Going his own way: How a CLM student’s unconventional path led to discovering his passion

Not every student comes to the University of Kentucky with their hearts set on a specific program. In fact, College of Health Sciences (CHS) senior and current student ambassador Rasheen Turner claims that two factors led to his being here: NBA player John Wall who attended UK, and that UK boasts a reputable pharmacy program. 

“At my orientation, I talked to one of the College of Pharmacy reps and he was giving me all the right stats. 91 percent of students pass their exams and the majority of students have jobs lined up by the end of their third year,” Turner said. “So, I figured pharmacy might be my career of choice.”

After working at a Rite-Aid pharmacy for six months, Turner had had plenty of experience with the industry. “I worked at an emergency room and shadowed the operating room pharmacists,” he continued. “I realized I was only experiencing the clinical side of medicine and pharmacy. I began to wonder, ‘What about the business side?’ I soon realized that pharmacy might not be for me, but maybe medical school could be my pathway into health care.”

So, armed with a better idea of what he wanted for his education and for his future, Turner began his research and eventually changed his major to Clinical Leadership and Management (CLM). “I felt like it was the perfect fit for me because in the medical field you want to be a leader. You want to make a difference and the best way to do that is to display leadership. By generating ideas you contribute to projects, and the field of medicine improves,” he said.

Around the same time, Turner also realized that he wanted to become a cosmetic dermatologist. “I’ve encountered so many people who have acne or skin disorders,” he explained, “People who deal with skin disorders can often feel self-conscious about their appearance. With cosmetic dermatology, you can give people the chance to really feel beautiful. Ten or twenty years down the line, your patients might tell their children stories about how you made them feel special. I want everyone to wake up feeling comfortable in their own skin.”

Turner noted that his major in CLM is preparing him to succeed both as a doctor and businessman. “Having that understanding of health law, leadership, human resource management, and cultural competency will be crucial when I open my own private practice,” he said.

Turner also cited how CHS’s personable and caring staff were instrumental to his growth as a student and as a future health care professional. “I was going through a lot trying to figure things out,” he said. “I wasn’t communicating with the faculty the way I should have been as a peer mentor, and my supervisor emailed me one day. When I came in, they asked me what was wrong instead of punishing me. They were all ears. They really cared.”

This culture of compassion within CHS is what drove Turner to overcome his obstacles and pursue the excellence our faculty knew he was capable of. “Here at the College of Health Sciences, we’re a family,” he said. “If you need extra help, staff have office hours. They will make time for you. They let you know that you belong. I felt that. I knew I had to put my best foot forward so that they knew how much I appreciated the level to which they cared about me.”