Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) knows that community college students in the health sciences have big dreams. Their ambition may be to work in a hospital, use science to fight for the health of their communities, or work in a research lab discovering new drugs and bringing them to patients.
A pharmacy degree can carry them to any of these places. Yet, students don’t always think that a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is within their reach. This is why KGI is partnering with community colleges to make these dreams more accessible.
KGI intends to build a clear path for students so they can go from high school to pharmacy careers in as little as six years.
“We want students to succeed, but success isn’t just about academic ability,” said KGI School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS) Dean Martin Zdanowicz. “A key part of our vision is to create a support network for students selected for this program.”
The community college to PharmD program encompasses a six-year timeline, with the first two years at community college (providing students take all required coursework on time) and the remaining four years as a student in SPHS.
Students would be recruited and go through an application process as they enter community college. An invitation to interview for KGI’s PharmD program would be automatic for selected students, as long as they meet all requirements.
“In addition to early decision on admissions and dedicated scholarships, students in the program would also have access to additional opportunities for enrichment,” said Zdanowicz. “These include summer courses, our summer pharmacy prep program, industry talks, shadowing opportunities, visits to companies in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and access to KGI’s large body of clinical and scientific pharmacy faculty.”
To learn more about the community college to PharmD program, please visit kgi.edu/cc-pharmd.