Alumnus authors book on using comedy in his pharmacy career
The comedy bug bit Cory Jenks when he was in high school, that age when young people begin to see their personalities develop.
"I remember memorizing stand-up comedy specials and television comedies like Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live,” he says.
Little did he know that his love of comedy would have such an impact on his future career.
Jenks came to the University of South Carolina from Tucson, Arizona. A USC recruiter visited his high school, and Jenks was intrigued by the possibility of a career in pharmacy.
“My aunt and uncle lived in Hilton Head, and it was a good excuse to come for a visit,” Jenks says. “And I fell in love with the campus.”
Jenks completed his undergraduate work at USC then earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2011.
In 2013, he launched his journey as an improv comedian and began traveling the country, working with other health care professionals to share how he applies his improv skills to create a better health care experience for his patients.
But don’t assume that a consultation with Jenks is all laughs, all the time.
“The underlying lesson that I have learned about using comedy when working with my patients is that I have become a better listener,” Jenks says. “I can sit with them and hear what they have to share and try to help them into a healthier life. It is the broad application of the skills of improv to improve the health care experience.”
Health care can be sad and frustrating, so that was my inspiration ... It was the perfect time to take all these ideas in my head and put them down on paper.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenks found time to put his thoughts on paper. He published his first book, Permission to Care: Building a Healthcare Culture that Thrives in Chaos, available on Amazon.
“Health care can be sad and frustrating, so that was my inspiration,” he says. “It was the perfect time to take all these ideas in my head and put them down on paper.”
Jenks, who works as an ambulatory care pharmacist, hopes others in the health care field can take the lessons he has shared in his book and apply them to their organizations.
“I am not writing from a philosophical standpoint,” he says. “I am writing from an application and tactical standpoint. This is something that I use every day.
“I would consider myself an unconventional pharmacist, and a lot of what I do, from comedy, writing, and even my approach with patients is to help break conventions in a way to help others live a fuller life.”
Jenks recently authored another book about the trials and tribulations of fatherhood with a comedic lens, I Guess I’m a Dad Now, exploring the lessons he has learned raising his young kids.
Topics: Alumni Programs, Pharm.D. Program