Osama ElSherbini

UConn School of Pharmacy

I was born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, but soon moved with my family to Kuwait where I attended elementary school. Afterwards, we moved to Connecticut where I attended middle and high school, and where I am a pharmacy student at the University of Connecticut.

When the intensification of the Syrian Civil War drove many Syrians to flee the country, I began volunteering with an organization called CT Anchor, where I worked in a warehouse that collected donations for the refugee families that relocated to Connecticut. We looked for household goods and furniture that matched the specific needs of refugee families, both on Cragislist and at garage sales, then we rented trucks to pick up, deliver, and set up the goods for the families. While volunteering, I witnessed the poor living conditions and other difficulties that refugees contended with, which increased my desire to help them and other people in need whenever I could.

Pharmacists find themselves on the frontlines of primary care and the healthcare field in their frequent exposure to and interactions with patients. It is our duty to maximize the benefit that we can provide to our patients and to ensure that every patient receives the best care possible. The Urban Service Track/AHEC Scholars Program will teach me the methods and skills that will allow me to communicate effectively both with patients and with other health care professionals in order that we may provide the best possible health care to every one of our patients.