Kurtis Stocker

UConn School of Pharmacy, Class of 2017

I am from the coast of Maine, I am currently in my second year of pharmacy school, and I work as a pharmacy technician at the VA in West Haven. I was drawn to the Urban Service Track because I knew that this opportunity would allow me to go above and beyond the curriculum to develop personally and professionally.

The importance of interprofessional care is analogous to building a house in that the outcomes depend upon the communication of each team member involved. One of my greatest accomplishments that I am most proud of has been the construction of my parent’s house. Life lessons can be learned from any experience, and working with my hands has taught me many lessons that I plan to incorporate into practice as a pharmacist. My father and I served as the general contractors, which meant that we were responsible for making sure that each task was completed on time and correctly. Leadership and communication are essential in construction, but who is the general contractor in health? Ideally the patient would act as their own general contractor, but often that is not feasible especially in underserved populations. I am excited to be a part of UST because it allows me to give back to the community in a way that actually makes a difference.