Meet An Le

A post by An Le, PD4

Melanie M, An, and Joe in front of the Minnesota House

Hello all,

My name is An Le. I’m a fourth year pharmacy student at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. I’m originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I have a younger sister, who’s four years younger than me. We ALSO have the same name (how crazy!). In my free time, I enjoy trying new baking recipes, going to new restaurants/coffee shops, and doing yoga.

My dream career goal is to work in an area where I’m able to combine both clinical and research aspects. I decided to participate in the Uganda Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotation because the projects/activities of this rotation will give me a better understanding of how pharmacists can utilize both aspects in their jobs, which will prepare me well for my future career. After hearing more about this rotation from Dr. Nicol and other previously fourth year students, I knew this would be a great learning opportunities for me to utilize the knowledge acquired from classes and observe the pharmacists’ roles in Uganda.

My first international travel was during my junior year of high school when I decided to come to the United States to complete my high school degree and undergraduate degree. Although this is not the first time I’m traveling to another country for study abroad, I’ve had mixed feelings when I think about this trip to Kampala, Uganda. I’m most looking forward to working alongside with Ugandan students and other healthcare providers to expand my clinical knowledge and learn more about different sectors that may help narrow down the health disparities in developed countries. I’m also very excited to visit different places to absorb more Ugandan cultures during these next 5 weeks. On there other hand, I’m more nervous about being to recall and apply appropriately the knowledge in these real-life situations. However, these 5 weeks will definitely help me grow and become more prepared for the next few rotations in the United States.

Overall, I believe that these next 5 weeks in Kampala will be busy and I’m very happy that I have a chance to step out of my comfort zone to see other parts of the world. And I can’t wait to tell you all more about what I get to see and learn.