My name is Dan Angelo Surdilla. I was recently accepted into the Pharmacy Program at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). After graduating from Morse High School in 2009, I continued my studies at Southwestern College. Upon completing my studies at the community college level, I pursued my undergraduate degree at UCSD and graduated in two years with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry Cell Biology and a minor in Psychology.
During my undergraduate studies, I was employed as a restaurateur (general manager) at Chipotle for approximately two years. After my time at Chipotle, I realized that I wanted to turn to a field that was more aligned with my Bachelor’s degree; thus, I left the food and beverage industry and pursued my goal. It was at this point that an opportunity arose at Ron’s Pharmacy – I am extremely grateful to be employed by a Guardian Pharmacy.
My journey at Ron’s Pharmacy began as part of the Phone Triage Team. Within a week, I transitioned to Fax/Triage. As a Fax/Triage technician, I was exposed to the challenging tasks of learning proper categorization of orders while also maintaining responsibility for processing and repackaging medications outside of our pharmacy. The atmosphere, camaraderie and expertise of this team made me realize that I wanted to further my studies in the pharmacy. Key pharmacists Joshua Roberts and Iyas Mansannat taught me many lessons that motivated me to pursue the goal of one day becoming a pharmacist.
In February 2019, I successfully challenged the Pharmacy Technician License, which acted as a catalyst to transition into the role of data entry technician. I have been blessed to work alongside passionate pharmacists and interns during my time as a data entry technician. Their support and guidance led me to apply for pharmacy school, which I will begin in fall of 2020.
I am thankful for the support of my coworkers in their continued guidance, education and fellowship – I could not have pursued my goals without them.
