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Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Overview

As a pharmacist, you'll serve on the front lines of medicine as a critical component of patients’ health—whether working in the lab, the community, government, or in a clinical setting.

Today’s pharmacists act as part of an integrated healthcare team, educating patients on the use of both prescription and over-the-counter medications, advising physicians and other healthcare professionals on the best use of therapeutic medications, and offering advice about drug interactions and side effects .

There are several pathways into D'Youville's three-year ACPE-accredited Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program for candidates who've earned a bachelor’s degree or are in the the process of completing the prerequisite coursework.

Why Choose D'Youville?

  • Start your introductory pharmacy practice experience in your first trimester. You'll learn to communicate with patients, solve problems related to medications and manage yourself and others in a practice environment.
  • Studies show that teamwork across clinical specialties improves patient outcomes. D'Youville's unique interdisciplinary education lab offers the opportunity for you to practice treating patients (played by actors) alongside a team of students from 7 other healthcare majors at D'Youville - all under the supervision of a skilled instructor.
  • Enrich your leadership skills while giving back, by joining D'Youville faculty in advocacy and service projects.
  • D'Youville Pharm.D graduates achieve excellent scores on national and state licensing exams; Our graduates from 2014 - 2018 report a 97% job placement rate.

What you'll learn:

  • Skills that will help you communicate effectively with patients and other healthcare practitioners
  • Processes that will help you troubleshoot and solve problems related to drug therapy regimens
  • How to develop and evaluate programs to improve the health of the communities you serve
  • Build leadership and collaboration skills through problem sets, case analyses and class service projects.

The demand for pharmacists is high and the variety of healthcare settings available to pharmacists allows graduates to chose the role that most interests them. Future D'Youville pharmacists choose the program because it allows them to work one-on-one with professors, practice across disciplines, and learn in a program focused on caring for their communities.

Practice Experience Is Integrated Into Our Curriculum

Experiential education is one of the core elements of D’Youville’s pharmacy program. You'll start your introductory pharmacy practice experience in your first trimester You'll learn to communicate with patients, solve problems related to medications and manage yourself and others in a practice environment.

The Office of Experiential Education coordinates and manages all aspects of experiential education for the School of Pharmacy once students begin their graduate studies. From introductory rotations to advanced experiences with innovative and progressive pharmacy practices, the Office of Experiential Education works with students, preceptors, and faculty to ensure a highly successful learning experience.

The Office of Experiential Education is willing and able to place students in rotations in pharmacies anywhere within the U.S. and in several international locations as well. Some international opportunities include Haiti, Uganda, Ecuador, Turks and Caicos, London and China.

International exchange rotations will also be available in Australia, Ireland, England and Puerto Rico in the near future.

 

D’Youville’s pre-pharmacy program emphasizes such vital skills as:

  • Critical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • Communication in both written and oral modes
  • Time management
  • Organizational competencies

Explore Courses In Pharmacy

Get an introduction to the profession of pharmacy and the evolution of pharmacy practice. Use team-based learning to analyze patient cases using scientific and clinical reasoning. Create a professional e-portfolio to reflect your learning and growth.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisite Courses

Students admitted into the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program are required to complete a minimum of 60-61 prerequisite credit hours. Those applicants who are in the process of completing the prerequisite coursework are welcome to apply to our Pharm.D program .

Find detailed course information for the prerequisite Doctor of Pharmacy program, tools to plan your education, and complete academic policies and procedures in the D'Youville academic catalog.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Fall

Name Credits
Introductory Biology I 4
Intro Bio Lab I 0
General Chemistry I 3
General Chemistry Laboratory 1
Humanities Seminar 3
Calculus I 4
Total Credits 15

Spring

Name Credits
Introductory Biology II 4
Intro Bio Lab II 0
General Chemistry II 3
General Chemistry Laboratory II 1
English, Writing or Literature Elective of Choice 3
Social Science or Humanities 6
Total Credits 17

Fall

Name Credits
Human Biomedical Science with Lab** 4
Organic Chemistry 3
Organic Chemistry Lab 1
Introduction to Applied Statistics 4
General Physics I 3
Gen Physics Lab I 1
Total Credits 16

Spring

Name Credits
Human Biomedical Science with Lab** 4
Organic Chemistry II 3
Organic Chemistry II Lab 1
Public Speaking 3
Macroeconomics or Microeconomics 3
Social Science or Humanities*** 3
Free elective/Human Biomedical Science with Lab (200 level or higher or course equivalent) 4
Total Credits 21

** Two 200-level or higher Human Biomedical Science courses without labs can be substituted for a single Human Biomedical Science with Lab. The Biomedical Science courses that are acceptable include Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, and/or Pharmacology. Microbiology or Anatomy and Physiology are recommended.

*** Acceptable Social Sciences are Sociology, Psychology, History or Political Science.
Acceptable Humanities are Ethics, Philosophy, Fine Arts, Literature, Religious Studies, and Foreign Languages.

  1. Two 200-level or higher Human Biomedical science courses without labs can be substituted for a single Human Biomedical Science with Lab. The Biomedical Science courses that are acceptable include Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Pharmacology. However, Microbiology or Anatomy and Physiology are recommended.
  2. Acceptable Social Sciences are Sociology, Psychology, History or Political Science.
  3. Acceptable Humanities are Ethics, Philosophy, Fine Arts, Literature, Religious Studies and Foreign Language.
  4. All pre-requisite coursework must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0/4.0) or better.
  5. Science and Math courses should be current, completed no more than five years prior to enrollment.
  6. All prerequisite Math and Science courses must be equivalent in scope and rigor to those required for Math, Chemistry and Biology majors at D’Youville.
  7. All students are expected to be proficient in the implementation of computer operating systems, software applications for word processing, statistical analysis, database management, presentations, e-mail, and the use of online databases.

Selected applicants will be invited to campus for an interview. The interview process employs a series of multiple mini-interviews to assess non-cognitive skills important to rendering patient-centered care. The School of Pharmacy’s core values (excellence, lifelong learning, cultural diversity, professionalism, leadership, social responsibility, critical inquiry, and collaboration) are the domains evaluated by the mini-interviews.

Application Requirements

The D'Youville School of Pharmacy participates in PharmCAS, the Pharmacy College Admission Service. To apply to D'Youville Professional Pharmacy Program (Pharm.D) complete the online PharmCAS application.

The PCAT is not required.  However, if the PCAT test is taken and submitted to the D’Youville School of Pharmacy via PharmCAS the Admissions Committee will review and consider the test score with the entirety of that Candidate’s PharmCAS application. 

You'll need to submit:

  • Results of the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT, code 104);
  • Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended;
  • Three letters of reference from academic professors, employers or supervisors, and faculty or healthcare advisors;
  • TOEFL scores are required for applicants whose native language is not English. TSE is required if TOEFL score is less than 600 paper, 250 computer, or 100 internet. TSE minimum score of 40 is required. Test reports must be reported to PharmCAS. The TOEFL test is not required for students who have attended an English speaking institution for two or more years. 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

  • Non-US citizens, who have attended a foreign (non-English speaking) institute for their college coursework, must take the TOEFL and TSE and have the results reported to PharmCAS
  • All foreign transcripts must be verified through PharmCAS, World Education Services (WES), Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), or Josef Silny & Associates 
Evaluation Criteria

The Admission Committee reviews the following criteria for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program:

  • Applicant's academic performance
  • Letters of recommendation

It is recommended that applicants will have a math and science prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher and overall prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or higher, demonstrate the ability to perform well in a rigorous course of study, possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, be devoted to lifelong learning, and will strive to become competent and compassionate healthcare providers.

Next Steps

Selected applicants will be invited to campus for an interview. Performance on the personal interview will help the committee assess the applicant's potential to develop into a competent, compassionate pharmacist capable of rendering patient-centered care.

  • The interview process employs a series of multiple mini-interviews to assess non-cognitive skills important to rendering patient-centered care.
  • The domains evaluated in the mini-interviews include: excellence, lifelong learning, cultural diversity, professionalism, leadership, social responsibility, critical inquiry and collaboration (core values of the D'Youville School of Pharmacy)
Articulation Agreements

The following institutions have pharmacy articulation agreements with D'Youville. Contact their admissions office for more details.

Careers

Our program prepares you for general pharmacy practice. Learn more about what it's like to be a pharmacist as well as job out look below.

A Pharmacist's Role

Pharmacists do a lot more than just dispense medications. Today's pharmacists serve on the front lines of medicine as a critical component of patients’ health—whether working in the lab, the community, government, or in a clinical setting .

Today’s pharmacists act as part of an integrated healthcare team, educating patients on the use of both prescription and over-the-counter medications, advising physicians and other healthcare professionals on the best use of therapeutic medications, and offering advice about drug interactions and side effects.

Pharmacists also participate in the research and development of new drugs, consult on drug manufacture and usage, and inform public health policy in relation to new and existing medications .

Industries & Settings

Pharmacists work in a variety of healthcare settings in a variety of roles including:

Community pharmacists working in retail settings dispensing medications, advising patients on drug effects and interactions, and providing primary health care services such as flu and shingles vaccinations.

Clinical pharmacists working in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. Clinical pharmacists work as part of an integrated healthcare team in the hospital. They provide advice on dosage and timing of medications, efficacy of specific pharmaceuticals and their alternatives, and the role of medications in the treatment of a variety of health conditions and diseases.

Consultant pharmacists providing advice on medications to institutions such as hospitals or health insurance companies. Some consultant pharmacists also provide direct consultation to patients through their own private practices.

Pharmaceutical industry pharmacists working in the pharmaceutical industry in areas ranging from marketing to sales to research.

Job Outlook

Pharmacists are in demand and well compensated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median starting wage for pharmacists in 2017 was over $124,170.

For more information about the job outlook for pharmacists, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.