My Bio: Patryk Swiatek
I have wanted to pursue a career in healthcare for as long as I can remember, but I was not entirely convinced that I wanted to follow a career path in physical therapy like my mother. In the tenth grade, Ms. Sebastiano, my biology teacher, taught a lesson about the first antibiotic, penicillin, which Alexander Fleming discovered by accident as it killed bacteria he was growing. I remember being fascinated by the effects of what one small pill could do and why. The lesson also triggered memories of my parents telling me how my grandfather was saved by penicillin during World War II. During a cold, harsh winter, my grandfather became sick at the age of two and developed many boils covering his body. My grandfather could only be saved by one German doctor who was able to help him with the aid of penicillin, which was not readily available because of the war. I began to want to be everything a pharmacist is, including someone who could create something that could one day be as useful as penicillin. I started interested in how medications are produced and the precision that this process requires.
My best friend's mom is a pharmacist and has given me much information about the career. She works with and advises everyday people who come to the Walgreens she works at. Additionally, I attended a pharmacy camp at Wilkes University in August of 2022. During my two days there, we dressed in thoroughly sterilized pharmacy gear and learned how to sterilize a needle. Additionally, we participated in group activities to mix and create something valuable to us, like
cough drops and lip balm. Through this hands-on learning, pharmacy graduates taught us about different career paths within pharmacy. Fortunately, the abilities I retain match the skills a pharmacist needs to have, confirming my decision to become a pharmacist. My current goal for the foreseeable future is to finish school and finish my degree. That is only the beginning, as once out of school, I'd like to explore options in both hospital and community as both those options allow for face-to-face interactions with the public. Gaining close relationships with the patients brings a more caring feeling for the patients, which can bring enjoyment for all who use that pharmacy. The goal I want to achieve is that I am more of an interactive person, and sitting behind a desk isn't for me; being face-to-face with people is more of my thing and can make me a better person/healthcare professional with more experience speaking to the public. With years of consistent work and building connections, this goal can be achieved.

Goals (Personal & Professional): Patryk Swiatek
1-5 years
Finish Pharmacy school here at St John's and get my degree. I want to be able to create close connections with other peers within my class so once were out and working I can have someone to call if I need help with something. To be able to help people while during my rotations and do it successfully while also being interested in what Im doing.

6-10 years
Be able to get a job right after graduating and start to build a steady salary so I can be able to live comfortably. Probably start off doing a local job as in a community pharmacy or a CVS. 

10+ years
If the community pharmacy isn't my thing Ill move into hospital or another field of pharmacy but if I do enjoy the retail part of pharmacy I'll open my own business near where ever Ill be living.

Educational Background: Patryk Swiatek
September 2023-Present
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Expected May 2029
Pharmacy (Six-year PharmD) Major
2029 PharmD candidate

Educational Background: Patryk Swiatek
Graduated in 2023 after attending for all 4 years ended with a 98 weighted GPA.
Regents Diploma
September 2019 to June 2023
Located in Wantagh, New York

Employment History: Patryk Swiatek
Fill prescriptions, sell people their perceptions, restock shelves, answer phone calls, and send prescriptions out for delivery too make it easier for the pharmacist to do their job. 
Worked August 2023 to present
Located in Bethpage, NY

Employment History: Patryk Swiatek
Served frozen yogurt to customers and would ring them up. Before closing I would sweep the floors and clean the counter before closing up for the night. Mobile orders would be set up by myself before giving it to delivery driver.
Worked May 2022 to August 2023
Located in Bellmore, NY

Honor Societies: Patryk Swiatek
none

Honors & Awards: Patryk Swiatek
Sponsoring Organization: Wantagh High School
Recieved June 5th 2023
An award given to me by my coach not just for my actions on the court but also for my actions in the classroom. This scholarship award was due to me being a force on the court from being captain to getting points for the team and for being academically consistent in the classroom finishing with honor roll over my 4 years in highschool.
Scholarship amount: $250

Honors & Awards: Patryk Swiatek
Sponsoring Organizaiton: Wantagh High School
Recieved June 5th 2023
Due to my efforts in running fast and being able to lead my team to success my coaches choose me as the team MVP. By leading the team I would lead the practices in the runs and stretches and when someone falls behind to make sure to bring them up or stay with them at their pace.

Volunteer, Community & Civic Activity: Patryk Swiatek
I guided families through the dinosaur exhibit which consists of an inside portion and outside. I taught the children and parents about different species of dinosaurs and how they would live, where they lived, what they ate, and how they would adapt if something were to happen. This helped me interacting with the public and made me better at explaining things.
Volunteered April 2021 to September 2021
Hours served ~ 100
Lcoated in Rockville Centre

Other Accomplishments: Patryk Swiatek
Winning this with my friends at school was a good accomplishment as not only was it enjoyable but to be able to get something that says your a champ is good for the self-esteem. Now that I saw we can win once I believe I can do it again which not only motivates me on the court but in the classroom.

Reflective Journal: Patryk Swiatek

What does being a pharmacist mean?

A pharmacist is someone who does a wide range of work. Some pharmacists will sell prescriptions over a counter, some pharmacists will work in a hospital by managing and creating different prescriptions that will be sent out to patients to help them with whatever problem they are facing. A pharmacist also could work within creating new never before made medicines that could eventually be life changing for a lot of people.

 

Why I choose pharmacy

I always wanted to be in the medical field and after searching through
different major professional path pharmacy with the amount of schooling and how well off a pharmacist is after graduating makes it so I can work as soon as possible and make a good living off it. The aspect of helping people and being able to travel the world with my knowledge also made me want to become one as I always liked going to new places. My parents also wanted me to be one.

 

Why I choose St. John's

When I visited St. John’s campus this past March, I immediately felt at home, as my childhood home was right on Utopia Parkway. Beyond location, the accelerated programming at St. John’s will allow me to access actual pharmacy classes fairly early into my coursework in comparison to other universities. The study abroad program really caught my attention especially with the locations shown. Participating in missions in Central America, India, and Kenya really excites me to capitalize on these opportunities and to help out the people who really need it. This exposure will allow me to get the training needed to succeed in pharmacy.

Reflective Journal: Patryk Swiatek

What surprised me about my strengths

woo, competition, arranger, significance, harmony

Woo, arranger, and harmony I believe are just how I am. Competition and significance I didn't see as much. I always thought of myself as not so competitive but after seeing that it was one of my top 5 strengths it made me realize maybe I am more competitive than I believe. With significance no matter how much I look at it I can't see myself being a person with that trait, but I'll still believe what the thing says.

 

How do I plan on utilizing my strengths to help accomplish my goals

My future as a pharmacist will be strongly influenced by my abilities in woo, competition, arrangement, significance, and harmony. I will be able to build relationships with patients and coworkers thanks to my gift for "winning others over," or woo. My competitive spirit will motivate me to pursue greatness in anything I do as I have an inbuilt desire to compete and am prepared to put in a lot of effort. Moreover, my aptitude for planning and organizing will accelerate the dispensing procedure. My emphasis on significance will motivate me to improve patients' lives and work toward having a good influence. Finally, having a strong sense of harmony will enable me to collaborate with others in a team environment to give our patients the best care possible. I can succeed as a pharmacist and get through difficult times in pharmacy school by making the most of these strengths.

Athletics: Patryk Swiatek
Played for all 4 years one on JV and three on varsity. My senior year I was named as the captain of the team which came with many leadership responsibilities where I led my team and I to an above .500 record my senior year.

Athletics: Patryk Swiatek
Ran for all 4 years of high school. Was named the team MVP for my senior year in my contributions in the 400 meter race. Was named all division in the 400 meter and was a state qualifier for my team.

Athletics: Patryk Swiatek
Contributed to the best team in Wantaghs history making it to the county semifinals. Played the 2 or 3 in games and was mostly a spot up shooter.

Courses Taken: Patryk Swiatek
1st year Semester 1
FYS 1000 - A sports class where we studied different sports in NYC and about the history of NYC and how those sports grew along side NYC.
THE 1000 - Learned about the history of Christianity starting prior to Jesus and ending soon before his birth.
FYW 1000 - Writing class where we would write different essays on topics that interest us and a research essay for the final project.
CHE 1110 - Introduction course to chemistry with chem beginnings with a lab and recitation where in those two we would be hands on and provide presentations to classmates.
MTH 1250 - Statistics course where we applied knowledge of statistics onto our quizzes and exams. A Microsoft excel project was also done to increase technological understanding.
PHR 1000 - Introduction class to what I'll be learning for the next 6 years. learned about different career paths and what we will have to have done before we can graduate.

Cultural Background: Patryk Swiatek
Both parents immigrated over from Poland making me a first generation American within the family. I am able to speak Polish fluently and am able to read and write in it also. I visit Poland every year to catch up with family.

Languages Spoken / Skills: Patryk Swiatek
I am fluent in Polish in the way I can speak and write in it, can have a normal conversation with anyone who speaks it.

Workshops & Camps Attended: Patryk Swiatek
Went to a Pharmacy Clinic where Wilkes University taught fellow pharmacy students and I how different fields of pharmacy do different tasks and which we could eventually see ourselves doing in the future. We tried out different hands on experiments where we would simulate what its like being a pharmacist.

Skills: Patryk Swiatek
I can maneuver through a computer and understand how to fix a problem if a problem arises. I am also quick to understand what to do on computer programs that might be needed to be done while on the job.

Skills: Patryk Swiatek
I am easily able to spark up a conversation with people and am easily able to form relationships with people. I rarely get angry towards anyone and can resolve solutions by talking with a person.

Travel (My Travel Experience): Patryk Swiatek
My entire family is from there and lives there. Going back every year is great as I can reconnect with my family for the short amount of time Im there. While vacationing there I mostly hang with my cousin and we go around town hanging out with his friends.