‘Born to Serve’

Impactful Interaction with Pharmacist Guides Early Career Aspirations of Pharm.D. Candidate

By Kristin Mitchener

When his grandfather was diagnosed with kidney cancer, Pharm.D. candidate Josiah Willingham moved from his hometown of Kerrville to Houston to help take care of him. Willingham quickly noticed, and became frustrated with, the high cost of cancer treatment and his grandfather’s medicines. During this time, an important figure entered Willingham’s life, providing solace to his family and changing the trajectory of Willingham’s education, career aspirations and world view.

Family Ties

With frequent visits to the pharmacy, Willingham was consistently greeted by the pharmacist, Kevin, who would always make a point to talk to Willingham and his grandfather. After two years, his grandfather was put on hospice, and the visits to the pharmacy became less frequent. But this didn’t end Kevin’s impact on Willingham and his grandfather.

“Kevin would come to my grandfather’s house and check on him, bringing flowers and cards each time,” Willingham said. “Seeing Kevin, who was really smart and knowledgeable in the field and who wanted to help and connect with patients, this is what inspired me to become a pharmacist. I knew I wanted to make that impact on someone like Kevin made on my grandfather. If I could do that for someone as a pharmacist, I would consider my life fulfilled.”

Willingham’s grandfather passed away during his first year of pharmacy school. Still frustrated by the high cost of medications, Willingham began thinking about his future in pharmacy and the changes he could make to the health care system.

“I can create my own cancer medication, dictate how much it costs, make it affordable for patients and it’s going to be great,” Willingham said of his early, admittedly naïve goals. “Then I talked to a professor who helped me understand how the health care system works in America. He helped me get a grasp on reality and better orient my goals.”

Caring for the Community

As Willingham progressed through pharmacy school, his goals transformed as well.

“Initially, when I began my P1 year, I wanted to go into industry,” Willingham said. “Going into P2 year, I really desired a specialty with more patient interaction. Right now, I’m considering residency, going into ambulatory care or community pharmacy.”

Community pharmacy is familiar territory for Willingham as he has spent the last six years working as a technician at a local pharmacy on the weekends. He enjoys performing screenings and using his knowledge from school to help patients, with one patient interaction solidly reaffirming Willingham’s decision to become a pharmacist and an experience which brought him immense fulfillment.

“A patient came in to have his blood sugar screened, and his results were considered an emergency,” Willingham said. “He was unsure about his diabetes status and wasn’t familiar with the disease state, so I explained the implications and long-term outcomes of diabetes and how to go about getting treatment. I referred him to seek help right away. After four months of performing regular screenings, his results were in the normal range. He told me how he had no idea about his diabetes status until that initial screening and how he feels so much better. Seeing how, as a pharmacist, I can make an impact on patients like that throughout my life makes me feel really fulfilled and want to keep going in my endeavors.”

Leading the Charge

Willingham’s service mentality is evident through his heavy involvement in the UHCOP Chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA). He has served as the organization’s 2023-24 president, 2022-23 president-elect and 2021-22 P1 liaison. During his SNPhA membership, he won first place in the national team-based Walmart Prescription for Service competition and received an honorable mention in the regional Kroger Clinical Skills competition. Most recently, Willingham placed second in the national Clinical Skills Competition with partner Harris Nguyen and earned the Rite Aid Community Leadership Award.

His journey into organizational leadership began with serving as webmaster for the UH Pre-Pharmacy Association (PPA). Introduced to SNPhA as an undergraduate through the PPA, Willingham met many inspiring individuals who soon became his friends and mentors.

“The mission of SNPhA to serve the underserved community is always something I’ve been very passionate about, especially coming from a small town with limited resources,” Willingham said. “And I feel I was born to serve others.”

Serving others in need is something Willingham hopes to inspire in his fellow classmates.

“We’re right next to Third Ward, and we have a lot of opportunities to use our education and knowledge as health care providers to bring health awareness and empower patients in this underserved community,” Willingham said.