Vincent Harris is a current PY2 (c/o 2021) on from our Chapel Hill campus. From Vero Beach, FL, he completed his undergraduate studies at Erskine College in SC where he earned his BS in Biochemistry. Vince was also a collegiate athlete in track and cross country; in addition, he enjoyed playing intramural sports – basketball was his favorite. For today’s student spotlight feature, Sit with Senate’s Megan Tran interviewed Vince.
Sit with Senate: What is your day to day routine like at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy?
Vincent Harris: “I typically wake up around 5AM and get ready to go the gym. I like to spend about 30-45 minutes working out there. When I’m done, I return home, shower, make breakfast, and check through my social media apps. From there, I normally try to get to school an hour before class starts. I go through all the classes for the day, have my lunch in between, and depending on the particular day, I either stay behind and complete some school work or I leave for home and return to campus at a later time to do some work. That pretty much sums up my day.”
SwS: What motivates you to tackle the obstacles faced in this rigorous PharmD program?
VH: “I know that I want to help patients in the future, so the challenging curriculum is just a sacrifice that I have to make to get to my future goal.”
Vince shares that he has a solid support system within the class and that his friends/peers help motivate each other to push forward. He takes the time to tell jokes and stories with his friends and sharing moments like that is another way to keep them going. He also mentions that knowing that the weekend is ahead, he can continue to work through the week one day at a time.
SwS: What do you like to relieve your stress from school or work?
VH: “I like watching a lot of TV in my downtime. I watch a little bit of everything, but I typically stick to comedies, dramas, and occasionally some action shows. I just finished a series called New Girl on Netflix, and would recommend this show to those looking for something new to watch. I also like to play science fiction games on my PS4. Other times I like going to hang out with my friends, or I can be the complete opposite and just do nothing and relax on my couch at home.”
SwS: What have been some of your favorite moments at ESOP?
VH: “I would say being involved with SnPhA. I like that I am able to go to conferences and network with other pharmacists and student pharmacists. The locations are also a bonus, as I get to travel to different places. I hold a position as co-chair for Power to End Stroke. We do a lot of screening events and education for stroke prevention. In addition, I enjoyed competing in the clinical skills competition at the SnPhA National Conference with [my classmate] Ife. We got through the first round creating a SOAP note for our standardized patient. We advanced into the top 3 and presented our case to a panel of judges. After a Q&A session, we counseled the “patient” on our therapy plan. Ife and I ended up winning, receiving certificates and a trophy. It was pretty exciting, I feel that ESOP definitely prepared us well.”
Vince shares that he currently houses the trophy. Congratulations to you and Ife!
SwS: Can you list three things that you are passionate about?
VH: “I’m passionate about building sincere relationships with others. I like getting to know people outside of school, because before we all became pharmacy students, we were much more than just that. I think that by getting an idea of who someone is outside of school is a good way to build relationships. I’m also passionate about helping those that struggle to help themselves, the underrepresented. This is partially why I got involved with SnPhA. I know what it is like to be socioeconomically disadvantaged, so if I can make a difference for others I would be content. I would say being a part of Black Graduate Professional Student Association (BGPSA) is a third passion of mine. I do a lot of outreach projects with this group. We do an event twice a year with some kids in the underdeveloped areas in Durham. I really enjoy the time I spend with the kids.”
SwS: What is your life motto?
VH: “Live one day at a time. I try to make the most out of that one day. The days are already limited, so I just try to make the most of an already short day.”
That was very insightful! We are so grateful that Vince was able to take some time out of his schedule to speak with Sit with Senate!
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