Hadia Malik is a third-year PharmD candidate at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Pharmacy.
Within my first few days as a student pharmacist, I was drawn to APhA–ASP and decided to run to be my class’ liaison to our chapter’s executive board. In my second year, I served as patient care vice president. After seeing the impact that student pharmacists at my chapter had within our community, even at the height of COVID-19, I was hooked. I wanted to see what other chapters were doing to stay active in their communities and stay engaged with each other, so I ran and was elected 2021–22 APhA–ASP Region 6 Regional Member-at-large (MAL).
Serving as an MAL was my first exposure to APhA–ASP outside my chapter and it felt like a whole world that I was missing out on until then. I met incredible student pharmacists, mentors, and friends from all over the United States. I learned from chapter leaders about what they struggled with—such as member engagement or operating patient care events with COVID-19 restrictions—and often found myself struggling with the same issues at my own chapter. We bounced ideas off each other and inspired one another with our own success stories. In between, we learned each other’s favorite coffees and teas, we laughed, we vented, and we bonded.
APhA–ASP is a community of student pharmacists that we can learn from and depend on. I’m incredibly grateful and passionate about the academy, and I want everyone to know what this organization has to offer to us.
Five questions for Hadia
1. What show are you currently binging?
I’m currently binging Good Girls while waiting for more episodes of Attack on Titan. I highly recommend both!
2. What is your favorite song?
It’s so hard to pick one, so I’ll pick one from each category of music that I listen to: “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood, “Euphoria” by BTS’ Jungkook, and the title track from the movie Kal Ho Naa Ho.
3. If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island, and all your survival needs were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?
Soap and bug spray, for sure.
4. What fictional family would you most like to join and why?
Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although not all of the main characters are family, they do act like it. When personal struggles arise, not once do Aang, Katara, Sokka, or Toph consider abandoning each other. They consistently use their personal strengths to empower and care for one another. Their personalities and relationship remind me of each of my own siblings, which is why I adore the characters in this show.
5. What is your favorite meal?
My mom’s love-filled biryani.