Mallory Norman

UConn School of Pharmacy, Class of 2020

I was born in Hartford and have lived my entire life in East Windsor, CT, a very small rural town. As a freshman in college, I began working as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, at a bustling 24 hour store in an urban underserved area of Manchester, CT. Working at Walgreens shaped me as a future pharmacist and made me realize my desire to work in underserved populations. As I interacted more with this diverse group of patients, I began to realize the variety of different factors that are at play when it comes to maintaining one’s health, and began to see first hand the inequality that exists within our healthcare system that unfortunately leave many without the care they deserve. I knew when I started pharmacy school that I wanted to delve further into this topic and learn more about what we as pharmacists can provide for these patients.

In addition, I recently began working as a pharmacy intern at Hartford Hospital which has made me realize the value of interprofessional teamwork in providing the best possible care. I have been fortunate enough to have both community and institutional experiences caring for diverse, underserved populations, but I have only skimmed the surface in terms of my role as a future pharmacist in caring for these patients.

I sought membership in the Urban Service Track because it will provide me with the resources and hands on experience to ultimately become the best patient advocate I can be while working alongside a team of healthcare professionals all working towards the same patient centered goals.