Curriculum and Student Experiences

Curriculum Overview

Year One: Foundations of Pharmacy

Introduces you to the foundational pharmaceutical sciences, which are the building blocks of pharmacy
Gives you the solid foundation you’ll need to start working with patients and health-care professionals

Years Two and Three: Immersion in Patient Care and Engagement in Inquiry and Innovation

Early experiences in the real-world practice of pharmacy followed by reflection and discussion
Small-group and large-classroom experiences to further learning, professional development, and career-path exploration
Immersion begins the summer after the first year.

Year Four: Advanced and Elective Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Numerous advanced patient-care and elective rotations
Opportunities for you to mature your approach to pharmacy practice and to define your career path

Individualization Offerings

Within the PharmD curriculum, students have the ability to individualize their training through the completion of elective requirements.

Students are able to fulfill their elective requirements through individual elective courses and/or through a structured individualization offering, based on their interests.

Types of Structured Individualization Offerings Available

Academic Scholars Programs:

Research and Scholarship in Pharmacy (RASP): RASP is a longitudinal, selective program that is built around a mentored, in-depth, scholarly project where each student will frame an answerable question with a faculty mentor, generate and interpret relevant data, and communicate their findings in an oral and written form. This experience could include hypothesis-driven research or non-hypothesis driven research. Students who successfully complete the RASP Program will have the opportunity to pursue an honors designation during their fourth year.

Interprofessional Education and Practice Distinguished Scholars Program: The IPEP Distinguished Scholars Program (IPEP DS) recognizes students who exhibit excellence in the pursuit of interprofessional education. IPEP DS challenges participants to cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate in order to transform the future of health and human services. While completing the program components, participants build portfolios reflecting their experiences with values and ethics of interprofessional practice, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional communication, and teams and teamwork.

Global Pharmacy Scholars (GPS) Program: The GPS Program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional commitment to global education in pharmacy. Through participation in the GPS Program, students develop a global perspective, cultural sensitivity, and social responsibility. The program challenges participants to engage with global health issues, analyze connections between local and global health, and build skills in intercultural communication and global citizenship. Upon completion, students will have created a portfolio reflecting their experiences and earn a “Global Pharmacy Scholar” distinction.

Certificate Programs:

- Ambulatory Care Graduate Certificate: The Ambulatory Care Graduate Certificate Program at the Asheville Campus is designed to cultivate pharmacy leaders in outpatient pharmacy practice with advanced skills in creating and expanding ambulatory care services. Students will learn from national thought leaders in ambulatory care, engage in hands-on practice in a region known for innovative medication management models, and collaborate with ambulatory care pharmacy residents through a mentoring program. The program emphasizes patient-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and advocacy for practice advancement at the state and national levels.

- Business of Health Care Graduate Certificate: The Business of Health Care Graduate Certificate Program is designed to prepare students for the increasingly complex and interconnected health care environment. This certificate equips students with essential knowledge in health care financing, management, and organizational efficiency, empowering them to navigate and contribute to the broader health care landscape. Through a combination of required seminars and elective courses, students will gain the skills necessary for strategic decision-making and resource allocation within health care enterprises. This program will build on students’ clinical expertise to position graduates for diverse roles in the health care sector.

- Radiopharmacy Certificate: The Radiopharmacy Certificate Program provides comprehensive training in the use of radiopharmaceuticals within nuclear medicine, preparing students for the role of an Authorized Nuclear Pharmacist. The program consists of three sequential courses. PHCY 801 – Radiopharmacy I introduces the fundamentals of radiopharmacy, including the application of radioactivity in medicine, compounding practices, and medical imaging. PHCY 802 – Radiopharmacy II builds on these concepts by focusing on the instrumentation used in radiopharmacy and the biological effects of radiation. Finally, PHCY 803 – Radiopharmacy III delves into the specific radiopharmaceuticals and ancillary drugs used in nuclear medicine, with a strong emphasis on their application in drug development and clinical research.

Rural Pharmacy Health Graduate Certificate Program: The Rural Pharmacy Health Graduate Certificate Program equips student pharmacists with the skills and knowledge needed for collaborative, interprofessional practice in rural and underserved communities. Offered on both the Asheville and Chapel Hill campuses, this program focuses on key areas such as population health management, cultural responsiveness, public health, and the impact of social determinants on patient outcomes. Through mentorship and hands-on practice experiences, students build strong relationships within their communities, emerging as leaders who make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of those they serve.

Immersion Experiences

We believe talented pharmacists are developed through practice. This is why our students complete over 50% of their curriculum (2,400 hours) in real-world pharmacy settings around the state of North Carolina and nationwide with world-class healthcare institutions and clinically advanced pharmacies. We provide future pharmacists with unprecedented experience in:

Collaboration with nationally renowned physicians and healthcare teams
Patient education and training in a variety of practice settings
Holistic and culturally competent direct patient care
Communication skills development

Experiential Education Regional Hubs

Health Systems | Community Pharmacies | Direct Patient Care Practices

Outside of the classroom is where our future pharmacists learn to:

Assume responsibility for medication optimization
Utilize health resources to make real-time treatment decisions
Provide education to patients and other healthcare professionals
Establish their role in an inter-professional healthcare team
Critically approach current pharmacy issues and opportunities
Practice with the highest ethical and professional standards

Curriculum Guide

Download our PharmD Curriculum Guide for detailed information on classes, immersion experiences and elective learning pathways.

Student Life

Hear From Our Students

Student Support

Academic Advising

The School employs a developmental approach to advising within the PharmD program – realizing each student is a unique person, student, and scholar. Faculty advisors serve as coaches, mentors, and advocates as students aim to maximize their growth and development over a 4-year PharmD experience.

Academic advising focuses intently on helping PharmD students plan and make meaning of value-added co-curricular experiences. At the beginning of the program, students are placed into “Pharmalies” – advising families – in an effort to build community. Three faculty advisors and six peer mentors are paired with students in each Pharmily. Pharmalies engage in consistent and on-going interactions.

Peer Mentor Program

The Peer Mentoring Program promotes the successful transition of new students to the PharmD experience. Peer Mentors are paired with new PharmD students to add an additional layer of support and advocacy throughout the first year of study. Peer Mentors provide guidance on all things related to the doctor of pharmacy program while also serving as a consistent point of contact for questions and referrals.

Tutoring

Free tutoring services are available for PharmD students through the Office of Student Affairs and the Rho Chi Honor Society. It is highly recommended that students seek help from their course TA and Course Director if they have a grade lower than a B in any class.

Eshelman Care Team

The Eshelman Care Referral provides coordinated assistance and support to students exhibiting concerning behaviors through a centralized structure and method for outreach, referrals, and case management. The care team uses discretion in collaborating with School units and University resources when collecting pertinent information for the development of appropriate interventions and strategies, also known as Care Action Plans. The central goal of Care Action Plans is to address immediate concern(s), and ultimately support the academic and personal success and wellness of our students. Care Team Referrals are categorized in four different areas: Academic, Health/Well-being, Professionalism and Discrimination/Harrassment (including sexual assault, sexual violence, interpersonal

Student Organizations

The School supports nearly 20 recognized PharmD student organizations that cover many areas of interests for students:

Starting with the first semester in the program at the Student Senate Organization Carnival, students are provided many opportunities to learn about recognized organizations in order to make well informed membership decisions. Each student organization is assigned at least one faculty advisor who works closely with the organizations as it carries out goals and priorities.

Curriculum