| Vol. 2 No. 4 |
Perspectives | Spring 2002 |
A two-year program offered through the Division of Pharmacotherapy opens new avenues for students interested in combining advanced education with the development of clinical and research skills.
The program, which combines the traditional M.S. in pharmacy with a residency program, is designed to assist the pharmacist in excelling in advanced practice and clinical sciences research.
The program includes an emphasis on bringing science to practice. It is designed to meet the specific needs and objectives of the student in addition to providing a foundation of course work which is required of every graduate student seeking the M.S. degree in pharmacy. Students select an area of specialization within clinical pharmacy, thereby focusing their efforts on developing the expertise needed for advanced pharmacy practice and/or a career in clinical sciences research.
Potential job opportunities available to these graduates include positions in advanced practice in direct patient care, junior investigator in an academic department or the pharmaceutical industry, non-tenure track faculty positions in clinical services and/or teaching; and entry into a fellowship or Ph.D. program.
Currently students must complete the Pharm.D. before enrolling in the new program. Four students, all of whom earned the Pharm.D. at UT, are enrolled in the program. They include: Bradi Jones-Frei, Chris Frei, Tina Lopez, and Cindy Mascarenas.
"We are looking at the feasibility of enrolling students into the M.S. program while they are completing their Pharm.D., potentially allowing for a shorter program post-graduation," said Larry Ereshefsky, professor of pharmacotherapy.
Completion of the M.S. includes a thesis requirement. Research efforts will be in the translational sciences and in other areas of clinical research. The patient-oriented components of students' research efforts will fulfill program degree requirements and the residency training and experiential requirements.
The integrated program employs didactic, seminar, and clinical experiential components. Advanced clinical and research skills are facilitated by experiential components that combine patient care and research functions in a variety of practice environments.
For additional information concerning the combined M.S. and specialty practice residency program, go to: http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/divisions/pharmaco/choosing/ma_synopsis.html.
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