Developing 3:4 dual degree programs: Linking undergraduate and professional education

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Winter 2001 by Beardsley, Robert S, Hayes, Margaret

The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy has established 3:4 dual degree programs with a number of area universities in order to identify and recruit outstanding applicants for its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Under these agreements, students fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees concurrently. Students complete three years of their undergraduate education at one of the participating institutions and apply for admission to the School of Pharmacy. If admitted to the school, the credits they earn during the first year of the PharmD curriculum are applied by their undergraduate institutions towards the completion of their bachelor's degree. This approach has potential of impacting on a significant number of individuals interested in pursuing careers in pharmacy. These programs encourage highly motivated and well-prepared students to seek professional education earlier in their academic career.

INTRODUCTION

During the 1998 application cycle, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy experienced an 18 percent reduction in the number of applications to its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program from 527 to 433 for a class size of 100 students. This experience was not unique to the University of Maryland. Based on AACP statistics, schools and colleges of pharmacy across the country experienced similar reductions in the number of applicants(1,2). In response to this declining applicant pool, the authors studied enrollment management issues and identified possible reasons why students were not interested in entering the pharmacy profession in general and in the University of Maryland specifically.

The authors found that one potential barrier was student unwillingness to leave their undergraduate institution before receiving their bachelor's degree. The authors found that many students in their third year of college felt they needed to stay an additional year to complete the BS degree even though the BS was neither required by the school for admission nor by the profession for pharmacy licensure. As with most schools of pharmacy, the University of Maryland requires the completion of 63 credit hours of prepharmacy course work which student can complete typically in two or three years of undergraduate education. However, several students in their junior year felt a need (or sometimes their parents felt a need) to complete the requirements for the bachelor's degree before moving into professional education. Thus, a number of students delayed matriculation into the pharmacy program just to fulfill the requirements for the bachelor's degree.

Another barrier was student perception of the length of the academic training for the PharmD degree. Many undergraduate students interviewed during the evaluation process viewed pharmacy education as taking eight years to complete (four years undergraduate and four years professional education). They stated that compared to other career opportunities, eight years was too long a period of time. They stated that they could obtain well paying jobs in computer technology or in business with fewer years of higher education. Thus, they were reluctant to consider additional professional education.

Another group of individuals reflected that early in their undergraduate education they were interested in professional education. However, as they reached the end of their four years of undergraduate education, they wanted to take additional time off, to join the work force to pay off loans, or to pursue other interests. Unfortunately, many of these students were "lost" to pharmacy since they never returned to their initial area of interest - pharmacy.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

In response to these potential barriers, the University of Maryland developed (and continues to develop) 3:4 dual degree programs with several area universities. These programs are structured so that students complete three years of their undergraduate education at a participating institution. Students then apply for admission to the School of Pharmacy. If they are admitted to the pharmacy program, the credits they earn during the first year of the PharmD curriculum are recognized by their undergraduate institution and are applied toward completion of their BS degree. The School of Pharmacy does not get involved with certification of BS requirements. The home campus awards the BS degree. This approach allows students to meet their goal of completing their bachelor's degree and thus addresses the first barrier to pharmacy education as discussed above. Under these agreements, students complete both programs in seven years rather than four years for the BS degree and another four years for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Students are able to fulfill the requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees in a shorter amount of time, which addresses the second and third barriers mentioned above.

These programs have been developed without compromising the academic rigor of either degree program. The undergraduate institutions recognize that the first year pharmacy courses have the same academic rigor associated with upper level science courses in the fourth year of undergraduate Biology and Chemistry curriculums. Pharmacy courses mimic what would be taught in fourth year required courses and discipline-focused electives. The undergraduate institutions have been encouraged by their accrediting bodies to develop these dual degree programs. The state's Higher Education Commission and the University System of Maryland also encourage these types of interprofessional programs.