School of Pharmacy Announces Curriculum Updates

Healthcare and the field of pharmacy are in a constant state of change and advancement, and it is important that our School of Pharmacy adjusts with these changes to provide the highest quality education to our students. While our current structure, with minor changes, has served our students well since the inception of the school in 2006, there are some elements in the new curriculum that we hope will make our program even stronger.

Adoption of letter grades and GPA

We want to provide students with the tools and information they need to self-assess and to seek help if needed. We hope that with a GPA, students will better understand how they are performing in the program. A GPA will also provide a tangible way for students to communicate their academic success to potential employers or residency programs, in addition to opening up more scholarship opportunities and adoption of nationally recognized pharmacy academic honor societies such as Rho Chi.

Transition to an integrated semester system

Since the inception of the block system in 2007, the pharmacist’s scope of practice has changed immensely. It is now more important than ever for pharmacists to make important and lasting connections with the material and coursework to ensure they are practicing at the highest level upon graduation. In order to ensure adequate retention and learning, we have decided to integrate courses and provide longitudinal exposure to concepts and topics throughout semesters and between the years as opposed to concentrated, 2-week blocks.

Promoting wellness and resilience

The reduction of student stress has been a primary focus during the redesign process and, in an effort to improve student health and well-being, the new design has incorporated dedicated times during the weekly schedule for students to plan personal appointments and engage in self-care without fear of missing important class time.

Our high academic expectations and culture of cooperation and teamwork will remain unchanged with this transition. We believe that these elements will allow more time for students to reflect and better understand the interconnectedness of material, while reducing the amount of fatigue and anxiety students experience.