As a pharmacist, it will be my duty to understand my clientele. To do this, I will need to use my own experiences, as well as the knowledge and information I have gained through my education. When making decisions, I need to understand how each person makes their health care choices; much of these decisions must include the cultural ideals of those I will serve. To be complete, it is essential that I know the medications, but also the people I encounter on a daily basis. Coming from a relatively small territory, it is easy to forget the multitude of cultures that exist and surround us on a daily basis and we must be aware of this as well as our own. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayAccording to Kelly J. Clark, author of “Achieving Cultural Competency and Its Role in Pharmacy,” “…the American population is constantly evolution… . ". A common problem that can lead to barriers and a lack of communication between different cultures is a lack of understanding of the terms cultures or ethnicities. According to pharmacists O'Connell, Korner, Rickles, and Sias, “…most people equate culture with race or ethnicity; this also includes age, gender, disability, religion, socioeconomic characteristics, sexual orientation and health beliefs. So, a person has many cultures that define who they are. Many of these cultural beliefs influence a patient's health beliefs. I believe that to understand the differences between different cultures, I must first look at myself. Who am I? What have I been exposed to? What experiences can I draw on to enlighten me? My English teacher often said that authors write about what they know and that it is always important to read the brief biographies provided before reading the story. The same goes for various cultures. My entire family is from Appalachia. I was born in Charlotte, NC and moved to Grinnell, IA; then to Ada, Ohio and finally to Glenville, WV. Glenville is small and isolated. It's easy to be sheltered from the rest of the world there. In my family, education played an important role in my upbringing. My paternal grandfather was a university professor for over 40 years, my father is a university professor and my mother is a teacher. However, I was taught to respect all professions. My mother always said that the world would be a rotten place without the men who work hard to pick up our trash, and that they should be considered just as important to society as any other profession. I grew up on and around college campuses so I was exposed to a variety of ethnicities and people in general. My parents made sure that I was exposed to diverse cultures and viewed them with an open mind. They took me to Washington, DC, to art galleries and museums. We traveled to New Orleans to experience deep southern culture, phenomenal Cajun cuisine and zydeco music. We have traveled to Amish country and the list goes on. I am able to draw inspiration from these experiences to provide me with information about other cultures. However, these experiences also show me that there are many other cultures that I have not experienced. With this knowledge, I am more aware of the need to continue to educate myself. I am very proud to say that growing up, my parents emphasized that everyone is equal. No matter your race, your sexuality, your beliefs.