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Dr. Cory Jenks earned his PharmD from the University of South Carolina in 2011 and completed a PGY1 residency at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System in 2012. His past pharmacy experience has included time as a retail pharmacist, outpatient clinical pharmacist, and inpatient clinical pharmacist. Currently, he practices as an Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist where he applies his passion for lifestyle interventions in the management of chronic disease. Cory is also an accomplished improv comedian, having started on his comedy journey in 2013. Since then, Cory has coached, taught, and performed improv for thousands of people.\xa0 Today, Cory travels the country (or at least Zooms around) teaching other healthcare professionals how to apply the valuable skills of improv comedy to create a more adaptable, empathetic, and humanizing healthcare experience. When not working or performing improv, Cory enjoys playing racquetball, basketball and golf, exploring the science of disease management through lifestyle, and is currently earning his Master\u2019s Degree in \u201cDad Jokes\u201d with the help of his two sons Jacob and Henry.

Website and Social Media Links

Website: www.coryjenks.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-jenks-3ba17314/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12616017 \xa0

instagram @pharmacomedian\xa0

twitter: @coryjenkspharmd\xa0

Email: cory@improvrx.com\xa0

Highlights from the interview

Cory uses his voice as a pharmacist and as an improv comedian.\xa0 He works full-time in an ambulatory care setting under collaborative practice agreements.\xa0 He manages a number of chronic disease states, including hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.\xa0

Cory does improv comedy on-stage.\xa0 He also helps other healthcare providers learn the skills of improv to become more adaptable, empathetic, and create a humanizing health experience.

Healthcare providers can be robotic and unsympathetic toward patients, and when unexpected situations arise, healthcare professionals might struggle. Improv helps healthcare professionals create a better experience for patients;\xa0 it helps them connect with patients.\xa0 Sometimes, improv helps patients laugh.\xa0 Other times, improv helps healthcare professionals listen and communicate better.\xa0 It even helps transfer knowledge to patients in a way they understand, care about, and act on.

What\u2019s the \u201cYes, and\u2026\u201d part of doing improv in healthcare?\xa0 \u201cYes, and\u201d is the one big rule of improv.\xa0 Those two words form the basis of improv comedy.\xa0 It means, \u201cTo agree and build together.\u201d

You can\u2019t, \u201cYes, and\u2026\u201d everything in healthcare.\xa0 When the default answer is typically, \u201cNo,\u201d improv helps healthcare professionals say, \u201cYes, and\u2026\u201d\xa0 We find reasons to help when we say, \u201cYes.\u201d\xa0 Patients feel seen, heard, and understood as a result. \xa0

For conflict resolution, coming to agreements is helpful.\xa0 \u201cI agree that this situation isn\u2019t ideal, but let\u2019s try to work together\u2026\u201d.\xa0

Improv gives healthcare professionals another way to approach a problem, but the right mindset is needed.

Improv has rules, but within the rules, anything can happen.\xa0 You do improv every time you interact with a patient.\xa0 The question is, \u201cHow well do you do it?\u201d\xa0 Improv gives you the skills to make a more enjoyable experience, which will improve outcomes. \xa0

Cory says there are no mistakes in improv.\xa0 There are only gifts.\xa0 We can choose to make what is given to us into a gift.

We did some improv with 3 common situations community practice (retail) pharmacists encounter. \xa0

1. \u201cThis isn\u2019t covered by your insurance.\u201d \xa0
2. \u201cWe need to call the prescriber to change the medication.\u201d
3. \u201cThe drug is out of stock.\u201d

Improv can help with \u201cChatty Cathys\u201d and \u201cGabby Garys\u201d too.\xa0 Accept their reality (that they want to talk to you), but also acknowledge your reality as a pharmacist.\xa0 \u201cI want to hear you, but I also have 4 other people waiting.\xa0 Give me the highlights.\xa0 I don\u2019t want you to feel ignored, but I am busy.\u201d \xa0

You\u2019re not supposed to talk about what you\u2019re doing while you\u2019re doing it.\xa0 If you\u2019re making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, don\u2019t talk about making the sandwich while you\u2019re making the sandwich!\xa0 Talk to the other person about something else while you\u2019re doing something routine. \xa0

Cory\u2019s business ImprovRX offers public speaking, curriculum development consulting, and workshops.\xa0 Visit www.coryjenks.com. \xa0

Cory delivers inspiring, improv-based keynote addresses. \xa0

He is available to help pharmacy schools (and other health professions) include improv in their curriculum.

During the pandemic, Cory\u2019s improv workshops take place via Zoom.\xa0 He talks to the participants, plays games, and teaches evidence-based improv comedy.\xa0 What\u2019s \u201cevidence-based improv comedy?\u201d\xa0 Applying improv comedy to healthcare situations.\xa0 Cory shares why improv is a useful tool in healthcare.\xa0 There is medical literature showing the utility of role play and improv in making healthcare professionals better communicators and empathizers. \xa0

Workshop participants love playing games!\xa0 It\u2019s something that is not graded.\xa0 There are no wrong answers.\xa0 It\u2019s ok to try new things in workshops.\xa0 In comparison, trying improv on-the-job when you\u2019re inexperienced may have consequences (patients may question your sincerity). \xa0

Cory\u2019s improv workshops help participants try new things in a zero-pressure setting.\xa0 He gets people out of their comfort zone, but they are happy about it even though they are challenging themselves.\xa0 Pharmacists can earn CE credit through Cory\u2019s workshops!\xa0 It\u2019s the most fun CE you\u2019ll ever do! \xa0