Manchester University Pharmacy Program Bulletin 2018-2019

Track Programs

Track Programs
Manchester University Pharmacy Program combines a set of courses and experiences through which students develop advanced competency in a specific area. These specialized tracks allow students to demonstrate to a potential employer or post-graduate training program that they have skill and experience beyond the expectation of a Pharm.D. graduate.

Track programs offered:

• Acute Care Pharmacotherapy
• Leadership in Pharmacy Practice
• Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory Research

Acute Care Pharmacotherapy Track

Description

The acute care pharmacotherapy track is designed to give motivated students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills related to the care of hospitalized patients. It is intended to reinforce, build upon, and expand the application of topics covered throughout the required doctor of pharmacy curriculum at Manchester University College of Pharmacy. The goal of the program is to adequately prepare students to obtain and excel in a post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency in an acute care setting.

Outcomes
Students participating in the track program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an expanded knowledge base in providing pharmaceutical care for hospitalized patients.
2. Critically evaluate a hospitalized patient’s case and intervene to optimize their pharmaceutical care.
3. Successfully manage their time to complete a longitudinal clinical research or quality improvement project.
4. Outline their individualized plan for obtaining a PGY1 pharmacy residency.

Benefits and Rationale
Students completing the track can expect to benefit by 1) expanding their knowledge base in topics such as drug information, differential diagnosis, critical care pharmacotherapy, infectious diseases pharmacotherapy, and internal medicine pharmacotherapy 2) practicing critical thinking 3) refining their time and project management abilities, 4) developing their clinical skills. The track is primarily intended for students with significant interest in completing post-graduate training focused on providing pharmacy services for hospitalized patients.  The track program will be comprised of four main components:

• Didactic coursework: Students will complete several specified elective courses related to care of hospitalized patients.
• Experiential education: Students will apply their knowledge in several specified APPE rotations. These may be required by the doctor of pharmacy program or electives.
• Residency recruitment preparation: Students will participate in workshops intended to prepare them to pursue a residency position.
• Clinical research: Students will participate in an original investigation or quality improvement project focused on caring for hospitalized patients.

Over the past five years, obtaining a PGY1 residency position in US hospitals has become very competitive. This program is designed to provide track participants with the necessary guidance, experiences, and core knowledge to succeed in obtaining and excelling in a PGY1 residency.

Admission Requirements

Selection of students will occur in the third professional year.  Prior to the third professional year, students interested in admission to the acute care track should enroll in the following elective didactic courses:

• Required
  -  PHRM 595 – Postgraduate Residency Training (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
• Optional
  -  PHRM 589 – Applications of Drug Literature (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
  -  If a student does not enroll in PHRM 589, drug information will need to be taken as an elective
     APPE rotation.

Students must satisfy the following criteria to be considered for admission to the track program:

• Current enrollment in good standing at the Manchester University College of Pharmacy in the doctor of pharmacy degree program in the third professional year
• Successful completion of all required coursework through the Fall semester of the third professional year
• Successful completion of PHRM 595 – Post Graduate Residency Training (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
  
• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 in all courses taken in Manchester University College of Pharmacy. Admitted students whose GPA falls below 3.2 will be ineligible to continue in the program.

Interested students must submit the following application materials to Dr. Linn by October 31st of the third professional year:

• Current curriculum vitae including GPA
• Cover letter describing interest in participating in the track program, professional goals, and the reason(s) the candidate merits consideration for the track program

The following selection criteria will be used by track coordinators to determine which students will be offered admission to the program:

• Completeness and content of application materials.
• Compatibility of the applicants’ career aspirations, reasons for interest in the program, and professional goals with the goals of the program.

Each year, up to 8 applicants will be selected for entry into the track program. Applicants should plan on spending a significant portion of their P4 year in or near Fort Wayne. Applicants will be notified no later than December 15th regarding status of their application.

Required Program Experiences 

Successful completion of the track program requires successful completion of the following experiences:

• All required core curriculum as required by the Manchester University College of Pharmacy doctor of pharmacy program
• Two of the following elective courses (in addition to PHRM 595):
  
  • PHRM 587 – Advanced Infectious Diseases (1 credit hour; Spring P3)
  • PHRM 588 - Therapeutic Issues in Critical Care (1 credit hour; Spring P3)
  • PHRM 570 - Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular Care (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
  • PHRM XXX - Drug-Induced Diseases (1 credit hour; Spring P3)
• The following three APPE rotations (these may count as a required acute care rotation or an elective) must be completed:
  • Critical Care/Intensive Care (4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation)
  • Infectious Diseases (4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation)
  • Internal Medicine/Adult Medicine (4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation) 
• One of the following:
  • PHRM 589 – Applications of Drug Literature (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
  • Drug Information (4 credit hours, 4 week APPE rotation) 
• A longitudinal clinical research or quality performance improvement project.
  
  • The project will be identified either from a list supplied by track coordinators or by student suggestion and coordinator approval during the Spring P3 semester. Students may work in groups at the discretion of the track coordinators.
  • Participants will be assigned a track coordinator to serve as their mentor. This individual will guide them through the research project experience during the P3 and P4 year and be responsible for mentoring and assessing successful completion of the project.
  • The project must be submitted for dissemination as a podium or poster presentation at a local, regional and/or national conference OR to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.
• Attendance at workshop sessions is required during the P3 Spring semester and P4 year of the curriculum.
  • Workshop topics will vary based upon needs of track participants but may include: writing a cover letter, ASHP Midyear preparation, residency match processes, interview skills, research methods and statistics, networking opportunities with residency program directors, etc.
  • Students should be prepared to attend workshops that may occur outside normal business hours (i.e., during evenings or weekends).

Student Assessment

Track Outcome		Assessment Strategy
1.    Demonstrate an expanded knowledge base in providing pharmaceutical care for hospitalized patients.		Successful completion of the described elective courses and APPE rotations as determined by the course coordinator.
2.    Critically evaluate a hospitalized patient’s case and intervene to optimize their pharmaceutical care.		Successful completion of the described APPE rotations as determined by the course instructor.
3.    Successfully manage their time to complete a longitudinal clinical research or quality improvement project.		Proof of submission of the project to a conference or journal. Additionally, the participant’s mentor will meet no less than twice a semester to ensure satisfactory progression in the research project.
4.    Outline their individualized plan for obtaining a PGY1 pharmacy residency.		The participant’s mentor will meet no less than twice a semester to ensure satisfactory progression in preparation for the residency recruitment process.


Track Assessment
The success of the track and need for modification will be determined using the following methods:

• Number/percentage of students applying for, matching with, and/or successfully scrambling for a residency will be recorded and tracked.
• A survey will be sent to all track program participants at the end of each academic year to assess student perceptions of the program, including areas to be improved or expanded, as well as an assessment of track faculty.
• At the end of the P4 year, each student will complete an exit interview with track coordinators describing the experience and further suggestions.

Assessment results will be collected and reviewed by track coordinators and faculty who will decide if any changes are needed to the track program.  Additionally, pertinent comments and suggestions will also be shared with faculty outside of the track program who may be offering a didactic elective course which constitutes an elective choice in the program.



Leadership in Pharmacy Practice Track

Description
This track is designed to assist students in building their leadership skills. Students will examine and reflect upon their personal philosophies, innate characteristics, and the way they interact with others and their world. Students will engage in real world leadership experiences that provide them with growth opportunities and prepare them for the changing environment of health care upon graduation.

Outcomes
Students completing the program will be able to: 

1. Examine and reflect on personal knowledge, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, and emotions that could enhance or limit personal and professional growth. (C3, F2)
2. Demonstrate responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position. (D1)
3. Engage in innovative activities by using creative thinking to envision better ways of accomplishing professional goals. (F2)
4. Exhibit behaviors and values that is consistent with the trust given to the profession by patients, other healthcare providers, and society. (C1)

Benefits and Rationale
Our required curriculum provides exposure to basic leadership skills over four years. The experiences in this program will build on those in order to deepen and strengthen students’ ability to lead others. Students completing this track will be well prepared to assume future leadership roles within a variety of organizations. They will be aware of their personal strengths and attributes, and use this awareness to lead in their own way. Students will explore different ways of communicating with others in order to achieve shared goals. Through knowing themselves as well as their colleagues, they will be able to inspire others to achieve their best performance.

Admission Requirements

Students must satisfy the following criteria to be considered for admission to the Leadership track: 

• Current enrollment in good standing in the Manchester University Pharmacy Program in the second professional year
• Successful completion of all required coursework through the fall semester of the second professional year 
• Enrollment in PHRM 483 Introduction to Leadership in the P2 Spring semester is encouraged

Interested students must submit the following application materials:

• Current curriculum vitae
• Cover letter describing interest in participating in the track program, professional goals, and the reason(s) the candidate merits consideration for the track program

The following selection criteria will be used by track coordinators to determine which students will be offered admission to the program:

• Completeness and content of application materials. 
• Compatibility of the applicants’ reasons for interest in the program and professional goals with the goals of the program.
  

Applicants will be notified no later than August 10th regarding status of their application. 

Required Program Experiences

Completion of the track program requires completion of the following experiences:

• All required core curriculum as required by the Manchester University Doctor of Pharmacy Program
• Meet the requirement of a minimum of 5 elective credit hours to complete the Pharm.D. program. This will require at least one other elective in addition to the three leadership elective courses below.
• The following elective didactic courses:
  • PHRM 483 – Introduction to Leadership (1.5 credit hour; Spring P2 or P3)
  • PHRM 583 – Leadership Journey I (1.5 credit hour; Fall P3)
  • PHRM 593 – Leadership Journey II (1.5 credit hour; Spring P3)
• Two APPE rotations with significant leadership or management experience
  • One of these rotations must be focused on working with a leader in any setting.
  • The second rotation could be with another leader at a different site, or could be in any other practice area and involve some type of leadership project completed for that site.
• A longitudinal leadership project. This project could be either research-based or be implemented practically at a partner health care site or the College.
  • The project will be identified either through track coordinators or by student suggestion and coordinator approval. Students may work in groups at the discretion of the course coordinators. 
  • Participants will be assigned a track course faculty member to serve as their mentor. This individual will guide them through the research project experience and be responsible for mentoring and assessing successful completion of the project. 
  • The project must be submitted for either: 
    • dissemination as a podium or poster presentation at a local, regional and/or national conference or a peer-reviewed scientific publication; OR
    • consideration for implementation in an organization the student has worked with during his or her time in the track program.
      

• Attendance at no fewer than two professional development events per semester during the P3 and P4 years of the curriculum.
  
  • These events could be College-sponsored workshops, community events, a session at a professional organization conference, or some other event. At least one of the sessions should be focused on a leadership-related topic. These events may be identified by either the track faculty or the student; however they must be pre-approved by the track faculty.
  • Students should be prepared to attend sessions that may occur outside normal business hours (i.e., during evenings or weekends).

Student Assessment

Track Outcome		Assessment Strategy
Examine and reflect on personal knowledge, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, and emotions that could enhance or limit personal and professional growth.		Self-reflections and evaluations on required experiences.
Demonstrate responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position.		Completion of a leadership project with real world value.
Engage in innovative activities by using creative thinking to envision better ways of accomplishing professional goals.
Exhibit behaviors and values that are consistent with the trust given to the profession by patients, other healthcare providers, and society.		Successful completion of the leadership/management APPE elective rotations.

Track Assessment

The success of the track and need for modification will be determined using the following methods:

• Number/percentage of students going into a leadership position at two and five years after graduation. 
• A survey will be sent to all track program participants at the end of each academic year to assess student perceptions of the program, including areas to be improved or expanded, as well as an assessment of track faculty.  
• At the end of the P4 year, students will complete an exit interview with track faculty describing the experience and further suggestions.

Assessment results will be collected and reviewed by track coordinators and faculty who will decide if any changes are needed to the track program. Additionally, pertinent comments and suggestions will also be shared with faculty outside of the track program who may be offering a didactic elective course which constitutes an elective choice in the program.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory Research Track

Description

The pharmaceutical sciences laboratory research track is designed to give motivated students the opportunity to expand their laboratory knowledge and/or research skills.  It is intended to expose students to the types of laboratory research that could be done as a PharmD and to improve critical thinking and problem-solving ability.

Outcomes

Students participating in the track will be able to:
1)  Demonstrate and expand knowledge base in research methodologies and techniques.
2)  Conduct experiments with minimal guidance.
3)  Critically read and evaluate primary research literature and apply it to their research project.
4)  Successfully manage their time to complete a research project.
5)  Gain laboratory experiences to increase competitive position when applying for industrial or academic
     research fellowships or positions.
6)  Disseminate their research at a local, regional, or national meeting.
7)  Use the scientific method, generate hypotheses, and/or design experiments.

Benefits and Rationale

Students participating in the track will 1) conduct independent experiments 2) improve critical thinking 3) analyze research literature 4) master laboratory techniques and 5) effectively manage their time. Their track is primarily intended for students with significant interest in completing post-graduate research fellowships or in obtaining industrial research positions.  The track program will be comprised of four main components:

• Coursework: Students will complete two elective courses, one in research methods and techniques and the other in independent research.
• Experiential education: Students will apply their knowledge in a research-focused elective APPE rotation.
• Industrial and Research Fellowship preparation: Students will participate in a workshop intended to prepare them to apply for research positions.
• Presentation of research: Students will disseminate the results of their research at the Spring Celebration of Scholarship event or at another venue.

This program is designed to provide track participants with the necessary guidance, experiences, and core knowledge to obtain and succeed in a laboratory research position.

Admission Requirements

Students must satisfy the following criteria to be considered for admission to the track:

• Current enrollment in good standing in the Manchester University Pharmacy Program in the second professional year
• Successful completion all required coursework through the fall semester of the second professional year
• Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all courses taken in Manchester University Pharmacy Program. Admitted students whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be ineligible to continue in the program.

Interested students must submit the following application materials to the Research Track Director (Dr. Brown) by November 1st during the second professional year:

• Current curriculum vitae including GPA
• Cover letter describing interest in participating in the track program, professional goals, and the reason(s) the candidate merits consideration for the track program

The following selection criteria will be used to determine which students will be offered admission to the program:

• Completeness and content of application materials.
• Compatibility of the applicants’ career aspirations, reasons for interest in the program, and professional goals with the goals of the program.

Each year, up to 6 applicants will be selected for entry into the track program. Applicants will be notified no later than December 1st regarding status of their application.

Required Program Experiences 

Successful completion of the track program requires successful completion of the following experiences:

• All required core curriculum as required by the Manchester University Pharmacy Program
• Two elective didactic courses:
• PHRM 463 Research Techniques in Pharmaceutical Sciences – (2 credit hour; Spring P2) 
• PHRM 482 – Independent Research (3 credit hours; Fall or Spring P3) This is approximately a 6-9-hour commitment each week, between lab and homework. (the research must be pharmaceutical sciences laboratory-based)
•  The following APPE rotation
• Research Elective (4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation)
• A laboratory research project and poster presentation at a local, regional, or national meeting.
• The project will be identified by the course coordinators or by student suggestion and coordinator approval during the Fall P3 semester. Students may work in groups at the discretion of the research mentor.
• Participants will be assigned a course coordinator to serve as their mentor. This individual will guide them through the research project experience during the P3 and P4 year and be responsible for mentoring and assessing successful completion of the project.
• The project must be submitted for dissemination as a podium or poster presentation at a local, regional and/or national conference OR to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.
• Attendance at the workshop session.
• Workshop topics will vary based upon needs of track participants
• Students should be prepared to attend workshops that may occur outside normal business hours (i.e., during evenings or weekends).

Student Assessment

Outcome	Assessment Strategy
1. Demonstrate an expanded knowledge base in research methodologies and techniques.	Successful completion of the described courses and APPE rotation
2. Conduct experiments with minimal guidance.	Completion of independent research project in the P3 year and evaluation of laboratory notebook entries.
3. Critically read and evaluate primary research literature and apply it to their research project.	Journal club presentation of an assigned reading.
4. Successfully manage their time to complete a research project.	Successful completion of assigned project.
5. Gain laboratory experiences to increase competitive position when applying for industrial or academic research fellowships or positions.	Track number of students applying for or entering research positions following graduation.
6. Disseminate their research at a local, regional, or national meeting. Present research at the NM Student Research Symposium	Submission of the project to local, regional, or national meeting and/or submission to a journal. Presentation of research at the NM Student Research Symposium
7. Use the scientific method, generate hypotheses, and/or design experiments.	Completion of lab notebook with required elements.

Track Assessment

The success of the track and need for modification will be determined using the following methods:

• Number/percentage of students applying for research positions will be recorded and tracked.
• A survey will be sent to all track program participants at the end of each academic year to assess student perceptions of the program, including areas to be improved or expanded, as well as an assessment of track faculty.
• At the end of the P4 year, each student will complete an exit interview with course coordinators describing the experience and further suggestions.

Assessment results will be collected and reviewed by track coordinators and faculty who will decide if any changes are needed to the track program.