The Pharmacy Student Leadership Award
I think I was awarded the Pharmacy Student Leadership Award because of the consistency, passion, and commitment I’ve brought to improving student experiences and contributing to the profession.
Over the past few years, I’ve been involved in leadership, research, mentoring, interprofessional education, advocacy, outreach, and public engagement. As Chairperson of the Ulster University Pharmacy Society, I helped grow engagement from three committee members to over 150 active student members within two weeks. This led to the society receiving its first nomination in almost a decade for Course-Based Society of the Year.
Alongside this, I’ve represented students at school and national level, led international research collaborations, contributed to oncology pharmacy research, presented research internationally, and promoted patient safety initiatives. Most importantly, I’ve always tried to ensure that leadership was inclusive. I wanted students to feel involved and inspired to take opportunities they may never have considered.
Winning the Pharmacy Student Leadership Award for a second consecutive year is incredibly meaningful. To become the first student across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to receive this award twice is something I never imagined when I first started pharmacy school. It reflects years of hard work, resilience, and personal growth.
What makes this award especially meaningful is that it reflects impact rather than just achievement. Behind every role, project, presentation, and event were real people, students gaining confidence, patients benefiting from initiatives, and peers supporting one another.
Fatema Mohammad pictured alongside Student Leadership Award finalists for Northern Ireland and representatives of the PDA
The awards’ potential impact on my future in pharmacy
Winning this award twice has reinforced the type of pharmacist and leader I aspire to become. It has strengthened my confidence in pursuing opportunities within clinical pharmacy, oncology, research, leadership, education, and patient advocacy.
One of the biggest things this award has taught me is the importance of visibility and representation. Sometimes students underestimate themselves or assume leadership is reserved for certain people. I hope my journey shows that leadership can come from simply caring deeply, working consistently, and supporting others.
Professionally, the award motivates me to continue contributing beyond clinical practice. I want to continue being involved in research, student development, public engagement, and improving healthcare systems. Pharmacy is evolving rapidly, and I’m excited to be part of a generation of pharmacists helping shape that future. Most importantly, winning twice has reminded me that impact matters more than titles and the achievements I’m proudest of are the ones that helped other people grow.
Fatema Mohammad winning the Student Leadership Award for Northern Ireland in 2025
Studying pharmacy
I chose to study pharmacy because I loved the combination of science, healthcare, and patient interaction. I wanted a career where I could make a meaningful difference while continuously learning and developing.
What attracted me most was how pharmacists combine clinical knowledge with compassion and communication. Pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals, and I admired the idea of being able to support patients during vulnerable moments while contributing to wider healthcare improvement.
Over time, pharmacy became much more than I expected. Through research, leadership, interprofessional work, and patient safety initiatives, I realised the profession extends far beyond medicines.
If I could start my course again, I would trust myself earlier and stop underestimating what I was capable of.
When I first started university, I was much quieter and lacked confidence in myself. Many of the opportunities that eventually shaped me most were all things I once found intimidating. University is about much more than academic performance. Some of the most meaningful parts of my degree came from the experiences outside the classroom. I used to think success was mainly about passing exams and achieving good grades. Over time, I realised pharmacy is equally about leadership, resilience, communication, empathy, and having the confidence to use your voice.
One of the biggest influences on my growth has been the people around me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been supported by lecturers and mentors such as Dr. Ahmed Abuelhana, Dr. Aaron Courtenay, Dr. Deborah Lowry, and Professor Paul McCarron, whose leadership and encouragement have genuinely shaped my journey.
I still remember one of the first things Professor McCarron, our Head of School, said to us when we started pharmacy — that he expected excellence from his students. That stayed with me throughout my degree. It was never about perfection, but about believing that we could achieve more, contribute more, and grow into professionals who could positively impact the future of pharmacy.
Their support, alongside the opportunities I’ve been given through research, leadership, advocacy, and interprofessional work, has completely transformed my confidence in myself. Experiences such as presenting research internationally, leading student initiatives, mentoring younger students, and speaking publicly about pharmacy pushed me outside my comfort zone, but they also helped me discover strengths I didn’t know I had.
Most importantly, university taught me that growth is not something you achieve alone. The encouragement, trust, and belief others place in you can change the trajectory of your confidence and ambitions. I’m incredibly grateful for the mentors, peers, and experiences that helped shape not only the student I became, but the future pharmacist I hope to be.
My tips to other students beginning their pharmacy course
- Believe in yourself, even when things feel difficult. Pharmacy is challenging, and everyone experiences moments of self-doubt.
- Say yes to opportunities, even if they scare you. Leadership, research, volunteering, networking, and student involvement can shape your confidence and career.
- Remember that growth is never only academic. Some of the most important skills you’ll develop, communication, empathy, teamwork, resilience, and confidence, happen outside lectures and exams.
Being a PDA Student Rep
Being a PDA Student Rep has meant more to me than simply holding a position. It has allowed me to advocate for pharmacy students, support my peers, and contribute to conversations about the profession’s future.
As the sole PDA Student Rep for Northern Ireland at one stage, I felt a strong responsibility to ensure students were represented, particularly around issues such as Foundation Training Year placements, Oriel preparation, and student wellbeing. The role allows students to realise their voices matter.
The role has helped me grow in confidence, communication, and professionalism, but more importantly, it has allowed me to positively impact students. Pharmacy can be an intense degree, and if I’ve helped even a few students feel more supported, then that means a great deal to me.
Continuing my journey in pharmacy
I’m excited about continuing to grow into a pharmacist who can contribute meaningfully to both patients and the profession. I’m particularly excited by the future of clinical pharmacy, oncology, research, and education, and by how much the role of pharmacists continues to evolve. Pharmacy students today are being trained not only as medicine experts, but as clinicians, researchers, leaders, and advocates, and I think that’s incredibly exciting.
I’m also excited to continue supporting and inspiring other students along the way. Winning the student leadership award twice has reminded me how powerful consistency, resilience, and genuine passion can be, and it motivates me to continue striving for excellence while helping others grow, too.
What began as student leadership has become part of who I am, a commitment I will carry forward as a pharmacist, continuing to give back to the profession that shaped me.
By Fatema Mohammad, PDA Student Rep and two-time Student Leadership Award winner for Northern Ireland pictured with Alison Jones, PDA Director of Policy & Communications, and Dr Aaron Courtenay, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at Ulster University
Each year, the PDA sponsors the Student Leadership category of the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish Healthcare Awards
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