Manchester University Pharmacy Program Bulletin 2017-2018

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

Acute Care Pharmacotherapy Track

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 Pharmacy Program. Emphasis will also be placed on obtaining and excelling in a post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency.

Outcomes
Students participating in the 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 program 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

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

• 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 Dr. Beckett by May 31st 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 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 6 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 June 20th 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
• The following elective didactic courses:
  
  • PHRM 587 – Advanced Infectious Diseases (1 credit hour; Spring P3)
  • PHRM 588 - Therapeutic Issues in Critical Care (1 credit hour; Spring P3)
  • PHRM 595 - Postgraduate Residency Training (1 credit hour; Fall 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 elective didactic course or APPE rotation with track coordinators and/or faculty:
  • PHRM 589 – Applications of Drug Literature (1 credit hour; Fall P3)
  • Drug Information (4 credit hour, 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 Fall P3 semester. Students may work in groups at the discretion of the course coordinators.
  • 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 no fewer than two workshop sessions per semester during the P3 and P4 years 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 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 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.



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. [F2]
2. Demonstrate responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position. [C3, F2]
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, C3, D2, F2]
   

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 during the spring of their second professional year (exact date to be announced):

• 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 April 1st 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 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.
• Keep a leadership journal starting the Spring P2 year and continuing through APPEs. Through the leadership elective courses and monthly during the fourth year, track faculty will regularly pose questions and issues for students to address in this journal. It will include reflections on self, others, and the healthcare world; in-class activities and assessments (e.g. Strengthsfinders themes, etc.);
• 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 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.