Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Niki Amirabad. I am 20 years old and a junior at Old Dominion University. Currently, I am in the process of obtaining my B.S in Psychology with a minor in Biology- however, my ultimate goal for my career is a Critical Care Pharmacist. The reason I chose to major in psych- instead of the typical chemistry or biology- is because of my AP Psychology class I took in junior year of high school. It sparked my love for psychology. I knew it would be the major I would be most happy studying for the next 4 years. My teacher at the time was so passionate about the field. I genuinely looked forward to class and was dedicated to actually understanding the material versus just trying to pass the class. Psychology is a very overlooked and under-appreciated field; it has so much to offer in science and society yet people still do not have common knowledge about it. Mental health is what the majority of people will struggle with in their lifetime but it is only now receiving the attention it deserves. Even then, it is still extremely misunderstood. This inspired me to deeper study psychology in order to help it break out its stigma.
Despite my main focus being pharmacy- I will continue utilizing my years of psychology. Once I receive my Pharm D. and become a practicing clinical pharmacist in ICUs- I plan on applying my background in psych to help and advocate for those suffering from drug abuse and addiction. The growing numbers of addiction and overdoses from prescription drugs (i.e. opioids) are damaging the lives of victims and their loved ones is heartbreaking to witness. My goal is to increase addiction prevention specifically, as well as creating more effective/affordable treatment plans to decrease relapse cases. I would also love to reach out to victim’s families and friends since their mental health is greatly affected as well through counseling and coping services.
Ever since beginning my psychology degree coursework- I was most excited to take cross-cultural psychology. For one, I just love learning about other cultures. I love trying different cultural foods, learning their traditions and history, as well as traveling to different countries. Second, we live in a melting pot of a country and diversity surrounds us. Learning about how these different cultures influence my future patients’ (and in general anyone I meet) behaviors and mindsets will be very beneficial, as I can be a more empathetic and compassionate health care provider. Lastly, I believe this class will help me understand myself better. I moved to America from the Middle East when I was just 3 years old- but I was raised knowing my heritage and culture. However, I still grew up in America, thus I had 2 cultural identifies to balance: Middle Eastern and American. As I grew up, I can see how a lot of my clashing cultural aspects effected my views, beliefs, relationships, and even mental health. I’m excited to be able to connect my own life experiences to this class, as I will definitely understand the material better.
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