Personal Statement

Program: Pharmaceutical Science

The summer of 2000 witnessed my internship in preparation for my undergraduate graduation project at the Pharmaceutical Experiment Center of the Medical School of Peking University. The Medical School of Peking University is reputed for its superior academic level and is only willing to accept practicing students with exceptional experimental and hands-on abilities. My acceptance into this Center naturally indicates my outstanding experimental skills. In my Department, my outstanding experimental techniques have always distinguished me from my fellow students. In all the experimental courses throughout my undergraduate program, my scores have been fairly high. The score for my junior year reached the unprecedented high level of 95 points. Just as the Medical Center of Peking University accepted me for internship with a discerning eye, I believe that your most prestigious university will also consider me, with my excellent personal qualities, as one of the most competitive and worthy candidate you are searching for your Graduate Program.

In 1996, with a fervent love for medical science and a strong interest in experimental science, I was matriculated, through highly competitive nationwide university entrance examination, into Chinese Pharmaceutical University where I chose to specialize in English Pharmacy. The undergraduate studies that I subsequently undertook in this university helped to establish a firm foundation for the development of my personality, my professional competence, and my English proficiency. Although my scholastic performance failed to reach the top level, it nevertheless underwent a convincing transformation from average to well above average, to arrive at the top 10 ranking in my class.

I would also like to call your attention to my solid basis in my specialty, especially my experimental skills and my problem-solving competence. Based on my research findings during my internship at the Medical School of Peking University, I completed my thesis, entitled The Development of Arbutin Chrisma, on the basis of consulting a huge amount of technical literature and undertaking much creative analysis and research. In most situations, the temperature during the chrisma emulsification is set at approximately 70 degree centigrade. However, my repeated trials revealed this was not the ideal choice. By looking through additional technical literature and conducting extended case studies, I found out that 50 degree centigrade is the perfect choice. By applying HPLC (high performance liquid chromatogram) method, I succeeded in testing the precise concentration of arbutin in the chrisma, which ensured the optimum experimental effect. My thesis was given 87 points, among the top 5 of the class. This important achievement reinforced my determination to proceed further in my pharmaceutical study.

My post-graduation employment includes working at China Center for Pharmaceutical International Exchange (State Drug Administration) and at the Data Processing Division’s Searching and Consulting Center (State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China). From the very beginning of my undergraduate study, I had paid great attention to my English learning and most of the courses were taught in English. My English language competence has enabled me to pass the Grade VI National English Proficiency Test. In the course of my employment, my English skills and my professional qualifications made it possible for me to carry out my responsibilities successfully. At the State Drug Administration, I participated in and organized the Exhibition and Auction of Medical Research Findings by Medical Enterprises during the 2000 Exchange and Trade Festival of China’s International Friendship Cities. In addition, I was responsible for the importation registration of two drugs (Hydrochloric Tramadol and Taurochenodeoxycholic Acid) and two sets of medical equipment (Pinnacle Radiation Treatment System Product and X-SIZER Transduction System). In addition, I was responsible for translating and editing the US Congress’s “the 2000 Import Act concerning the Medical Insurance System and Safety of Internet Prescribed Medicine. While at the State Intellectual Property Office, I was a member in constructing China Medical Patents Database during which I translated into English approximately 300 pieces of patent literature written in Chinese. On account of the special functions of this database in the information processing of chemical structure, it has been formally recognized by the Patent Office of France and US Chemistry Digest.

My motivation in the current application for admission into your esteemed university, apart from my long-maintained interest in pharmaceutics since the beginning of my undergraduate life, is my painful discovery that, due to the immense gap between China and its Western counterparts in the field of pharmaceutical development, China still depends heavily on imitation in preparing and manufacturing chemical drugs. The United States plays a leading role in drug development and my hope in applying for a Master’s Program leading to Ph.D. at your celebrated university is that this program will allow me to be equipped with the most updated pharmaceutical knowledge and expertise in my chosen field. By introducing American pharmaceutical technologies into China, many life-saving medicines can be manufactured in China, thereby reducing China’s reliance on importation. Because of China’s inability to manufacture many of the crucial drugs, the exorbitantly expensive drugs are absolutely beyond the reach of ordinary Chinese patients. When I was an undergraduate, my classmates and I donated some money to help a little girl who was suffering from severe rejection after her kidney transplantation. Only some imported drug could maintain her vital functions but her family’s impoverished economic conditions simply could not allow her that luxury. As a medical student, I felt a colossal shame and unshirkable responsibility as I watched her suffering from unimaginative pains on her deathbed. At least I can contribute to the reduction of similar cases if I keep enhancing my professional qualities, however insignificant that contribution might be. This application of mine is to make that contribution as much significant as I can.

I have an implicit faith in my ability to complete my proposed program at your university. I am highly self-motivated, having sound professional knowledge and English proficiency. I am fearless of potential hardships that may occur along my prospective journey of academic pursuit. The prospect of meeting new challenges excites me. The process of my growing up itself has been a process of defying continuous difficulties. I possess a healthy personality developed and enriched through my constant participation in social work and in other forms of altruistic activities like blood donation. With a strong sense of social responsibility, I sincerely hope that I can be part of your university and your academic culture. It is my conviction that I can contribute uniquely to your program with my distinctive Chinese background.