Academic Affairs

Curricular Areas of Concentration in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Approximately 20% of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum is reserved for didactic and experiential electives, to provide students the flexibility to tailor individual plans to meet their career goals. To assist students in designing their plans, the school has developed “curricular areas of concentration" which organize electives in a logical sequence to better prepare students in particular areas of practice.

Areas of concentration are administered by faculty coordinators who have specialized expertise and are available for career consultation to supplement student interaction with academic advisors. Students should take full advantage of these counseling opportunities when deciding on the choice of area of concentration. Students are not required to select an area of concentration.

Students may use elective credits for participation in dual degree programs. Generous substitution policies allow students to complete dual degrees in less time as well as for less cost than the time and money it would take to complete both degrees separately.

Selecting An Area of Concentration

Students should meet with their academic advisors and other faculty to discuss career planning and elective course selection. Prior to web-registration, all students must complete a Plan of Study indicating their planned elective course selections and their chosen area of concentration. This Plan of Study must be reviewed and signed by their academic advisor. Students must indicate their pursuit of an area of concentration or dual degree on their Plan of Study.
Students may change areas of concentration in order to maintain desired flexibility. Students can change at the beginning of each semester after consulting with their academic advisors.
Students may take courses from all areas of concentration (to maintain desired flexibility) as long as prerequisites are met for individual courses. Areas of concentration are not indicated on the diploma.

Areas of Concentration

Geriatric Pharmacy Practice
Dr. Nicole Brandt

This area of concentration is designed to prepare graduates to work with the elderly in a variety of practice settings or pursue advanced degrees (PhD, MPH) or training (fellowships, residencies) in the area of geriatrics or gerontology. By completing this area of concentration, graduates will learn essential principals to manage medication related issues as well as understand the complexities in caring for the elderly.

PHMY 552 Pharmacology and Aging (1)
PHMY 516 Geriatric Imperative (2)
PHMY 517 Geriatric Pharmacotherapy (2)
PHMY 553 Consumer Education for Older Adults (2)
PHMY 593 Care of the Terminally Ill (2)
PHMY 597 Bereavement Theory (1)
PHEX 572 Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Rotations

Management
Dr. Lynette Bradley-Baker

This area of concentration is designed to enhance student opportunities to enter management careers in corporate pharmacy, to develop entrepreneurial capabilities, and to prepare students for acceptance into management residencies. Management area of concentration students might also be interested in pursuing the dual PharmD/MBA or the PharmD/JD degree programs.

PHMY 504 Issues in Health-System Pharmacy (1)
PHMY 529 Pharmaceutical Marketing (3)
PHMY 583 Management of Health Care Systems (3)
PHMY 577 Pharmaceutical Economics (3)
PHEX 563 Administration/Organizational Management
PHEX 588 Managed Pharmacy Care Rotation

Pharmacotherapy
Dr. David Roffman

This area of concentration is designed to prepare graduates for independent optimization and implementation of pharmacotherapy in patients with multiple health problems, and to prepare students for acceptance into residencies or fellowships in pharmacotherapy.

PHMY 501 Oncology Pharmacotherapeutics (2)
PHMY 512 Case-based Management of Infectious Diseases (2)
PHMY 525 Comprehensive Pediatric Care (2)
PHMY 548 Women’s Health (3)
PHMY 562 Clinical Pharmacokinetics (2)
PHMY 563 Pharmacotherapeutic Issues in Critically Ill Patients (2)
PHMY 574 Pharmacotherapeutics I (2)
PHMY 575 Pharmacotherapeutics II (2)
PHEX 560 Adult Internal Medicine Rotation
PHEX 562 Clinical Pharmacokinetics Rotation
PHEX 564-586 Medical Subspecialty Clerkships examples: Cardiology, Critical Care, Oncology, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Psychiatry, Ambulatory Care

Advanced Pharmacy Practice
Dr. Cynthia Boyle

This area of concentration is designed to prepare graduates to implement pharmaceutical care services in a variety of practice settings. This area of concentration provides a series of didactic courses to enhance student competence to deliver pharmaceutical care services and business skill. The experiential courses provide advanced training in delivery of services and the managerial skills at the administrative level.

PHMY 511 Diabetes Disease State Management (2)
PHMY 527 Drug Induced Diseases (2)
PHMY 537 Clinical Aspects of Drug Dependence (2)
PHMY 577 Pharmaceutical Economics (3)
PHMY 583 Management of Health Care Systems (3)
PHMY 584 Patient Counseling (2)
PHMY 595 Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2)
PHMY 596 Nonprescription Medicine (2)
PHEX 588 Managed Pharmacy Care Rotation
PHEX 590 Community Pharmaceutical Care Rotation

Research
Dr. Ilene Zuckerman

The primary objective of the research area of concentration is to expose students to research so that they are better prepared for entrance into graduate studies, for a post-graduate fellowship, or for other research careers. The area of concentration will help to develop basic research-related skills that include: scientific writing, literature review and evaluation, data collection and analysis and the presentation of research results. It will introduce students to such issues as ethics in research and the various bureaucratic processes required to obtain approval of research proposals.

PHMY 510 Advanced Educational Opportunities (1)
CIPP 910 Responsible Conduct in Science (1-2)
PHMY 539 Special Topics/Research
PHEX 559 Research Experience