Pivoting with Purpose

Pharm.D. Student Braxton Jones Solidifies Early Decision to Follow Pharmacy Path

Not all high school students are sure about their college plans; however, this was not the case with now-Pharm.D. student Braxton Jones. Simply put, pharmacy had always been on his teenage mind – it had the "it factor" for Jones. Scouring through research into the profession, the more he learned the more he knew he was on the right path.

"I went into pharmacy school because I wanted to help people, whether that’s through changing a medication plan for patients or even just being there to serve in a supportive way," Jones said.

The Pivot 

With its proximity to the Texas Medical Center and high first-time pass rate on national licensure exams, UHCOP became the ultimate target for the Cypress native as he entered his first semester at UH. He quickly found a hard time adjusting to the large environment and transferred to a local community college.

"I didn’t graduate in four years because certain classes didn’t transfer," Jones said. "What kept me going is just knowing I had prayed to be here; I worked really hard to get here."

After gaining more credits, Jones transferred to another four-year university in 2016, where he graduated with his B.S. in chemistry in 2021.

Planning and Patience

Currently in his third year of pharmacy school, Jones juggles multiple student leadership positions, including serving as the current treasurer of the UHCOP Chapter of the Hispanic Pharmacy Students Association and professional development co-chair for the UHCOP Chapter of the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Previously, Jones was the president of the college’s National Community Pharmacy Association (NCPA) chapter.

"I try to develop myself, working with as many different people as possible and being really involved so that whenever I decide what I want to do with my life, I’ll have the most amount of information to go off of," Jones said.

During his time leading the NCPA chapter, Jones aimed to highlight a variety of medical professionals, hosting speakers including a dermatologist and veterinarian.

"I wanted people to see the full extent of what they can do with their pharmacy degree," Jones said.

Additionally, Jones holds down an internship at H-E-B Pharmacy. Starting as a cashier with the company nearly eight years ago, Jones had the intention of eventually joining the pharmacy team. Thanks to his H-E-B experience and the college’s P1-P2 Internship Day, this became a reality.

"I really enjoy being an intern with them," Jones said. "I think it’s pretty rewarding, and I like getting to talk to people more."

Jones received the 2023 HEB Intern of the Summer award, something which came as a shock to him as it was his first time practicing pharmacy outside of the classroom.

"I just wanted to try and do the best that I could and try to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible," Jones said.

Beyond the scientific/clinical aspects of the profession, Jones also believes attentiveness and kindness toward patients plays a significant role in being an effective pharmacist, as he doesn’t want to be an added stressor to them.

"You never really know what other people are going through, so I always try to be really patient even if we’re backed up," he said. "I try to never take it personal and give everybody grace.

"Every time I'm studying something or learning something that might help me manage a patient better, I feel like I'm making a difference."