From The Bahamas to Waterloo
Joy Bethel (Rx2027) always had a love for chemistry and caring for others. She knew she wanted to be a healthcare professional, but it was through summer job opportunities that she fell in love with pharmacy.
“Pharmacy comes as second nature to me. I am pharmacy, and pharmacy is me,” says Bethel.
Growing up in the Bahamas, Bethel grew up in a country where her race is a majority.
“My frame of thought always included Black healthcare professionals and Black people in positions of leadership, it was my everyday experience in the Bahamas. I never experienced life looking through the lens of colour until I came to Canada. That was when I started to understand that when people see me, the first thing they see is my colour,” says Bethel.
When Bethel had the option to attend regional universities in the Caribbean or to travel abroad, she chose Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
Acadia did a wonderful job of integrating their international students into the community, Bethel felt valued and accepted. However, there was a one-off experience when she came to Canada, that was enough for her to make an adjustment in the way she operated. From that moment she became more cautious in how she approaches people, to understand how they view her, before she responds in her natural bubbly personality as it may be seen as intimidating.
It was enough for me to realize I am a Black woman, a minority in Canada.
While completing her BSc at Acadia, Bethel felt a pull to the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy and took measures to make her dream happen. After graduating, she worked as a US certified pharmacy technician in the Bahamas for a few years with the aim to return to Canada. When she came back to Canada, she worked for a local retail pharmacy chain as a pharmacy assistant and at a hospital pharmacy as a medication reconciliation technician. During this time, she achieved her permanent residency status and applied to the School.
Working in the hospital inpatient units solidified her love of connecting with people, to help them achieve a better standard of living by providing pharmaceutical care.
“It was my faith in God and hearing from patients and colleagues how much they appreciated my work that I confirmed my purpose in life – to serve, love and help people to the best of my ability,” says Bethel.
Bethel is interested in experiencing different pharmacy fields during her co-op work terms. From industry to government, her goal is to take opportunities she didn’t have access to previously, to doors that were previously closed.
I can recognize how lonely and disparaging it could be to not see yourself represented. Just because the door seems closed, it isn’t locked. There’s always opportunity for change.
Bethel is looking forward to exploring the different aspects of pharmacy that aren’t as well known throughout her time at the School, to become the best well rounded expert in her field and to continue to bond and form relationships with her classmates, colleagues, pharmacy community and professors. She is interested in joining a few clubs at the School including the University of Waterloo Paediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (UW PPAG), the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) and the University of Waterloo Compound Club.