner that would actually stick with me for years to come. Also, giving back to the community with KPhiG through service events gave me the opportunity to work with many groups of people in order to best serve them.

What were your biggest challenges and struggles? My biggest challenge is actually being so far away from home. I am originally from New York, so making a move cross-country to California for Pharmacy School was definitely a big change and it took some time getting used to.

What is your favorite part of your position/career/field? My favorite part of my field is seeing, communicating, and interacting with the patients. It helps put everything you learn in perspective when it's not about the fake patients on cases that you get on exams or SOAP notes anymore. It's about the actual individual in front of you, someone's parent, brother, sister, or child, that you are helping treat.

What is your work/life balance? I have a 7-hour school day each day for 5 days a week. So once I get back home I like to take some time to hang out with my sister and FaceTime family and friends before I get back to reviewing the lectures I learned that day. And then on weekends, I like to catch up on work on Saturday, and then Sunday is my day to relax. It's when I go to church and spend time with my sister. We'll even try to go visit San Jose, San Francisco, or Oakland if we can cause we love finding new places to explore.

What do you perceive are the benefits of joining Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc.? My biggest benefit of joining Kappa Phi Gamma has to be my sisters. I have developed relationships with so many sisters who I am so thankful to have in my life. Whether it be my line sisters, my lineage, my kids, I feel like I always have someone to talk to every day when I need to vent, need some motivation, a study buddy, or when we just need a laugh. It's a great feeling just knowing that you have sisters that will always be there for you indefinitely no matter what.

What advice do you have for women that are attempting to follow your career path? I would say that it is definitely not easy but it's also not impossible. It takes a lot of hours of studying, contemplating, and reviewing, but at the end of the day, the reward of knowing that you are making a difference in someone's life makes it all worth it. It is important to remember that you are the last and most accessible person a patient speaks to before they take their medication. You look over their medication history, advise them on which medication they should be taking, inform them on how to take it, what dose they should take, when they should take it, what symptoms they should look out for, etc. Clearly, your role is vital in protecting that patient's health. So yes, the process is hard, but with the right mentality and commitment it is do-able.

How do you measure your success? As cliché as it sounds, I measure it by how optimistic you are. Everyone undergoes struggles and failures, that's just a part of life. But, I think the bigger success story is your ability to learn and be better despite that. Life will test you, many times, but it's critical to never give up on yourself or lose faith in your ability to succeed. I have come to learn that sometimes that positive outlook is all I need in the first place to make everything I want come true.

Be sure to follow Cinita on Instagram, @cinitaxx95, to stay up to date with her journey!