enjoys a cup of coffee, focused on profession

Dalia Abdelhalim, of Alexandria, will graduate in 2010 with a doctorate of pharmacy at ULM.

I am the oldest of three children. I have a sister, a pre-pharmacy major at ULM, and a brother in sixth-grade. My parents came to Louisiana after my father graduated from Medical School and my mother graduated from Pharmacy School in Egypt. My father has his own practice and my mother works at the VA Pharmacy in Alexandria.

It is my honor to serve as president of LSPA (Louisiana Student Pharmacists Alliance) for 2008-2009, vice president of LSHP (Louisiana Society of Health Systems Pharmacists), secretary of APhA-ASP (American Pharmacist Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists), and the president of the MSA (Muslim Student Association) for 2007-2008. I am also a proud member of Mortar Board and Phi Lambda Sigma. Being able to know so many wonderful people at ULM has truly made my experience here memorable.

I research new medications for cancer with Dr. El Sayed. Using highly-technological computers, I can examine a compounds' interaction with a protein target. I can then make compounds with increased interaction to the protein target as well as identify new compounds using state-of-the-art equipment. During the weekends, I work at Walgreens Pharmacy in Pineville.

Dr. Labruzzo, Dr. Wicker and I received a grant entitled, "Impact of a Student Pharmacist Polypharmacy/Medication Adherence Program on Louisiana Citizens." We will help patients to better coordinate the care that they receive from various health care professionals in Monroe, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport. We will provide both prescription and non-prescription medication education to patients in order to improve adherence, outcomes, and patient satisfaction while minimizing adverse effects, therapeutic duplications and drug interactions.

After graduation in 2010, I plan to attend a residency program and specialize in pediatric pharmacy because I like working with children. By doing so, I can train in a hospital setting and increase my knowledge base in that specific area of pharmacy.

I love to visit Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee. It is a great place to visit friends. I enjoy sitting outside because the landscape is beautiful, and the gorgeous bayou is right around the corner. The pharmacy building is also outstanding. The classrooms are designed well, and the pharmacy care laboratory is state-of-the-art!

Each professor has helped shape the person I am today. Each professor is unique in his or her own way. They are dedicated to preparing me before I venture into the real world.

I will never forget the day I was accepted into the College of Pharmacy. I will never forget how happy I was when I opened my letter of acceptance. Reaching that achievement is life-changing.

ULM has taught me that hard work pays off and that help is always available. Even though studying is time-consuming, I still have time to enjoy the simple things life provides. As long as you are determined, you can reach for the sky!