Interview # 1

I conducted an interview with Dr. Kelly Altman on April 26th, 2012. Here are some of the questions I asked him.

Me: Dr. Kelly, When did you first know you wanted to become a pharmacist?

Dr. Kelly: I decided to become a pharmacist my freshman year in high school because I started working for Wal -Mart and felt that it was the right choice for me.

Me: Did you find it hard to decide on what college you wanted to go to?

Dr. Kelly: I had thought about different colleges and their programs but I decided to go to Coastal Carolina to start and then transfer to the University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy.

Me: What kind of grades do you have to have to be admitted into the USC School of Pharmacy?

Dr. Kelly: You have to have at least a 3.80 GPA to be able to get into the program.

Me: What other criteria do you need to be admitted?

Dr.Kelly: You have to have one letter of recommendation from a professor from the school and another letter from a professional businessman/women.

Me: How rewarding has your decision to become a pharmacist been for you?

Dr. Kelly: It has been very rewarding. I have been able to help lots of people understand what their medicines do for them and why they should take it. The salary I earn is great and there are tons of other benefits that make my career wonderful. There are stock options, bonuses, holiday's off, paid vacations and they even pay me for a car to use to get back and forth.

Me: What kind of advice can you give someone like me that is considering becoming a pharmacist?

Dr. Kelly: If you really want to become a pharmacist, get the best grades you can in high school, make sure you pick the right college for you and start as soon as possible on getting a job that will help you in the future like working at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite Aide or CVS. This is where you will find out if a pharmacist is what you really want to become.

Me: Thank you Dr. Kelly for all you information that you have given me. You have helped me understand what I need to look forward to in my future.

Dr. Kelly: You're welcome Stephen. I know that you will do a good job and I hope you achieve what you set out to do.

Interview with Dr. Kelly Altman, Regional Director of Pharmacy for Wal-Mart in Lakeland, Florida.