I remember being in high school thinking of applying to Harvard, Stanford, colleges in Hawaii and even a University in Canada (I have family in Canada via marriage)......this was before I knew the cost of college and how much I‘d hate being 10-18 hours away from my family. I’m sure some of you were the same ambitious little nerd as I was, but truthfully my pockets and heart wouldn't allow any of that (tbh still considering Hawaii residency) . Anyways, there can be TONS of factors outside of costs and distance from family that should be considered when choosing which graduate programs to apply to! Here were mine:
Location
Just like searching for an apartment or home, LOCATION IS KEY! Yet, at the same time location doesn’t matter to some. Early on in college I definitely saw myself applying to graduate schools all over the United States, like Hawaii, Boston, Oregon and California. When it actually came time to applying, I had many factors to include besides myself.
I spent 4 years of undergrad 3.5 hours away from my family and I KNEW FOR A FACT I wouldn’t be able to get through 4 years of grad school with my family being so far. So that definitely reflected during my search. I also thought about my relationship with my “college sweetheart”. We met our first year of undergrad where we became best friends and have been inseparable since. While there are many successful long-distance relationships, I know myself and knew I’d have a hard time depending on the distance. Factors that could be considered for you:
Spouses- Are they employed? If so, must they stick with their company or can they transfer/find another job? Are they in school?
Children
Family/loved ones such as parents
Transportation
Commute - this is of course considered for those who’d like to stay home
Rotations (residency options)
Personally, I enjoy researching the different routes one can take in my profession and the roles they play. I’m currently interested in Emergency Medicine Pharmacy, Solid Organ Transplant and Oncology. With those roles in mind, I researched residency options prior to applying. There are 3 prestigious hospitals located no less than 15 miles from my university, providing excellent opportunities for me to make connections via rotations or even starting from the bottom as an intern throughout school.
Combined degrees or specialty tracks
So if you’ve read my About me page you know my bachelors is in public health with a minor in chemistry. My background and love for public health definitely played a role in deciding which programs to apply to. I specifically wanted a program who either incorporated public health into their curriculum and/or had a combined degree option for me to pursue my MPH. The university at which I will be attending in August has numerous combined degree options and equally as amazing specialty tracks which one can pursue during P4 year!
Combined degrees offered at my university:
PharmD/PhD: designed primarily for students who are strongly motivated toward an academic/research career in the pharmaceutical sciences.
PharmD/MBA: for qualified students interested in the management of human, material and/or financial resources in business, government and non-profit institutions. The degree is designed to complement the Pharm.D. degree in a manner that will broaden the occupational and professional opportunities of the prospective graduate in community, industry or institutional practice.
PharmD/MPH: designed to transform students into competent, passionate professionals ready to tackle the complex and dynamic challenges of public health in neighborhoods and populations in the United States and around the world. The MPH degree will complement the PharmD degree in a manner that will broaden the occupational and professional opportunities of the prospective graduate in community, industry or institutional practice.
PharmD/MS in Health informatics: gives candidates an edge through a unique opportunity to earn both a Master of Science and Doctorate degree at the same time. This program is designed for students seeking to provide high-quality, patient-centered care at the intersection of pharmaceutical expertise and healthcare information technology. The combination of computing and communication technologies with clinical acumen prepares students for work delivering expert, efficient, and sustainable healthcare services.
Entrepreneurship track: facilitates student learning focused on entrepreneurial innovation and design to develop leaders within the community and the profession of pharmacy.
P4 Tracks offered at my university:
Advanced Clinical Track: provide a challenging combination of APPEs that will aid in preparing students who plan on completing postgraduate residency training
Global Medical Missions: participate in pharmacy-related activities as a means for global outreach, service and personal growth.
Indian Health Service: five-week ambulatory medicine practice experience with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Students will be involved in patient counseling, calculation of individualized drug doses for clinic and hospital patients, management of stabilized chronic disease patients by drug therapy protocols and work as members of the healthcare team with IHS pharmacists, physicians and nurses.
International Pharmacy: An elective five-week pharmacy practice experience in one of the approved foreign pharmacy sites. Pharmacy students will study the health care system of the host country to determine the differences in pharmacy practice, governmental influences and education, as compared to the United States.
Research
I had the awesome opportunity to volunteer as an undergraduate research student in a microbiology lab during a semester of undergrad. While this experience assisted in my decision against pursuing my PhD. I still have an interest in research. When researching schools, I made it a point to seek information regarding research opportunities for students.
My specific program offers PharmD students the opportunity to participate in the following categories of research.
The clinical use of drugs
To discover and advance knowledge concerning the clinical use of drugs.
Conducts phase I-IV clinical trials in healthy volunteers or in patients with specific disease states.
Testing new medications that could either improve or delay the memory impairment in patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's Disease.
Other research activities include: hypertension, dementia, renal diseases, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, sickle cell anemia, and AIDS.
The Center can accomplish studies in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of clinical drug response, drug disposition and interaction, bio-availability, drug dissolution rates, and novel drug delivery systems.
Drug delivery
To promote a strong multidisciplinary team based approach to drug delivery, embracing a variety of activities in the broad area of drug formulation and delivery.
Laboratories currently highlight research in the following areas: formulation/solid dosage forms, microsphere/nantechnology, vaccine delivery and trans-dermal delivery.
The Center also works to increase awareness of drug delivery research by organizing seminars and offering consulting activities, thus providing an opportunity for Center members to interact with industry.
Overall, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing the best graduate program for you!
While cost, location, combined degree options and research meant the most to me...those factors may be less important to you. I highly recommend you take the time to research each school you plan to apply to via their website, student doctor forums, or even reaching out to students!
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