Policy

The Dual Degree Program Executive Committee is committed to working with the associate dean for experiential education to enable scheduling of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) for Pharm.D. students enrolled in the dual degree programs: Ph.D., M.B.A., M.P.H. and Certificate in Aging Studies or CoA.

All Pharm.D. students enrolled in dual degree programs are required to complete eight APPEs: six required APPEs in mandatory clinical areas and two elective APPEs. The elective APPEs must be pre-approved by the student’s graduate advisor (Ph.D.) or program liaison(s) (masters/CoA), and the associate dean of experiential education via the signed Plan of Study for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) Form, after which time the student will be registered for each of their eight APPEs in advance of their completion.

Required APPEs

The six required APPEs mandatory for all students in dual degree programs are:

  • PHAR 760 Acute Care Pharmacy Practice I
  • PHAR 761 Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Practice
  • PHAR 762 Geriatrics PHAR 762
  • PHAR 763 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice
  • PHAR 768 Advanced Community Pharmacy Practice
  • PHAR 773 Acute Care Pharmacy Practice II

Each required APPE is of  five weeks duration.

Pharm.D./Ph.D. Students 

In the fourth year of the Pharm.D. program, Pharm.D./Ph.D. students conducting thesis or dissertation research will complete the six required APPEs and two research elective APPEs for full-time research-related activities. The research elective APPEs must be pre-approved by and under the supervision of the student’s graduate advisor:

  • PHAR 765 Research Elective I (7.5-weeks)
  • PHAR 766 Research Elective II (7.5-weeks)

The required six APPEs (five weeks each) will be scheduled in the summer and fall of the P4 year (during rotation blocks 1-6) using the same management system for the Pharm.D. program. The two research elective APPEs (7.5 weeks each) will be manually pre-scheduled in P4 spring (during rotation blocks 7-9) along with appropriate graduate coursework. These students will not have an “off” APPE block.

Pharm.D./M.B.A., Pharm.D./M.P.H. and Pharm.D./CoA Students

In the last year of their Pharm.D. program, Pharm.D./M.B.A., Pharm.D./M.P.H. and Pharm.D./CoA students will complete the required six APPEs and two elective APPEs in areas related to their practice or research interest. The electives must be pre-approved by the student’s program liaison(s):

  • PHAR 765 Elective I ( five weeks)
  • PHAR 766 Elective II (five weeks)

These eight APPEs (five weeks each) will be scheduled during the last year of the Pharm.D. program using the same management system for the Pharm.D. program whereby all required and elective APPEs may occur at any time during the last year. These students may have an “off” APPE block. (Alternatively, these students may complete a third elective APPE.)

Procedures

At least six to eight months prior to the first APPEs in May, the dual degree program students and their advisors/program liaisons must approve the elective APPEs consistent with the above requirements and the students’ interest and plan of study. At this appropriate time, dual degree program students will have the following designated SOP faculty to consult as their APPE advisors:

  • Pharm.D./Ph.D. students (fall P3): Graduate advisor
  • Pharm.D./M.B.A. students (fall P3): Dr. D. Holdford
  • Pharm.D./M.P.H. students (fall P4): Dr. P. Nadpara
  • CoA students (fall P3): Dr. K. Donohoe

Together the dual degree program students and their advisors/liaisons will prepare and sign the Plan of Study for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) Form to indicate the approved APPE electives. If applicable, this form must also be signed by the business or public health liaison for Pharm.D./M.B.A and Pharm.D./M.P.H. students.

After the dual degree program student’s proposed Plan of Study for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) Form is approved and signed by the graduate advisor (for Ph.D. students) or appropriate liaison(s) (masters/COA students), the student will submit their signed proposed form to the associate dean for experiential education for review and final approval. The associate dean will ascertain that the APPE plan is consistent with the above policy and, when necessary, discuss alternative plans and/or schedule with the students and their advisors/liaisons.

Any deviations from the above policy requested by the student will have to be reviewed and approved by the Dual Degree Program Committee in advance of the rotations.

Dual degree program students must attend the APPE orientation sessions held in spring of the year that they are assigned to their first APPE (May).