The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences The newest health sciences professional school on the UCSD campus
is the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Approved
by the regents in summer 2000, the charter class of students was
enrolled in fall 2002. Students study an innovative curriculum dedicated
to educating future pharmacy practitioners to provide the pharmaceutical
care needs of our growing and increasingly diverse society. The
goal of the doctor of pharmacy curriculum is to prepare students
to be leaders in the profession of pharmacy and to provide them
with the tools to practice effectively in a wide variety of currently
existing and potential future roles in academia, hospitals and clinics,
long-term facilities and home care, government, health policy, the
pharmaceutical industry, and innovative community pharmacy practice
settings. It is expected that the emerging fields of pharmacogenomics
and bioinformatics will have a profound influence on the future
practice of pharmacy, and that graduates of the UCSD School of Pharmacy
and Pharmaceutical Sciences will be in an excellent position to
bring these advances to the patient care setting.
Future growth in enrollment in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and
Pharmaceutical Sciences is planned for thirty students in the class
entering in 2004 and sixty students in 2007. The Pharmaceutical
Sciences Building, which will house the administrative, teaching,
and research activities of the school, is scheduled for occupancy
in fall 2005. Until these facilities are available, enrollment will
be limited to a maximum of thirty students in each class. Once the
building is available for occupancy, the entering class size is
planned to increase to sixty students.
Rather than duplicate existing departments on the UCSD campus and
in the School of Medicine, the founding faculty of the school draw upon
the strengths of the basic and biomedical science departments that have
provided an outstanding education to undergraduate, graduate, and medical
students for more than thirty years. Faculty from campus departments
and the School of Medicine join School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences faculty in teaching the preclinical courses in the curriculum.
Clinical faculty, who are active practitioners in a variety of medical
center, community, and industry locations, provide both classroom instruction
as well as guidance of students during advanced pharmacy practice clinical
experiences.
During the first years of implementation, the curriculum will be dynamic,
under constant review, and using faculty and student input, updated
by interdisciplinary faculty committees. Presently, the four-year curriculum
leading to the doctor of pharmacy degree is designed as follows:
In the first year, students are enrolled in courses in anatomy and
histology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, bioinformatics,
law and ethics, biostatistics and an introduction to the practice
of pharmacy. Students gain their first exposure to patient care
by working alongside medical students in UCSD sponsored, student-run,
free medical clinics in San Diego. In the second year, pharmacy
and first-year medical students are concurrently enrolled in courses
that serve as a foundation for understanding disease and disease
management. In this unique environment, pharmacy and medical students
study cell biology and biochemistry, organ physiology, pharmacology,
neurosciences and endocrinology, reproduction and metabolism, laboratory
medicine, and health policy. This is another step in developing
the collegial relationship they encounter in the patient-care setting.
Courses, specific to the needs of pharmacy students, such as additional
course work in pharmacology, drug study design, and pharmacy practice
are also provided. The third year focuses on the application of
the information learned in the previous years with additional course
work in microbiology, pharmacology, drug information, pharmaceutical
chemistry, pharmaceutics, and pharmacogenomics. A major course sequence
in drug therapeutics begins the process of applying the knowledge
gained in the basic sciences to the clinical management and care
of patients. The fourth year is devoted entirely to advanced pharmacy
practice clinical experiences where students learn to apply the
skills and knowledge obtained in the curriculum in a variety of
patient care settings. Many of these advanced practice experiences
take place at UCSD-affiliated medical centers, such as UCSD Medical
CenterHillcrest, UCSD Medical CenterLa Jolla, the Veterans
Administration Medical Center in La Jolla, and San Diego Childrens
Hospital and Medical Center. In addition, many other health care
facilities throughout the region are utilized. Not only do students
participate in the care of patients in many of the most modern medical
facilities in the San Diego area, but they also learn to appreciate
the challenges faced in providing care to some of the less advantaged
citizens of the region. Both classroom elective courses as well
as advanced practice experience electives provide flexibility for
the student to explore the many facets of the profession and provide
an opportunity for the curriculum to meet a particular students
educational goals and objectives.
The San Diego region ranks third in the nation in the development
of new biotechnology. The school is developing relationships with this
burgeoning biotechnology industry, which is adjacent to the UCSD campus.
There are advanced practice and research experiences available to students
in these exciting new areas of practice.
The common required and elective course work taken by pharmacy and
medical students and advanced practice clinical experiences where medical
and pharmacy students work closely together have been created to foster
the development of cooperation between the professions as well as to
develop an appreciation for the unique roles that each professional
provides in the care of patients.
For the past twenty-five years, UCSF School of Pharmacy students have
been enrolled in advanced practice clinical activities at UCSD Medical
Centers. This long-standing relationship is continuing. The two
schools are utilizing distance-learning facilities to enhance communication
and to share educational and research experiences between students and
faculty on the two campuses.
Selection Factors
The Admissions Committee seeks a diverse pool of applicants who have
demonstrated strong academic ability in both the required prerequisite
course work and in their entire academic career as well as a wide breadth
of extracurricular interests. In addition, the committee selects applicants
for matriculation who have demonstrated the personal qualities of intelligence,
maturity, integrity, dedication to the ideal of service to society,
and who are best suited for meeting the educational goals of the school.
The ability to express oneself clearly in both oral and written English
is essential. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is
committed to admitting students with diverse cultural, economic, and
social backgrounds. Although grade-point average is an important factor,
it is not the sole criterion for acceptance. In addition to intellectual
and academic competence, the Admissions Committee considers communication
skills, leadership ability, community service, and health care-related
experience. Preference for admission is afforded to California residents
when all other selection factors are equal, and consideration at this
time is given only to applicants who are either United States citizens
or permanent residents.
All students are enrolled in the full-time, four-year professional
program leading to the doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). No students
in advanced standing, transfer students from other schools of pharmacy,
or part-time students are accepted. All students enter at the first-year
level.
The faculty of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
is exploring the implementation of a seven-year B.S./Pharm.D. program
and a Pharm.D./Ph.D. program. As development of each program matures,
information will be made available on the School of Pharmacy Web site.
It is not anticipated that the programs will be ready for student enrollment
until fall 2005.
For additional information about the UCSD School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical
Sciences, visit the school Web site, write, call, or email:
University of California, San Diego
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0657
La Jolla, California 92093-0657
(858) 822-4900
General Email: pharmacy@ucsd.edu
Admissions Office Email: sppsadmissions@ucsd.edu
Web site: http://pharmacy.ucsd.edu
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