Fueling Future Pharmacists: Igniting Teen Interest for Healthier Communities

My name is Lisa Roekyen and I am currently a high school student studying at the International School of Bangkok and I'm graduating in the year 2025! I am interested in Biochemistry and am planning to major in biochemistry in the future. I also hope to complete a master's in pharmacology and potentially pursue a career in pharmacology. Since I was younger, I have always been interested and fascinated by how the chemicals in living things, specifically our bodies work. 

Our project targets 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Good health and Well-being, Quality Education, and Decent Work and Economic growth. The main problem that has arisen within the last few years in this field is pharmacist shortages. There has been a 60% decline in pharmacy school applicants over the past decade. In 2021, there were 14,223 new pharmacists from pharmacy schools and in 2022, there were only 13,323 new pharmacists graduated from pharmacy schools. This marks the largest decline in new pharmacists since 1983. Therefore, with this project, if we can increase the number of students entering into pharmacology or health care related majors, we not only provide these kids with quality education and decent work and economic growth, but we will also provide the community that they will be of service to good health and overall quality of life. 

This is why I made this organization called ThinkBiochem. I wanted to start this website to provide a platform for me to not only express my passions but also foster connections with like-minded individuals! On this website, My team and I will be posting blogs about topics related to health and medicine. Additionally, this leadership project aims to provide young teens from the age of 12-15 with the opportunity of basic work experience in the healthcare field specifically pharmacology and pharmacy. It would be a workshop that takes place during the summer over 4 days; students are expected to come every day from 9 am - 1 pm. Our workshop would include both small lectures and hands-on activities. The small lectures would be on basic information about pharmacology and medicine and the hands-on activity would be a small lab on making traditional medication and basic chemical reactions.

As a solution to this problem, we are building a platform which aims to provide opportunities that will increase the number of students entering this field of study. This project will provide an opportunity for young teens to explore the pharmacology/pharmacy profession and allow them to understand what the field is like. By providing this opportunity, more teens are educated in the field which will then potentially increase the number of students that are going to study pharmacology/pharmacy. 

This would benefit the community as it would increase the number of students who are interested in studying pharmacology/pharmacy; therefore, increasing the number of pharmacologists and pharmacists in the community. Additionally, this will also increase the overall number of licensed pharmacists or healthcare workers in the community making the community more safe. With this, it will increase the quality of life of the community ensuring safety and security.

Our road map is split into 3 phases. In phase 1 or during 2023-2024, we aim to increase blog readership and engagement in workshops, raising increasing awareness of biochemistry among young students. In phase 2 or during 2025-2026 we aim to expand workshops, generate potential new programs, grow our team, and have a broader impact on aspiring biochemistry students. Lastly, in phase 3, which is 2027 and onwards, we hope to have a sustained blog and regular workshops as a program, a boost in students majoring in biochemistry, and an increased number of graduates pursuing biochemistry-related careers.

Ultimately, as the healthcare industry moves forward, my mission is to provide young students with the opportunity to explore a small section of the healthcare field in hopes that this would spark an interest in them and increase the number of students pursuing pharmacy/pharmacology in the future.

"The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know." - Albert Einstein