Introduction

Hey everyone, my name's Matt. I'm a 4th year Pharm.D. candidate at St. John's University and I was raised in the heart of Queens, in Elmhurst. Growing up in an extremely ethnically diverse region has taught me many vital lessons pertaining to patient care and advocacy. Learning to understand the cultures and values that each patient has in addition to their medical history is something that has dramatically fueled my passion for pharmacy. It's not just about dispensing medications to a someone, but it's about helping them draw the most effective benefit while reducing any potential drawbacks in the most efficient way possible. On my first APPE rotation, I worked virtually with Dr. Jennifer Bhuiyan on the homeless and undocumented population, who didn't have proper health benefits or insurance. The process of getting to know these often underserved and overlooked patients really lit a fire in me to advocate for alternative ways to help access quality care at a price range that's reasonably sound. I've worked face-to-face with many patients in my community as an intern at Walgreens pharmacy for 4 years, and now I'm discovering the world of hospital pharmacy at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. From these experiences I've witnessed the major discrepancies and disparities in different health care models and delivery systems, along with the lack of communication between various sectors of healthcare. These factors are only one of many that have led to such drastic hikes in health care costs over the years in the U.S. and it certainly calls for a complete haul-over. As I transition to become a pharmacist in the future, addressing these issues will be a primary focus for me. I'm extremely excited to work with The SocioEsthetician and I hope to amass more understanding to aid my development and growth as a leader in the healthcare field.