Pharmacy Education: Professional and Graduate Programs Charles Lee, PhD ( 李 慶 三 ) Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, FL Currently on Sabbatical at Taipei Medical University College of Pharmacy 1
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Pharmacy Education Professional Program Graduate Program Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Exam (FPGEE) 3
Professional Program Entry PharmD degree Last BS class 2004 from St. Louis College of Pharmacy Focus on pharmacy practice Immediate employment Higher entry salary than PhD Joint degree PharmD, MBA PharmD, MS PharmD, MPH PharmD, PhD PharmD, MD (add-on) 4
Joint Degree Programs in US Pharmacy Schools 1. North Dakota State University 2. University of Washington 3. University of Texas Austin 4. Purdue University (IN) 5. University of California San Diego 6. University of Maryland 7. University of Michigan 8. University of Tennessee 9. University of Florida 10. University of Houston 11. Medical College of South Carolina 12. Virginia Commonwealth University 13. University of California San Francisco 14. Ohio State University 15. University of the Pacific (CA) 16. University of Utah 17. Mercer University (GA) 5
Post Graduate Training Residency training to develop specialty (e.g., oncology, psychiatry) PGY1 PGY2 To become competitive on the job market for Clinical pharmacy position in hospital Industrial pharmacy position in pharma industry Academic pharmacy position in universities Specialty certification Compounding pharmacy Nuclear pharmacy Veterinary pharmacy 6
Graduate Program PhD level Focus on research methodology and specialty development Academic research and teaching Industry research and development Most likely will need to go through postdoctoral fellowship Lower entry salary compared with PharmD Career acceleration MS level Focus on research skills and technical training Terminal degrees such as clinical research or regulatory science 7
Posdoctoral Training Cross-field training To become competitive for academic teaching/research position (e.g., grantsmanship) To become competitive for industrial position Many postdoc positions filled by foreign educated PhDs Low level of compensation Demanding working environment 8
Program Requirements PharmD Program 2 (prepharmacy)+4 (professional ) Prepharmacy= community college, BS, MS or PhD 0+6 (straight from high school, very few universities) PCAT PhD Graduate Program 4-6 yr BS or MS required GRE * International applicant needs language test such as TOEFL or IELTS 9
PharmD Curriculum Requirements Course Work (120 credit hours required and elective) Biomedical Sciences Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Sciences Social and Administrative Sciences Experiential IPPE (320 hr) APPE (1440 hr) 10
A-Z of US Pharmacy Schools http://www.aacp.org/about/membership/in stitutionalmembership/pages/usinstitution almember.aspx N=129 11
Pharmacist Supply and Demand The Journal of Taiwan Pharmacy 27 (1), 10-16, 2011 12
ACPE Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) is the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy ACPE was established in 1932 for the accreditation of pre-service education, In 1975 its scope of activity was broadened to include accreditation of providers of continuing pharmacy education. ACPE is an autonomous and independent agency whose Board of Directors is derived through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) (three appointments each), and the American Council on Education (ACE) (one appointment). https://www.acpe-accredit.org/about/default.asp 13
NAPLEX NAPLEX is an acronym that stands for North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. It is a test that a person must take before getting licensed to practice pharmacy in a particular state. The NAPLEX is given out several times a year at licensed testing stations on computers. If you want to take the NAPLEX, you'll first have to register for it and then show up and take the test at a designated date and time. The fee to take this exam is $485 NAPLEX Syllabus Intensive Learning Course Cost: $49.99 Most states only accept ACPE accredited schools to sit for the exam *Most international pharmacy graduates not eligible to sit for NAPLEX exam 14
Professional Program Admission PharmCAS-The Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) is a centralized application service for schools and colleges of pharmacy. Offers a simple, efficient process to apply to multiple colleges and schools of pharmacy using a single Web-based application. Provides a real-time status tool so that applicants may check the status of their PharmCAS application, transcripts, test scores, and reference letters on-line at any time. Allows applicants to check the status of supplemental application materials sent directly to a designated pharmacy school via an online status tool. Facilitates the application fee payment process by allowing applicants to make online credit card payments over a secure Web site using a real-time payment system 15
PharmCAS Fee and Deadline School deadlines vary from November to March 16
PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) PCAT is an exam developed by PsychCorp, a brand of Pearson. The PCAT is constructed specifically for colleges of pharmacy. PCAT is a specialized test that helps identify qualified applicants to pharmacy colleges. It measures general academic ability and scientific knowledge necessary for the commencement of pharmaceutical education. 17
Registration Fees Registration Fee: $199.00 Includes online access to your printable Official Score Report for one year from your test date Includes Official Transcripts sent to three recipients that you specify at registration Late Registration Fee: $49.00 18
PCAT Calendar 19
PCAT Test Report * 75% is the limit for most state universities 20
Study Guide and Practice Online Practice Test Fee: one for $45.00, two for $65.00, or three for $85.00 Online Writing Practice Test Fee: one for $25.00, two for $40.00, three for $55.00, or four for $70.00 PCAT Study Guide Fee: $25.00 (non-refundable). Includes a 150-page downloadable document with complete information about the structure and contents of the PCAT, scoring information and sample essays for the Writing subtest, and examples of test items for each content objective assessed for the multiple-choice subtests. * PCAT preparatory schools available 21
Admission Requirements (1) PCAT-no pass/fail, but there is usually a cut-off for the composite and individual items GPA (Overall GPA, Pre-Pharmacy GPA, and Math/Science GPA) Letter of Recommendation Work experience (Pharmacy and non-pharmacy related) Licensure (PTCB certified and/or State certified pharmacy technician) Internships Leadership positions (student org) Extracurricular activities (church service) Research (lab) experience Personal character (determined at interview) 22
Admission Requirements (2) Different schools use own weighing formula to establish a composite score and ranking order PCAT weighs more than GPA for the international applicant Keep verbal ability and reading comprehension above a threshold Interview weighs more for international student, be prepared. If you have top PCAT, GPA and good interview, you may negotiate to be placed on accelerated track SS=x 1 (GPA)+x 2 (PCAT)+x 3 (reference)+x 4 (Research)+x 5 (Work)+ +X n (interview) 23
US Pharmacy School Ranking (2012) http://gradschools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/b est-graduate-schools/top-healthschools/pharmacy-rankings 24
Graduate Education Funding Other sources of funding not counted 25
Graduate Program Admission GRE General Test (rev 8/2011) Verbal Reasoning Measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, analyze relationships among component parts of sentences and recognize relationships among words and concepts. Quantitative Reasoning Measures problemsolving ability, focusing on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis. Analytical Writing Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically your ability to articulate and support complex ideas clearly and effectively. Fee=$185 26
GRE General Test Report * A percentile rank of 70% means that you scored higher than 70% (and lower than 30%) of all other GRE test takers over that multiyear period. 27
Subject Test Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Biology Chemistry* Computer Science Literature in English Mathematics Physics Psychology * 130 questions, Analytical (15%), Inorganic (25%), Organic (30%), Physical (30%). Reported as percentile rank. 28
GRE Test Center and Dates http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/register/ce nters_dates/ General test-computer based and paper based Subject test-paper based only Annually-Oct, Nov and Apr 29
Test Centers in Taiwan KAOHSIUNG Test Center Number: 8587 GRE, TOEFL PERMANENT CENTER TAIPEI Test Center Number: 8581 GRE, TOEFL PERMANENT CENTER 30
TOEFL * You should aim for >87 for IBT and >500 for the paper based 31
TOEFL Requirement Some schools accept IELTS, international English Language Test System 32
Graduate Program Curriculum Varies among schools! Credit hours (120 for PhD, 50 for MS) Didactic (60 for PhD, 25 for MS) Seminars Special topics Teaching Preliminary exam (end of 2nd year) Dissertation (thesis) defense Some MS degree are non-thesis 33
Graduate Program Selection By subject-area of research By Institution-prestige By advisor-reputation, helpfulness By economics-financial support By location By employment prospect Other personal considerations 34
Advantageous Profile Good GRE (as high as you can score) Good GPA (>B) Lab experience Publication is a plus Good language test score Personal communication Good reference 35
Foreign Pharmacy Graduate A foreign pharmacy graduate is a pharmacist whose undergraduate pharmacy degree was conferred by a recognized school of pharmacy outside of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. US citizens who have completed their pharmacy education outside the US 36
Foreign Pharmacy Graduate to RPh Take the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) Take an English proficiency test (Test like TOEFL or IELTS Complete internship hours. Each state requires a different number of intern hours (between 500 and 1,500) Some states use a sliding scale based on FPGEE scores Pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) 37
Application Procedures for FPGEE Application for ECE www.ece.org/nabp Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc PO Box 514070 Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 Phone: 414/289-3400 Official transcript Proof of degree Fee=$85 38
Application Procedures for FPGEE Application for the FPGEC www.nabp.net/programs/ examination/fpgec/fpgec-application. NABP 1600 Feehanville Drive Mount Prospect, IL 60056-6014 Telephone: 847/391-4406 Fax: 847/391-4502 Official proof of License/Registration Fee=$800 39
FPGEE Exam 16% Basic Biomedical Sciences 30% Pharmaceutical Sciences 22% Social/Behavioral/Administrative Pharmacy Sciences 32% Clinical Sciences 250-question multiple choice examination using a computerized format Administered over a five-and-one-half hour testing period. (two 2 3/4 hr sessions) Twice a year at more than 200 Pearson VUE testing centers in the continental US Pre-FPGEE test for $50. 40
Scoring The range of possible scaled scores on the FPGEE is 1-150 Passing score 75 (not absolute score, nor percentile) Minimum competency test FPGEE score will be valid for five years from the date of the examination. http://www.nabp.net/system/redactor_ass ets/documents/71/fpgec_application_b ulletin_122112.pdf 41
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E-mail: Chingslee@tmu.edu.tw; tel: 0920630749 43