heather hembree
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
Heather Hembree is a fourth-year student pharmacist at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. She has a passion for rural healthcare and hopes to one day own an independent pharmacy. Heather believes the only way to do great work is to love what you do. Throughout her time in pharmacy school, her interest has always been in community healthcare. Heather grew up in a small town and worked at a pharmacy there until it closed. It was an amazing experience to connect with patients on a personal level and make a difference in their lives. She hopes to foster the same type of connection with her future patients.
Heather is a Walker Leadership Scholar at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. The Walker Leadership Scholars program offers high-capacity student leaders the opportunity to accelerate their leadership development through experiential learning and mentorship. This program was made possible by the generous donations of UofSC alum, Donna Walker. Heather is also a part of the Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) Scholars program in South Carolina, which encourages healthcare professions students to engage in interprofessional collaboration and focuses on addressing healthcare disparities in rural areas.
During her time as a student pharmacist, Heather has been actively involved with the American Pharmacists Association chapter at her college of pharmacy, where she was previously the Membership VP for two consecutive years. She was also involved various other organizations at the University of South Carolina, such as the National Community Pharmacists Association, Christian Pharmacy Fellowship International, Phi Lambda Sigma, and Rho Chi. Heather is an active ambassador for her college of pharmacy and previously worked as a teachers assistant in the P1 compounding and community labs.
After graduation, Heather hopes to gain employment with an independent or small retail pharmacy. She dreams of one day opening an independent pharmacy in her hometown where she previously worked. Heather hopes that throughout her career, she can continue to make a difference in the lives of her patients. She would like to thank her family, friends, and professors for all of their support and encouragement.