Dr. Frederick, Curtis Vincent is the pharmacy manager for Walgreens located at 3715
Mechanicsville Tpke, Richmond, VA. He manages 25 pharmacists at this location. He
has been a pharmacy manager for three years. He earned his doctorate degree from
Virginia Commonwealth University; having graduated in 2004. Vincent said, his store is
one of the top three stores in Virginia as far as sales, number of prescriptions done per
day and size. Americantriumphjournal.com spoke with Frederick, Curtis Vincent (he
usually goes by Curtis or Curt) July 23, 2009; at the time he was 33-years-old. In the
following paragraphs, his triumph will be celebrated.
Vincent described his typical day as pharmacy manager as doing typical pharmacy
work. He said, he fills out prescriptions and talks with doctors over the phone.
“Getting prescriptions from doctors over the phone and deciphering the doctor's
handwriting,” he said. “I'm talking with patients and making sure they are getting what
they need.... And certainly sometimes doctors will make a mistake with what they write.
Outside of filling prescriptions, then you go into customer complaint issues, as a
manager and your own personnel issues.”
The first order of events for Vincent when he walks in the store is talking with his senior
techs, which he described as his right hand. He said, they fill him in on all the patient
and or personnel issues that happened while he was gone. Then he will speak with his
pharmacists and then he will speak with his store manager.
“It's more of a democracy, with a president. I got a very senior tech driven run store. I
got 4 senior techs underneath me and I give them authority to make decisions based on
they know the way I am.” he said.
Vincent described how it would be very impractical for him to manage this store by
having everything run through him. He mentioned how the store was open 24 hours a
day, seven days a week and that he was only there 8 to 9 hours a day, five days a
week.
Vincent grew up in a two parent household. His father was a civil engineer and his
mother was a stay at home mom with a disability. He graduated from Fort Pierce
Westwood High School located at 1801 Panther Ln, Fort Pierce, Fla. He went to college
at Wingate University located at 315 E. Wilson St., Wingate N.C. and majored in biology.
His college tuition was paid for by a football scholarship. Vincent was a linebacker in
high school and helped his team win a district championship his senior year. He takes
pride in the fact that after he graduated high school, he never needed nor sought
money from his parents.
Vincent planned to go to medical school after getting his bachelor's degree in biology.
He said, after he got his bachelor's he worked at Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Va.
First he worked there as a radiology aide and then he worked in their pharmacy.
“I applied for that (pharmacy position) having no experience whatsoever,” he said. “With
the intent just to get as much into the medical field as I could to further my ability to
possibly get into medical school. I got the pharmacy job and worked there for about a
year. Loved it. I also did some volunteer work with a doctor.... He was a orthopedic
surgeon. I was there with surgeries and all the office visits. I was helping him take casts
off, helping him take stitches out, put casts on,” he said.
Vincent described the final chain of events that led him to become a pharmacist.
“I applied to med school. I got put on the waiting list. I applied to pharmacy school and it
was just a whim. I only applied to MCV and that was it. They accepted my application....
I came down for an interview, they only had 3 seats left and I had an interview and I got
it,” he said.
Vincent received his doctorate from VCU School of Pharmacy in 2004. He worked as a
pharmacist for two years and then was promoted to pharmacy manager. He said, he
has a good relationship with his employees.
Trashida Long, 29, has been working with Vincent for ten months and has been a
pharmacist for 13 years. She described the work environment under Vincent as calm
and busy. She said, he backs the people under him.
“One example I can recall was when this woman, I was dealing with, came in and was
really irate with me,” Long said. “She was having problems with her insurance and
wouldn't accept what I was telling her. Curt saw that I was struggling and took over and
tried to help the lady. He could not get her to calm down, so he walked her out of the
pharmacy.”
Mark Nelson, 23 is one of Vincent's new hires. He has been working with Vincent for
three weeks as a pharmacy technician. He described Vincent as upfront and honest.
He said, it is a good work environment and that he loves his job.
Vincent was asked to give advice to new managers.
“You have to be open and personable enough with your people, that they feel they can
come and talk to you about anything,” he said.
July 23, 2009
The American Triumph Journal is a free online magazine.


Curtis Vincent
Get Your Recognition in the American Triumph Journal. Send us your story. America
wants to hear from you!
America's stories of triumph and success on all levels
|
The American Triumph Journal
|
© 2010 American Triumph Journal. All rights reserved.
|