The Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy receives its APhA-ASP Charter during APhA2019 in Seattle.
By Arslan Aslam, Dominika Krynicka, Holly Schaack, and Parker Knueppel
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) School of Pharmacy is the only 3-year PharmD program located on an academic medical center in the Midwest, offering a curriculum featuring early clinical experiences and interprofessional, team-based learning models, as well as access to world-renowned resources.
Empowering students to collaborate with health professionals
As the role of the pharmacist evolves, MCW student pharmacists are prepared to fulfill the expanding practice of pharmacists by receiving training in advanced practice skills such as physical assessment, point-of-care testing, and chronic care management. Beginning early in the program’s first year, students can practice the knowledge and skills they learn in the classroom every Friday in a pharmacy or health care setting through IPPEs as part of the school’s experiential education program.
Throughout the program, MCW students complete a total of 2,240 clinical rotation hours at pharmacies, community hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and unique interprofessional locations through IPPEs and APPEs. By exposing students to patient care early in the curriculum, they have more opportunities to develop professional skills within interprofessional health care teams.
To further empower students to collaborate with other health professionals, MCW has a special focus on interprofessional education (IPE). Approximately 200 hours of IPE sessions are embedded throughout the curriculum, allowing MCW students to learn with other health professional students, including physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, medical interpreters, anesthesiology assistants, and more. These experiences demonstrate the role each profession plays and how pharmacists may act synergistically to optimize patient care.
In addition to IPE sessions, students complete the Scholarly Pathways Program with medical students in one of four pathways: Bioethics, Health Systems Management and Policy, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, and Urban and Community Health. Students also have the option to complete a research project that addresses the theme of their chosen pathway.
By exploring pharmacy practice early in the curriculum, engaging with other health professionals, and expanding knowledge with research, students are growing to become the pharmacists of the future.
Here are some examples of how current MCW students feel about the unique program.
Holly Schaack, 2020 PharmD candidate
The experience I have had at MCW has been fantastic. The faculty truly cares about each individual student and their success. The strong partnership between MCW and Froedtert Hospital has enhanced my learning in clinical and nonclinical subjects. Even though we have 1 less year on campus compared with traditional 4-year programs, I have been able to participate in multiple research projects, student organizations, and other activities. I feel confident that my education and extracurricular involvement at MCW have prepared me well for APPEs and to pursue residency programs upon graduation.
Parker Knueppel, 2021 PharmD candidate
The MCW School of Pharmacy affords its students a learning environment that abounds with opportunity. I have almost completed my first year of didactic coursework, and as I reflect on my experience at MCW thus far, I feel very blessed to have grown with an incredible network of classmates, faculty members, preceptors, pharmacy organizations, and various interprofessional peers and experts who are passionate about patient-centered health care. As a student in a new developing program, my constructive feedback has been highly valued, and I have enjoyed the flexibility to pursue professional development in areas of my own personal interest.
Arslan Aslam, 2020 PharmD candidate
The experiences I have had throughout the pharmacy program here at MCW have been nothing short of remarkable. The faculty members are very approachable with their open-door policies. They have challenged and taught me how to become the pharmacist of the future through the didactic curriculum. The most unique experience MCW has given me is having IPPEs every Friday throughout the first 2 years of the curriculum. This allows me to apply what I am learning in the classroom to the real world. I am confident that the education I am receiving here at MCW will prepare me well for my final year of APPEs and pursuing a pharmacy residency upon receiving my PharmD.