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:
- Residency
- Leadership in Pharmacy Practice
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory Research
Residency Track
Certificate Description
The Residency Track is designed to give motivated students the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills related to the direct patient care. This track program will provide two options for patient care focus – acute care and ambulatory care - and it is up to the student to decide which one to pursue. 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 for participants to obtain and excel in a postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency and beyond.
Track Leadership
| Track Director |
| Robert D. Beckett, PharmD, BCPS
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Email: rdbeckett@manchester.edu |
| | |
| Acute Care Focus Coordinator | Ambulatory Care Focus Coordinator |
| Dusty Linn, PharmD, BCCCP
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Email: ddlinn@manchester.edu | Andrea Whitaker, PharmD, BCACP
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Email: awhitaker@manchester.edu |
The track director will coordinate the application process, verify satisfactory completion of the program, and directs the residency boot camp. The coordinators will assist students with meeting requirements of the program, track students’ progress in meeting requirements for the track program, and assist the director, as needed.
Track Outcomes
Students participating in the certificate program will be able to:
- Demonstrate an expanded knowledge base on providing pharmaceutical care for hospitalized or ambulatory patients.
- Critically evaluate patient cases and intervene to optimize their pharmaceutical care.
- Successfully manage their time to complete a longitudinal clinical research or quality improvement project.
Benefits and Rationale
Students completing the certificate can expect to benefit by 1) expanding their knowledge base in topics in acute care or ambulatory care related topics 2) expanding their critical thinking skills 3) developing their clinical skills, and 4) refining their time and project management abilities. The track program is primarily intended for students with significant interest in completing post-graduate training. The track program is comprised of four main components:
- Didactic coursework: Students will complete pre-specified elective courses
- Experiential education: Students will apply their knowledge in pre-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 ambulatory patients.
Obtaining a PGY1 residency position in US 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
To achieve the Residency Track designation upon graduation, the student is responsible for demonstrating proof of completion of all track requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure they meet all requirements and submit proper documentation of each requirement to the track coordinator. There is no limit to the number of students who can complete the Residency Track. The residency track faculty will help facilitate track requirements, if needed.
The residency track allows students to choose from two areas of focus – acute care and ambulatory care. Each student must submit a letter of intent and curriculum vitae (CV) during their P3 year indicating they are working towards the track program and which focus they would like to pursue. The letter of intent is to make sure students have the necessary preliminary requirements and to assist in the coordination of and selection of appropriate APPEs. A letter of intent and CV must be submitted in order to achieve the Residency Track designation at graduation.
The letter of intent and CV is due: October 1, 2019 to track coordinator and respective focus liaison
The following items must be included in the letter of intent:
- Designate which focus of the Residency Track the student wishes to complete
- Describe why the student wishes to complete the Residency Track
Required Program Experiences
Successful completion of the Residency 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
- Maintain enrollment in good standing throughout the duration at Manchester University College of Pharmacy, Natural & Health Sciences in the doctor of pharmacy degree program
| | Acute Care Focus | Ambulatory Care Focus |
| Academics | - Maintain a 3.2 or higher GPA with all grades a C/P or higher upon graduation
|
| Learning About Residencies | - Attend at minimum two residency or post-graduate training-focused information sessions
|
| Focus Area Elective Courses | - PHRM 576 (Critical Care/Infectious Diseases Therapeutics, 2 credits, Spring P3)
| - PHRM 571 (Ambulatory Care Pharmacy, 2 credits, Spring P3)
|
| Required Electives Courses | - Enroll in PHRM 595 (Postgraduate Residency Training, 1 credit, Fall P3)
- Enroll in PHRM 482 (Independent Research, 1 credit, Spring P3)
|
| Drug Information | - Choose one of the following:
- Enroll in PHRM 589 (Applications of Drug Literature, 1 credit, Fall P3)
- A drug information APPE rotation (4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation)
|
| Research | - Conduct a clinical research project individually or in a small group of two or three students. The deliverables are to:
- Complete CITI training in accordance with the requirements of the institution where the IRB for the project will be submitted
- Complete IRB or necessary institution research paperwork, as needed
- Present a poster at a local or national meeting
|
| APPE* | - Three acute care APPE rotations, one each in of the following:
- Internal medicine
- Critical care
- Infectious diseases
(Three 4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation) | - Three ambulatory care APPEs (Three 4 credit hour, 4 week APPE rotation)
- At least one rotation must have a chronic disease state collaborative practice agreement
|
- Participate in Residency Boot Camp
- Attend a regional and/or the ASHP MCM residency showcase
|
| *Requires one elective APPE rotation |
Additional Details about requirements:
A longitudinal clinical research or quality performance improvement project.
Program Completion Documentation
At the end of the P4 academic year, applicants who have completed all necessary requirements for achieving the Residency Track program at graduation must submit the following documents to the track coordinator:
- Unofficial transcript documenting GPA and all required and elective didactic courses taken along with all 4th year APPE rotation
- Documentation of presentation of research at local, regional, or national conference, completed CITI training, and IRB or institution research paperwork, if required.
- Documentation of attendance of regional or national residency showcase
- Appropriate sign-in sheets for Residency Boot Camp and residency informational meetings
Certificate Assessment
The success of the certificate 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 certificate 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 certificate 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 certificate coordinators and faculty who will decide if any changes are needed to the certificate program. Additionally, pertinent comments and suggestions will also be shared with faculty outside of the certificate 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 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:
- Examine and reflect on personal knowledge, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, and emotions that could enhance or limit personal and professional growth. (C3, F2)
- Demonstrate responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position. (D1)
- Engage in innovative activities by using creative thinking to envision better ways of accomplishing professional goals. (F2)
- Exhibit behaviors and values that are 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.