INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
A Platform with Purpose
Calvin Flemons is building community, creating representation and reshaping how pharmacy stories are told with his podcast, “PharmaSoul”
Pharmacy student Calvin Flemons discusses topics like pharmacy, faith and culture on his podcast, "PharmaSoul." The show is available on most podcast platforms.
Through his podcast, “PharmaSoul,” UMKC School of Pharmacy student Calvin Flemons blends faith, healthcare and cultural identity to create conversations about perseverance, purpose and representation.
Launched in August 2024 after one of the most personally and academically challenging years of his life, the podcast reflects Flemons’ belief that visibility and voice can shape both individual lives and the future of the profession.
“I decided I've overcome a lot, and in August, I just started getting myself back together,” Flemons said. “I wanted to start something that would not only inspire me and help me, but also help others.”
His podcast centers around three pillars — faith, pharmacy and Black excellence — areas Flemons says encompass the most important parts of who he is.
“Every piece of content that I post is for others, but it's also for me,” Flemons said. “It can be something that I'm currently battling, something that I'm going through, a good piece of advice that I need to hear myself. I kind of look at it like — if I need to hear it, then I'm sure someone else probably needs to hear it too.”
To highlight his experience in pharmacy, Flemons produces episodes focused on the profession, recaps of recent rotations he’s completed and educational content about medications and patient care.
“As a pharmacy student, that's a big part of my life,” Flemons said. “So I really want to push pharmacy to bring more light to the profession, but also to educate others about what we do about their medications, the importance of pharmacists in general and how we contribute to every aspect of healthcare.”
When Flemons brings guests on his podcast, he often uses these episodes to highlight his Black excellence pillar. He has interviewed a variety of Black professionals who excel in their fields, including lawyers, politicians, teachers, entrepreneurs and pharmacists.
“This piece is really important for me because everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard,” Flemons said. “And if I can find some way to show the good work people are doing, whether it's in their career or community, I really want to showcase that and highlight that.”
“I wanted to start something that would not only inspire me and help me, but also help others.”
CALVIN FLEMONS
Flemons is passionate about creating representation, especially for younger individuals who are deciding on careers and might find inspiration in seeing someone who looks like them in a career they had never considered.
“Representation is important simply because a lot of people don't know what's possible if they've never seen it or they never heard about it,” Flemons said.
The same concept applied to Flemons when he participated in the BESt Pharmacy Summer Institute while in high school. Flemons recalled the experience as eye-opening in terms of representation, but also in the way it exposed him to so many pharmacy career possibilities.
“I was interested in pharmacy, but besides Walgreens and CVS, that's really all I knew,” Flemons said.
Pursuing a career in pharmacy is what led Flemons, a St. Louis native, across the state to UMKC — a decision that has shaped him positively.
“I’m so grateful I came to UMKC,” Flemons said. “Whether it's the professors, different staff members, leadership positions, school — I think think all of it has come together to pour into me and shape who I am today.”
One of the faculty members who has impacted Flemons is Steve Stoner, Pharm.D., associate dean for student affairs and clinical professor.
“Dr. Stoner not only poured into me, but he's poured into every single student (at the School of Pharmacy)," Flemons said. “And he really makes sure we're all seen, we're all heard and we're also supported.”
Stoner has also enjoyed mentoring Flemons and sees his podcast as a reflection of his strengths.
“I really got to see that he possessed an incredibly creative side and that he was often thinking outside of the box, or at least two steps ahead,” Stoner said. “The podcast he has developed is just one example of his creative side, and it also exemplifies how strong of a leadership voice he has.”
Flemons, who is also completing his MBA concurrently with his pharmacy degree, hopes to use his leadership capabilities toward future career opportunities. His long-term goals include becoming a clinical pharmacy professor or obtaining a leadership role at a hospital or within a pharmaceutical company.
“My goal is to be a mentor, kind of like our current professors are now,” Flemons said. “Pouring into students, leading them, improving on those clinical skills and then really just leading the next generation of pharmacists.”
Pharmacy Students Participate in Dominican Republic Practice Experience
Megan Stewart and Kaley Patillo participated in an APPE in the Dominican Republic.
In November 2025, pharmacy students Kaley Patillo and Megan Stewart completed an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) in the Dominican Republic. These immersive APPEs give students the opportunity to step outside traditional U.S. classroom and practice settings and provide patient care in underserved communities.
“I was especially interested in this APPE because my mom is from (the Dominican Republic), and much of my family still lives there,” said Stewart. “I wasn’t just practicing pharmacy in a different healthcare system, but I was serving a community that feels like home.”
Working in partnership with the Light a Candle Foundation and under the guidance of Amy Christensen (Pharm.D. ’02), Stewart and Patillo took part in direct patient care, public health initiatives and program development activities.
“I have a passion for serving diverse and underserved communities and have been traveling on medical trips since I was 7,” said Patillo. “I pursued pharmacy because I saw the need for pharmacists in these communities, and I want to use my knowledge and skills to serve them.”
Throughout the experience, Stewart and Patillo delivered pharmacy services in mobile community clinics, at outreach sites in rural Bateyes and at local healthcare facilities in La Romana. Many clinics were held in churches, schools or outdoor community areas. Medication recommendations had to be adapted based on living conditions, access to refrigeration and the likelihood of follow-up care.
“I learned it’s so important to consider the limitations of the environment you are working in,” said Patillo. “Whether it’s the capability of your patient to store and take a medication, or even access to continuous healthcare, considering the population will help you create a plan to overcome barriers and provide the best care possible.”
The clinics Patillo and Stewart worked in were fast paced, serving up to 145 patients in five hours or less. The environment required greater flexibility and reliance on clinical judgement rather than technology-driven systems.
“I was able to see how providers think through a diagnosis in real time and how medication decisions are made in the moment, based on limited resources and clinical judgement,” said Stewart.
Many clinics that Stewart and Patillo took part in were held in community areas.
Stewart and Patillo worked alongside local healthcare providers.
The students’ communication skills were also developed through frequent use of interpreters, speaking basic Spanish and Haitian Creole phrases to better connect with patients — and by working alongside local healthcare teams.
“We were able to work with a team of Dominican healthcare providers,” said Patillo. “They were so kind and genuinely felt like family by the end of the experience. The connections I have established will be relationships I’ll maintain throughout my career.”
Patillo and Stewart believe the experience significantly strengthened their readiness for pharmacy practice and increased their appreciation for past and future patients.
“It was very rewarding to see how meaningful even small pharmacy interventions were to patients,” said Stewart. “It reinforced for me how impactful patient communication and education can be.”
“I am always overwhelmed by the gratitude of the patients I am working with,” said Patillo. “My biggest takeaway is that positivity and kindness go a long way. We learned from our patients no matter your circumstance, you can choose to be thankful for what you have and the people you surround yourself with. I will always carry that with me.”
The students’ participation in the program was made possible through scholarships and funding from the UMKC Women’s Council and the UMKC Pharmacy Foundation.
Angela Brownfield, Pharm.D
Professor Takes Part in UAE Pharmacy Development Program
For the second year, Angela Brownfield, Pharm.D., served as a keynote speaker for a pharmacy development program based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Brownfield, professor and director of experiential learning at the School of Pharmacy, is part of a longitudinal preceptor certificate program for pharmacists at universities and pharmacies within the UAE.
“I was motivated to take part in this program to give to a community that is eagerly seeking experiential development,” said Brownfield.
Brownfield’s work in the program included leading a virtual presentation focused on pharmacists identifying their purpose and building self-awareness.
Since her involvement in the UAE program, Brownfield has been invited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education to speak during a professional development course for colleges and schools outside of the U.S.
“It’s important for the School of Pharmacy to collaborate with colleagues nationally and internationally,” said Brownfield. “We build a foundation for our students that allows them to confidently provide optimal care to patients. We build that future together, not alone.”