Kyle Melin, PharmD ’09, was interview by Cadence Carpenter, a pharmacy student at ONU. Cadence is a member of the Honors Program, Astronomy Club, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), Secular Students Association, and Gaming Club. She plans to pursue a career in geriatric pharmacy.
Kyle Melin’s approach to life can be summarized as “go with the flow.” From the start of his academic career to his current activism and profession, he has followed his gut instinct over cornering himself with a plan.
As a young scholar, Kyle was not set on pharmacy when he first applied to Ohio Northern University. Initially gunning for chemistry, he found himself drawn to the pharmacy faculty and switched his application to the Raabe College of Pharmacy. That application ended up being the only one he submitted, and he accepted his ONU admission and moved into his new home.
Once at ONU, he enrolled in both the PharmD and JD law programs. In just seven years, he would have two doctorates and go into pharmaceutical policy; at least, that was the plan. After about two years, he realized law was not his passion and he honed in on pharmacy, completing the program in five years due to his extra work over the summers and previous enrollment in the accelerated curriculum. Beyond pharmacy, he ended up with a master’s degree in clinical and translational research.
During the entirety of his academic twists and turns, the ONU Honors Program was a constant and stable community Kyle could turn to. As an honors student, he not only formed networking connections, but he also met his wife as well as a friend who would become the best man at his wedding. Along with the social aspect, the Honors Program also helped him with responsibility and accolades. His role as an RA for two years in the honors dorms helped prepare him for the oversight of others, and he received the Charles Oren Lee award as a direct result of his exposure to other majors through the program.
Diversified by the Honors Program, Kyle graduated from ONU successful and multifaceted. Soon after graduating, he went into a PGY1 residency in ambulatory care. He initially had no plans to enter a residency and only applied at the last minute on a whim. The residency led him to a position at a healthcare start up in the Washington D.C. area where he worked in entrepreneurial and telehealth pharmacy as well for three years while his wife Laurie attended graduate school.
During their time in Washington, D.C., Kyle and Laurie looked at the next stage of their professional careers. In support of Laurie's interests and training in international education and Spanish, Kyle looked for a position in Latin America. As they searched the job openings in different Hispanic countries, Kyle found a job in academia in Puerto Rico that was recommended by Puerto Rican colleagues in D.C. The two packed up and headed to Puerto Rico where Kyle’s plans once again flew out the window.
Although Kyle initially spent most of his time teaching and in clinical practice, he quickly pivoted to research with his students to advocate for Hispanic minorities. Hispanic patients are significantly underrepresented in drug trials and policies, which can lead to significant disparities in health outcomes and access to care. Through his activism in policy, Kyle has contributed to the development of more inclusive practices in biomedical research and policy. Additionally, he researches pharmacogenomics, substance use disorder, cardiovascular health, mental health, and healthcare for sexual and gender minorities. He continues this research and advocacy to this day as an associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico and the Senior Policy and Research Fellow at the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
Kyle left me with some impactful advice: think outside the traditional trajectory and use the Honors Program to expose yourself to alternatives. The pharmacy world can become an echo chamber, and often the alternative paths involving humanities are left behind. So, make connections in other majors, try out other fields through electives, and let the path choose you.