Kelly Kilgore

• Michigan City
• Admitted to the Purdue University Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Kelly Kilgore is one of three Purdue University North Central students who have been accepted to the Purdue University Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Becoming a pharmacist seemed like a natural profession for her. “My mother works as a pharmacy technician, and this first sparked my interest in the career,” she explained. “I grew up around a pharmacy and used to sit in the back of the pharmacy after school and wait for my mom to get off work. When I got into high school, my favorite classes were always biology and chemistry. These encouraged me to go into a field of health care.”

The Purdue School of Pharmacy is ranked fourth in the nation and has very high admission standards. This four-year program had a record 1,000 applicants from throughout the county, but only 160 qualified for admission. The incoming class of Purdue pharmacy students has a collective grade-point average of 3.67. The program also looks at a student’s on- and off-campus activities, their community involvement and work life in an effort to attract bright, well-rounded students.

Kilgore noted that some students do not realize just how competitive the program is, “In all honesty, I had no idea that pharmacy was such a competitive field when I first started. Thanks to the PNC Pre-Pharmacy Club, I was able to learn about the requirements and the application process for the program.”

Her work paid off, as she was also accepted to the University of Cincinnati’s Pharmacy Program.

Coming to PNC was a wise decision, she admits. “PNC is definitely a great place to start. Not only can you save money by living at home, but if you are unsure of what you want to major in, there are plenty of people at PNC who are more than happy to help you figure out what you want to do with your life. It is a great environment and the campus presents its students with many opportunities that will help them succeed. “

What are her career plans? “When I think about the future, I always see myself coming back to this area to work,” she said. “I work at Walgreen’s, so I have always pictured myself becoming a pharmacist there. However, there are so many different fields of pharmacy that I have not experienced yet, so I honestly cannot say where I will end up working in four years. The fourth year of the pharmacy program is rotations, so I will be able to experience working in many different fields of pharmacy, then make a decision as to where I want to start my career.”

She admits that her biggest obstacle was trying to balance school, work, volunteer activities, and a social life. “I set up my schedule so that I had plenty of time to study and do my homework between classes. That way, by the time I got off of work, I had plenty of time to relax and enjoy my weekends.”

At PNC, she is an officer of the Pre-Pharmacy and the Rotaract (campus Rotary) club. She is part of the LaPorte County Big Brother Big Sister School Buddy program, volunteering as a mentor and role model for an elementary school student. She has participated in several student panels to talk to high school students about the importance of a college education. She will travel to Peru this summer with a PNC study group.

She and fellow pharmacy student Kevin Nelson were part of PNC Delta Sigma Club trip to Tutwiler, Mississippi to help rebuild homes with Habitat for Humanity.

“This was probably my favorite PNC experience. We helped to build a new home - an experience I will never forget,” said Kilgore.