A marketing plan for recruiting students into pharmacy school-based graduate programs. A report

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Winter 2000 by Holdford, David A, Stratton, Timothy P

While the list of challenges to recruiting students into pharmacybased SAS graduate programs may appear formidable, there are many characteristics of SAS graduate programs which can make SAS graduate education very attractive to students who do not wish to follow traditional pharmacy practice opportunities.

Traditional pharmacist careers in retail and hospital pharmacy do not appeal to all students. Students aware of significant dissatisfaction and burnout associated with traditional pharmacy positions(3,4) are often willing to pursue extra education to find careers in less traditional sites such as academia, managed care, or the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacy-related SAS graduate education can offer entry into these fields, providing students with unique skills and training that will make them competitive for careers in these areas.

Another advantage of graduate education in general is that it is often refreshingly different from undergraduate professional programs. The rigidity of professional programs can be constraining to many students who wish to pursue special interests and ideas. Mature students and adult learners frequently find regimented learning to be inhibiting. Graduate programs can offer the opportunity for these students to focus their studies on topics directly related to their specialized area of interest. This can be a particularly desirable feature for experienced, practicing pharmacists who wish to return to school.

Another opportunity for graduate recruitment is that the high starting salaries of new pharmacists do not seduce all pharmacy students. Many students graduate without significant debt and have more flexibility in the type of postgraduate opportunity they find acceptable. Others are willing and able to postpone taking a high paying, less desirable job to work toward an equally high paying, more desirable job. Still other graduates are willing to postpone entry into the workforce to obtain an SAS graduate degree, which over the long term can result in higher salary potential in industry and other fields.

Finally, once students graduate from a professional program, they may wish to return to school at a later date. With the changing nature of the healthcare field, life-long learning is no longer just a good idea. It is often the only way that professionals can continue to advance in their careers. Pharmacy graduates who have practiced for a few years often are ideal candidates for graduate school. They tend to have greater motivation, focus, and financial resources to succeed in graduate school than recent pharmacy graduates. The success of nontraditional PharmD programs indicates that many pharmacists are willing to spend time and money to further their education.

Opportunities for Recruiting Nonpharmacy Graduates

The Social and Administrative Sciences can be a desirable career path for nonpharmacy school graduates. In fact, many of pharmacy's prominent SAS educators have undergraduate degrees in fields other than pharmacy. Recruiting students from outside of the field of pharmacy can be a good strategy for SAS graduate education.