Curriculum Overview
P1 Year
The fall of P1 year focuses on introducing the profession of pharmacy while teaching the basic skills of a pharmacist. Knowledge of the Top 100 drugs, dispensing practices, and communication skills highlight the curriculum. There are several group projects throughout the year and a number of opportunities to shadow and interview a variety of pharmacists.
The first semester also starts the first of several Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs). Students will be matched with a Community Partner, an experience which will last for the first two years of the curriculum. Students are also matched with a P4 Mentor and encouraged to shadow their mentor on various rotations throughout the year.
In the winter, students begin learning the basics of Therapeutics, Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmacology. These courses introduce the aforementioned subjects and are meant to provide a base of knowledge that will continue to be built on as students progress through P2 and P3 year.
P2 Year
The second year of the curriculum is notorious for being the most demanding academic year. However, most students enjoy developing clinical knowledge in Pathophysiology and Therapeutics. Classes also include the continuation of the Medicinal Chemistry sequence, Pharmaceutical Sciences, which introduces pharmcokinetics, and the Community Pharmacy IPPE. The Community IPPE allows students to obtain experience in a community practice setting under the supervision of a pharmacist. Students will also begin their PharmD Investigations Project, a unique research aspect of Michigan's curriculum.
P3 Year
The third year completes the didactic pharmacy coursework and offers a variety of pharmacy electives which further explore critical care, pediatrics, geriatrics, immunizations, parenteral nutrition, and other topics. Standard coursework includes Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, Pharmaceutical Care, as well as Pharmacy Law and Health System Pharmacy lectures. P3 students will complete their PharmD Investigations Project, an institutional/hospital IPPE, and a direct care IPPE.
P4 Year
Beginning the spring immediately following P3 year, the fourth year consists of eight five-week Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). Students are assigned to APPE rotations based on their ranked preferences. These rotations take place in a variety of practice settings (such as community, institutional, ambulatory, administrative), and allow students to further develop their clinical skills and knowledge necessary to function as independent pharmacists after graduation. There are numerous practice sites offered for each rotation, with many students electing to pursue out-of-state rotations in sites such as Chicago, Washington DC, and Alaska. To read about actual student experiences, visit the P4 Rotation Blog!
