Christine Pan

UConn School of Pharmacy

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Glastonbury, Connecticut. I will graduate in 2020 from UConn with a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy, and hope to obtain my Pharm.D in 2022.

During high school, I volunteered in several departments at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, and in college I participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to Philadelphia focused on providing healthcare access to underserved communities. Professionally, I have worked at a CVS pharmacy in Hartford that primarily served members of minority populations, and as a pharmacy technician at a medical center for veterans.

I applied to the Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars Program after learning about the obstacles to medical care underserved populations face, including inadequate health insurance, expensive medical bills, and language barriers. Witnessing these obstacles in my professional and volunteer experience drove me to seek membership in organizations I believed would contribute to changing the status quo. I hope my experience in the UST/AS Program will teach me effective communication and education techniques for use with vulnerable populations, such as how to ask open-ended questions to ensure that patients understand their medication and the instructions for their medical devices. The UST/AS Program’s interprofessional focus will also help me accomplish my goal of educating other health professionals on the importance of primary care, and how crucial a pharmacist’s role is, especially in the recommendation to and proper use of medication by the patient.