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Sarah Jalouqa
Pharmacist
University of Jordan
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We are thirsty to see your capabilities, we want to see you shining, the world needs you.
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WHAT DO YOU DO?
Whenever I think to myself what I want to leave behind, the first thing that always comes to my mind is that I want to leave a print behind - helping suffering humans, improving women’s lives' and being a part of young girl’s self-awareness journey to help them have a better future, are on top of my every day to do list.
My story started in 2014 when I enrolled in pharmacy school at the university of Jordan, from the first couple of months I fell in love with an area of science that I was not exposed to before which is scientific research. It fulfilled all the curiosity in me and helped me answer a lot of questions that had been in my mind for a long time. Then, around 4 years later I participated in a competition for scientific research. After a journey of reading, brain storming, market analysis & sleepless nights; we came up with our product (Crosseva®) - a medical device that transforms the process of blood cross match test which is required before any blood transfusion into a fully automated process that works on AI and machine learning to have fast, reliable, and accurate results. We managed to reduce the time of the test which is usually needed for people in emergency cases and need blood units as fast as possible from around 60 minutes into just 10. We won the first place and my passion for finding new solutions in the medical field never stopped since then. Later, I participated in pharmaceutical research to help better treatments regimens and enhancing patient's compliance.
My journey is still in its first steps, everyday I try to learn something new, and try with everything in my power to educate schoolgirls and expose them to this part of science, so they start their journey earlier than me and be the change we want to see in this world.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS FIELD?
I believe that my story is not much different from other people who try to find their passion and try to improve themselves every day. I have always been a curious child, always asking questions and trying to do my own experiments in my room. The moment I transferred the need to find answers from just wondering into putting a road map and reaching one of my ultimate goals was the turning point in my life. The medical field is what interests me; pharmacy chose me before I chose it. There is this particular moment when I met a patient and was discussing our device with her, she had sickle cell anemia where she needed blood transfusions twice weekly to say the least, and she’s was suffering because of a medical error that happened before I met her. At that moment, I knew that I have a bigger purpose in life, and I can help people live a better life.
HOW DO/DID YOU TACKLE OBSTACLES?
Living in a third world country, that means obstacles and failures are part of the plan, and nothing surprising at all. I have reached moments of hopelessness, frustration because of the unavailability of resources or delay in plans or people not taking you seriously or that you want to be the change you want to see in the world. But I cannot forget the people and organizations that helped us through the way and offered financial and psychological support. Those were the reason we continue, thrive, and work hard to improve things around us, to deliver a better environment to the upcoming generations.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT & THINK, "I WISH YOUNGER ME WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS POSSIBLE?"
I wish I had a person telling me the things I’m telling you at the moment, not because I’m an outstanding person but because they are that simple. You just need someone lighting a spotlight into an area that has been always in dark in your life, then it is your responsibility to work and explore it.
WHY DO YOU LOVE WORKING IN STEM?
Allah swt said (Help one another in acts of piety and righteousness. And do not assist each other in acts of sinfulness and transgression), and that is what I look for when waking up.
BEST ADVICE FOR NEXT GENERATION?
My message to the girls of the world: we are thirsty to see your capabilities, we want to see you shining, the world needs you. Do not wait for the right moment or circumstance, build your own base, and work your way up. No matter where you reach in the future, remember your core goal that you started this whole journey for, and always be humble and close to people whenever they need you.
INSPIRATION
Don’t count the days, make the days count.
- Mohammad Ali
It is not about the length of your journey, or years of experience you have. It is all about the amount of positive change you managed to do on this earth and the efforts you pay towards that.