Rowena Gan Xin Yi

Course: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), 2017
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Market Access Manager, Zuellig Pharma

Why did you choose Monash?

One of the main reasons for choosing Monash was for its reputation and that its pharmacy course is one of the highest ranking pharmacy courses in the world.

How have your studies at Monash University Malaysia helped to prepare you for the working world?

In my opinion, much of the content learnt is easily forgotten if not regularly practiced, but the things that stay are the skills acquired during our studies at Monash.

I may have forgotten the content, but I know where to look for the information I need, and how to evaluate the information I find. Other skills such as how to dissect a clinical paper and to understand the results and the statistics of a clinical paper was a great skill that I have learnt at Monash and helps greatly when I have to present the information to my doctors. Even other soft skills such as communication skills, teamwork, presentation skills, etc which we acquired through many of our coursework, greatly helped me in my working environment.

Did you participate in any student activities or opportunities?

I was very involved in the Monash University Pharmacy Society (MUPhaS). I participated in many of the events orgranised by MUPhaS and was in their committee as a Year Representative for two years. I was also the class representative for our batch for two and a half years.

Did you go for any internships or work placements, and did the experience help you in terms of career preparation?

The School of Pharmacy organised Professional Experience Placements for us. We had three-week placements at two public hospitals, one public clinic and one community pharmacy, totalling up to 12 weeks of placements. These placements helped me a lot in choosing my career path after Monash as they gave me real hands-on experience in different sectors of pharmacy.

It was after going through these placements that I decided those sectors were not something I wanted to venture into. This saved me time as I could directly go into the sector I was interested in which was the pharmaceutical industry.

What did you enjoy most about your student life at Monash?

What I loved the most about my student life at Monash was the people I met. I made great friends and met great lecturers who I currently still keep in touch with. The support I got from them did not stop after Monash but instead continued until now.

Though some of us are in different sectors, it is still very interesting whenever we get together to tell each other stories from our work life. I also greatly appreciate the annual gathering that the Monash Malaysia Pharmacy Alumni (MMPA) Network has been organising for the past few years. This event really helps in bringing together the people who we do not usually see and connecting juniors with seniors too.

What is your career goal? What’s the difference you’d like to make?

My bigger career goal is related to the reason I started pharmacy in the first place. I chose this course because I wanted to be able to help people. I was terrified of seeing blood and internal organs, hence, pharmacy was the next best thing for me. However, due to my personality, hospital and community pharmacy were not areas I could exhibit my strengths to their fullest so I chose to enter the pharmaceutical industry instead.

Roche’s motto is ‘Doing now what patients need next’ and their ultimate goal is ‘Delivering better outcomes to more patients, faster’. Hence, my biggest goal now is to be able to make a difference in the lives of the patients requiring our drugs. I will continue to work hard in whatever positions I take on, as long as it permits me to achieve this. My biggest satisfaction will be when I hear that patients’ lives improve more, due to the work we have done and the extra miles we took in order for them to be able to receive their treatments.

What is your advice to our current and future students?

For future students - there's always a reason for the school to be teaching you what they teach you. Each assignment, test, group work, etc, brings you different learnings. Though you may not see the sense in why you have been given certain tasks, try your best in all that you do. For you never know, those experience/skills/knowledge may come in handy when you're in the working world.

For current students - there are no wrong choices when choosing which line of pharmacy to go into, each have their specific set of learnings. Where you start does not determine your end point, it is what you do that determines it. Hence, no matter where you end up in (whether or not it's a choice of your liking), try your best and don't give up. Your attitude and achievements will be what takes you further to the position of your heart's desire.