The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy held its Sixth Annual Educational Renaissance Symposium March 5 at the Carolina Inn. This year’s symposium focused on accelerating the transformation of the School’s doctor of pharmacy curriculum to keep pace with changes in health care.
The symposium brought together nearly 100 faculty and preceptors from across the state to share lessons learned and best practices and continue the design and refinement of the School’s new doctor of pharmacy curriculum. The morning session of the symposium consisted of presentations by Mary Roth McClurg, Pharm.D., M.H.S.; Scott Singleton, Ph.D.; Wendy Cox, Pharm.D.; and Denise Rhoney, Pharm.D., with engagement and participation by those in attendance. Presentations and discussions focused on:
- Highlighting the changing face of health care and the role of pharmacists in meeting the evolving health-care needs of society.
- Providing an overview of the current curricular details, along with early successes and opportunities for continued enhancement.
- Providing a new working model for curricular realignment that seeks to ensure bold transformations, and share related experiences from innovative teachers.
Following the morning session, faculty and preceptors engaged in two interactive workshops to discuss and share feedback and insights from the early immersion experiences and to network and share best practices in the education and training of students.
“The School’s Educational Renaissance Symposium continues to be an annual highlight of the School’s accomplishments and efforts toward full implementation of a bold, transformative curriculum,” said Roth McClurg, the School’s executive vice dean for academic affairs. “Bringing together faculty and preceptors from across the state enriches collaboration and strengthens efforts to design, implement and continually innovate the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. This day serves as a strong testament to the unique partnership that we share as educators and mentors of our students and to the value that all bring to enriching the learning environment.”
“This summer, we will implement the fourth year of the new curriculum, and are excited to see the Class of 2019, our inaugural class, head out on their advanced immersion experiences,” said Cox, the School’s associate dean for professional education. “Their engagement and leadership throughout the past three years has made us all the better. We wish them well as they head out into their fourth year, and we look forward to all the work that remains to be done as we seek to continually improve and transform the Doctor of Pharmacy program.”