PharmD student credits Wichita campus, financial support for career growth

LAWRENCE – For Brandon Boyles, a third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student at the KU School of Pharmacy’s Wichita Campus, the path to becoming a pharmacist began in his hometown of Greensburg, Kansas. Growing up in a town of fewer than 1000 people, Boyles said that the pharmacist in his community was a vital lifeline.

“In a small town, the pharmacist is often the most accessible provider,” Boyles said. “Seeing the impact she had made me realize how diverse and meaningful the profession could be.”

Boyles later discovered that same sense of impact and community at KU’s School of Pharmacy, particularly on the Wichita campus, where he has built both professional connections and a clearer vision for his career.

Unlike the larger Lawrence campus, KU’s Wichita site offers smaller class sizes and is directly connected to the KU School of Medicine – Wichita. This proximity gives pharmacy students early and frequent exposure to the interdisciplinary teamwork essential to healthcare.

Boyles said those relationships start forming the moment students arrive.

“The barrier of entry into professional collaboration is easier here,” he said, nothing that KU’s volunteer JayDoc Guadalupe Clinic allows students to work side-by-side with medical students, residents and practicing clinicians as early as their first year.

“If you want to take advantage of it, Wichita makes that very easy,” Boyles said.

The environment creates a natural sense of accountability, support and a shared commitment to patient care.

After graduation, Boyles hopes to complete both a PGY-1 and PGY-2 residency, specializing in ambulatory care with a focus on diabetes and chronic disease management. He envisions working under collaborative practice agreements that allow pharmacists to take a more active role in managing patient health.

Scholarships that reduce barriers

Boyles and his wife are both full-time graduate healthcare students. Financial support has been life-changing.

In his second year, Boyles received a full-tuition scholarship from the KU School of Pharmacy, easing what he described as an immense financial burden.

“It’s hard to express how much of an impact that made,” he said. “It allowed us to focus on our schooling without worrying about how we were going to make things work.”

Philanthropic support directly shapes a students’ ability to succeed, especially those returning to school later in life or balancing family responsibilities.

“People don’t always see how much scholarships affect us, but they absolutely do,” he said. “They remove barriers and make it possible for students to take that leap into a healthcare profession.”

When asked about KU’s annual day of giving, One Day One KU, Boyles hopes that donors understand the lasting effects of their support.

“Your gift impacts the future of healthcare,” he said. “It helps students like me become the best providers we can be.”