Katelyn O'Brien

UConn School of Pharmacy Class of 2014

I was raised in Rochester, MA, and earned a B.S. in pharmacy studies in 2012 from UConn.  As a freshman I joined SNPhA, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, which promotes diversity in the profession of pharmacy and serves disadvantaged communities. Through SNPhA I participated in many events such as volunteering at soup kitchens, flu clinics, blood pressure screenings, and diabetes walks. I also have worked at an independent pharmacy in New Bedford, Mass., since 2007. There I have gained experience interacting with patients and within different aspects of pharmacy such as long term care, compounding, and quality improvement. I wanted to join UST because I want to provide care and services to communities and underserved populations who do not have access to health care or the means to pay. I want to apply what I am learning in the classroom to real life situations at retreats and clinics with students from other health disciplines. In my opinion, health care is moving toward a team model where the expert opinion of various health care professionals is considered in patient care. To be given the opportunity to collaborate as students will help facilitate the team mentality when the nursing, medical, pharmacy, and dental students are practicing together in the future.