Pharmacist Spotlight: Nabila Ismail, PharmD

Tell us a bit about your career and what you do now.

I do many things now and I’m always adding more to my plate. Right now, I am building my travel club, called the Dose of Travel Club, and I am a full-time content creator with more than 160,000 followers. I also continue to work with health technology companies and pharma as a consultant and medical/travel writer.

Because my work can be done from a laptop, I also travel full-time. I’ve been to 63 countries and am currently calling Dubai home. Traveling around the world allows me to connect with pharmacists around the globe and learn about different pharmacy/ health care practices. It’s also what has led to some of my work at nonprofit organizations like the World Mosquito Program.

What is the most rewarding part of pharmacy for you?

I went into health care because I’ve always loved community, giving back, and helping people. Being a pharmacist allows me to be an accessible health care professional and work in a community setting while helping people access and understand their medications. Drugs are lifesaving only when you know which ones to take, how to take them, and can afford them. While in the patient-facing setting, I loved directly helping people. Now I really enjoy making changes in the health care infrastructure and innovating to make change before it reaches the individual.

What are you most proud of in your career?

I think there are many things to be proud of. Playing a pivotal role during COVID-19 as a new pharmacist and being on the front lines was incredibly rewarding. Additionally, I’m proud of challenging the role of the pharmacist and using my degree and education in new capacities while proving to other industries, employers, pharmacists, and health care professionals just what pharmacists can do. I loved working in health technology on the marketing side of things and have really enjoyed speaking at pharmacy schools and conferences about my career pivot and using social media as a health care professional.

What advice would you give other pharmacists or pharmacy students who might be interested in a unique career like yours?

Don’t be afraid to pivot or create your role. Make a list of things you’re good at, things you enjoy, things you don’t like, and things [that] are not your strengths. Identify transferable skills from your past experience and look for something that leverages those. Most importantly, don’t stop doing what you love. Somehow you’ll find a way to connect the dots or make it happen.

Let’s Connect!

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nabila-ismail-pharmd

Instagram: @doseoftravel

TikTok: @doseoftravel