June 1, 2023
Patel pursues path to pharmacy school
Kunj Patel is a recent graduate of the Honors College, who received degrees in both public health and economics this May. While at ECU, Patel was on the pre-pharmacy track and has been accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Maryland on a four-year scholarship. Along with this he will be obtaining his master’s in business from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He hopes to use these degrees to change the negative connotation that surrounds the pharmaceutical industry and make a difference in people’s lives.
As any well-rounded student does, Patel has many diverse interests. He enjoys playing intramural flag football and soccer. He also was a part of MAPS, Pre-Pharmacy, and Medlife clubs at ECU. Patel has held leadership positions in all of these activities.
“I found great joy in helping others who were interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy,” he said.
From a young age, Patel knew that he wanted to make an impact on larger scale. Public health offered him the versatility and transferability that he was seeking. With this background, Patel was able to start his own organization called HealthDemic. With Patel’s leadership, HealthDemic was able to give out over 200 flu shots and more than 400 COVID-19 vaccinations over the span of 2 clinics in partnership with ECU Student Health. This project was initially started during his time in HNRS 2000/3000 and with the inspiration of his mentor, Dr. Bhibha Das.
“The Honors College at ECU has provided me with invaluable opportunities to connect with faculty and pursue my interests,” Patel said.
Along with this, Patel has been involved in clinical research at ECU Health involving studying geometric considerations of fiducial tracking in patients treated for lung tumors using the Cyberknife Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy. Patel was also the lead intern at the ECU Health Center for Research and Grants. This combined his two passions — economics and public health — as well as allowing him to be a part of various projects involving research and grants.
Patel encourages all students to reach out to the Honors College mentors and staff to ensure success throughout their time at ECU.
“I want to create a path that others can one day follow!” he said.