By Hailey Dixon for the Lincoln Sentinel
A new pharmacist is in town. David King, a University of Kansas School of Pharmacy May 2018 graduate, is working at the Patterson Health Mart in Lincoln.
King said he discovered his current position in Lincoln through working in Clay Center in December 2017.
“The last year of pharmacy school at KU is composed of nine month-long clerkships in which students work in various pharmacy settings under the supervision of preceptor pharmacists,” he said.
Scott Patterson, the owner of Patterson pharmacies across Kansas, informed King he was searching for a full-time pharmacist in Lincoln “to improve continuity” at the Lincoln Patterson location.
“It was a natural fit for me,” King said. “My wife and I were already looking to move back to central Kansas and wanted to live in a small town.”
King, who worked previously within insurance, and his wife, Jill, are from Abilene.
“Choosing to go back to school and change careers allowed me to reinvent myself, and was an awakening of sorts, but I didn’t make that decision lightly,” King said. “While working full time for an insurance company during the day, I took community college night classes in order to fulfill prerequisites for the pharmacy program, and began working weekends at a retail pharmacy to gain experience.”
Graduates from Abilene High School, the pair then attended the University of Kansas, where they both studied foreign languages; King studied Spanish, while his wife studied German.
The couple then moved to Olathe for about 10 years with their four children: Issac, Nathan, Emily and Christina, while King attended classes, working towards his pharmacy degree.
“Doing all that with small children at home was immensely challenging for both me and my wife,” he said. “Once accepted into pharmacy school, we uprooted ourselves and moved to Lawrence.”
King said he had a great time at the University of Kansas.
“I absolutely loved my experience at KU; I really flourished as a Jayhawk,” King said. “The pharmacy school deans and staff were very supportive and encouraging, and I came to know some of them quite well.”
King said he remained involved in many aspects despite the rigorous coursework.
“It was challenging academically and the workload was very serious,” he said. “But I still worked part time, volunteered in the community and in student organizations, and I made the best friendships of my life while at KU.”
King said the community of Lincoln County is welcoming, especially with King being a Jayhawk.
“The people here are friendly and treat us like we belong here, and there are more KU fans here than I expected,” King said. “We feel safe here; I love that our children can ride their bicycles to the pool and play outside with friends and not have to worry about them being run over or something.”
King said, among other aspects, discovering a church and having great neighbors are also beneficial for his family.
“We found a great church here, the schools seem to be very well regarded, and I’m surprised by how many services are available in town,” King said. “I think the folks are excited to have another pharmacist and are delighted to have a new family.”
