Detoured, Not Deterred

Pharm.D. Candidate Perseveres After Car Accident to Follow Dream of Working in Health Care

By: Kristin Mitchener

After a debilitating car accident left Kiran Wazir with multiple disabilities and a poor prognosis for full recovery, she traded her dreams of working in health care for a desk job following undergraduate school. Unable to walk properly, run or lift heavy objects, Wazir worked in banking for two years as she slowly recovered from her accident.

Still filled with her love for the health care field, Wazir made the plunge and left banking so she could begin working as a pharmacy technician in a community pharmacy to explore ways she could be of service to patients. The position involved being on her feet throughout her shifts, which turned out to not only build back her physical strength and endurance but also her confidence in her ability to make a difference. After two years, Wazir was ready to get back on track to pursue a career in health care.

After being accepted into UHCOP’s Pharm.D. program, Wazir has made the most of her time while at the college, serving as a leader for her fellow classmates. She has held membership and officer positions in a handful of organizations, including the Pharmaceutical Association of the Middle East and South Asia (PhAMSA) and the UHCOP chapters of the Kappa Epsilon fraternity, Student College of Clinical Pharmacy, Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society, and the Rho Chi Rho Society. She also served as a coordinator for the annual International Day hosted by the P1 class, which happens to be her favorite event at UHCOP.

“On International Day, I wanted to make all the students feel welcomed and that their culture and religions are an important part of who they are, and it was a beautiful experience to see that everyone is not only welcome but accepted at UHCOP,” she said.

Currently a P4, Wazir wants to focus her career on long-term relationship management with patients who have chronic diseases. Coming from Pakistan, Wazir saw firsthand the disparities in health care.

“Many people self-diagnose and self-treat because health care is either too expensive or their health literacy is so low that they don’t really see the advantage of going to the doctor,” Wazir said. “I want to ensure my patients understand exactly what is going on with their health and how they can work to improve it.”

Wazir noted that building a rapport with her patients and earning their trust is paramount. And should issues or barriers arise, Wazir said she feels she is ready.

“That’s what we as pharmacists are there for – we’re there for the patients,” Wazir said. “They may not have the means or the knowledge or any number of different things. When you can provide them with resources they need, and they are able to accomplish something positive for their health, it’s a very satisfying experience.”

One such satisfying experience from her ambulatory care rotation stands out in Wazir’s memory. Her interaction was with the daughter of a patient who was in a vegetative state. The pharmacist recommended an updated treatment plan to help improve the patient’s condition, but the patient’s daughter was hesitant about making any changes. Wazir chose to lend an ear rather than make more recommendations.

“I gave the daughter a chance to fully explain what she thought the situation was,” Wazir said. “I did some research on the spot with her, and we went back and forth with her concerns, what the doctor had told us and what we were recommending based on trials and evidence. After giving her the full picture, I gave her full autonomy to make the decision. I think understanding the basis of the recommendations really helped her visualize what the next steps should be.”

While she has seized opportunities to learn more about each area of pharmacy, Wazir knows she’s in the right place with chronic disease management and is ready to bring true meaning to patient-centered health care. Just as a career in pharmacy gave Wazir hope for a fuller life following her accident, she strives to bring this same hope to her patients.

“I would like to make sure patients feel safe and comfortable with the health care provider they are working with,” she said. “I want them to know that I hear their concerns and will work with them based off of that and not only the treatment algorithm that we learn from.”