Two Pitt student pharmacists received Walmart Health Equity Scholarships

Two Pitt student pharmacists, Rena Reid and Kenneth Richardson, won Walmart Health Equity Scholarships.

The scholarship, launched this year in partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, will annually award $5,000 to ten Doctor of Pharmacy students who “demonstrate leadership, academic success, and a commitment to serving rural or medically underserved patient populations,” according to its website.

“I am confident that we will eliminate gaps in health equity through the School of Pharmacy’s commitment to not just recruit and retain but to engage and support diverse, talented students and future health professionals such as Kenneth Richardson and Rena Reid,” said Mario Browne, associate dean for Equity, Engagement and Justice, School of Pharmacy. “The return on investment is worth every dime.”

Reid, a third-year student pharmacist, is a health literacy researcher. She said that a lack of comprehension is one of the most prevalent signs of adversity when working with underserved populations.

“Increasing one’s knowledge about health care can drastically affect how they view their lifestyle and ways to improve their well-being,” Reid said.

After completing pharmacy school, she hopes to work for the United States Public Health Service to increase medical accessibility for Native Americans and the Black community.

Richardson, a fourth-year student in the School of Pharmacy, seeks a career in ambulatory care pharmacy with a focus on family medicine, general internal medicine, cardiology, neuropsychiatry or solid organ transplantation, he said.

He will continue his education post-graduation.

“Pursuing a two-year post-doctoral residency is the gateway for me to practice at the top of my license, collaborate with the interdisciplinary health care team and serve as a public health advocate among diverse communities,” Richardson said.

— Nichole Faina