PharmD Curriculum
Curriculum by Year
From the classroom to the community, our curriculum introduces you to diverse pathways through hands-on learning experiences. With an emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership and a research project to boot, you will learn how to utilize your skills as a pharmacist in any setting. Our four-year program allows students to develop foundational skills in the classroom early on to apply in real-world settings throughout their time in the PharmD program. Let’s walk you through each year.
First Year (P1)
Community-Based Care
In year one, you will gain foundational knowledge in the sciences, an understanding of the American health system, hone in on pharmacy practice skills and dive into community-based care.
Second Year (P2)
Ambulatory Care and Chronic Diseases
In year two, you will gain an understanding of treatment options for chronic conditions, and gain hands-on experience in ambulatory care (outpatient settings).
Third Year (P3)
Acute Care
In year three, you dive into topics surrounding acute diseases and gain hands-on experience in direct-patient care (hospital settings).
Fourth Year (P4)
Rotations and Research
In year four, you will exchange classroom learning for hands-on APPE rotations outlined in the Experiential Education section below. Additionally, you will present your PharmD Investigations Capstone project also outlined below.
Student Handbook
View College services, procedures and policies by downloading our student handbook.
Program Outcomes
The College has defined program outcomes and core skills that allow for your growth across our curriculum.
Experiential Education
Throughout your time in the PharmD program, you will complete more than 1,900 hours of hands-on rotation experiences, setting you up to become a successful clinician and exposing you to nearly every corner of life as a pharmacist.
Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs)
Through the required Experiential Education program, you will take part in IPPEs during your first three years.
Year 1
Longitudinal Early Practice Experience (LEPE)
Participate in a home-visit program with an older adult community member to understand their health history and medication usage.
Year 2
Community Care
Be paired with a community pharmacist and understand the ins-and-outs of retail and specialty pharmacies. Dispense medication, perform drug therapy assessments, counsel patients, and solve medication problems.
Ambulatory Care
Gain an understanding of caring for patients in an outpatient setting, learning to counsel patients, take medication history and solve medication problems.
Year 3
Health System/Hospital Care
Receive practical experience with systems that manage and control medications and learn to respond to drug information questions, solve medication problems and educate patients.
Direct Patient Care
Focus on communicating with patients to obtain medication histories, collect information from medical records and document pharmacy-related activities.
Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs)
Spend your fourth year participating in APPE rotations learning the skills you need to launch your pharmacy career post-graduation. Rotations include:
250+
Rotation Choices
600+
Preceptors
Choose
Your Desired Career Path
- Ambulatory Care
- Community Practice
- Drug Information
- General Medicine
- Inpatient Clinical
- Health System/Hospital Pharmacy
- Nontraditional, for example, Pharmaceutical, Biotechs and Healthcare Companies and Government agencies
- Elective (Veterinary Pharmacy, Oncology, Pediatrics and more!)
PharmD Investigations
Throughout your time in the PharmD program, you will work with an advisor on a research project we call PharmD Investigation (PDI). Here’s the timeline you follow:
Second Year: Identify a Project and Advisor | Write Project Proposal
Third Year: Collect and Analyze Data
Fourth Year: Write Final Research Report | Present Your Poster at Research Symposium Event
Our PharmD program is one of a very few in the country requiring students to complete a research project – something that sets you apart from your competition when you graduate.
Interprofessional Education (IPE)
Pharmacists are crucial members of the healthcare team, and our curriculum puts an emphasis on ensuring our students understand how to work across healthcare disciplines with diverse healthcare professionals.
First Year (P1)
During year one, you will receive an introduction to Interprofessional Education and gain an understanding of the United States healthcare system.
Second Year (P2)
During year two, you will interact with nursing and medical students during two in-class activities.
Third Year (P3)
During year three, you will interact with students studying social work, dentistry, and nursing in a dedicated team-based clinical decision-making course.
Community Health and Engagement
Our robust curriculum takes you into the community for hands-on learning and to develop skills in flu and vaccine clinics, blood pressure screenings, blood sugar checks and community education events.
Professional Electives
Ensuring you have the skill set to tackle the professional world, our PharmD program requires students to take six credits of professional electives. You’re encouraged to use this time to explore courses in science, human health and other areas of interest.
Ready to Apply?
Learn about admission requirements and view the next steps toward earning a Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan.
