One to three semester hours of pharmacy elective credit can be received by working with a professor in a specialized area of interest within pharmacy. A handout describing individual faculty members' research emphasis is available in the Student Affairs Office, PHR 5.112. To take a problems course, see the instructor in the area of interest for specific suggestions and sponsorship. All students who wish to enroll in an undergraduate problems course must complete the Faculty Approval Form for Enrollment in Undergraduate Problems Courses (available in PHR 5.112), and submit it to the Students Affairs Office before they can be registered for the course.
Talking with professors in your area of interest is a good way to get an understanding of graduate work in the area. The Graduate Advisor can also answer questions and direct students to other sources of information about UT graduate programs and other programs throughout the nation. There is also a bulletin board containing information about graduate programs around the nation, located in the hallway of the north pharmacy building across from Room 2.214. Inquiries should be directed to Mickie Sheppard, Graduate Coordinator, College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Building 3.210, 471-6590.
Students work a fixed, supervised schedule (without pay) as a part of PHR 176P (Experiential Pharmacy and Patient Counseling) during the Spring of year 2 or Summer or Fall of year 3 of the professional sequence. All pharmacy students participating in PHR 176P must receive a TB test prior to beginning the course. Skin tests performed more than a year prior to participation are considered outdated and must be repeated.
The Office of the University Ombudsman is located in the Student Services Building Room G 1.404. The Ombudsman deals with University related grievances from students, faculty and staff. No appointment is necessary. (471-3825)
For official University business, go to the Registrar's Office, Main Building, Room 1. For personal business, go to the University Co-op.
The Recreational Sports Office offers an informal program of varied sports activities for both men and women students, faculty and staff and their spouses. Ping pong, archery, trampoline, basketball, exercise classes, running and swimming are some of the possible activities. Within the Department of Music, there are frequent recital performances which are open to the public at no charge. Watch for announcements of these in the Daily Texan and the Fine Arts Calendar.
The Texas State Board of Pharmacy is the state agency that registers interns, and examines and licenses all applicants for pharmacy licensure in the State of Texas. It consists of members who are appointed by the Governor and serve overlapping terms. The office is located in the William P. Hobby Building at 333 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3-600, Austin, Texas 78701-3972. Telephone: (512) 305-8000. The Executive Director is Ms. Gay Dodson, R.Ph.
These courses do not have to be completed before entering the Pharmacy School Professional Sequence; however, they must be completed before the beginning of the internship portion of the curriculum.
Our college does not require a minimum number of hours during the summer. You must take nine hours to be considered full-time for full financial aid purposes. If you take less than nine hours, consult your financial aid advisor. Students in their Pharmacotherapeutics III Summer Sequence can receive financial aid with those six hours. Pharm.D. Students on rotations can receive financial aid in the summer even though they will only have six hours. Any other questions should be referred to the Student Affairs Office of the College of Pharmacy, PHR 5.112.
There are many reasons why a particular student might need to see someone in the Students Affairs Office. Typical examples are: degree check questions, a scholarship award notification, various registration problems, current address up-dates needed...
Introduction
Section 283.2 of the Texas Pharmacy Rules clearly defines the term "intern", or more specifically,
"student pharmacist-intern" as one who is enrolled in the professional sequence of courses in a
college of pharmacy who has successsfully completed the first professional year with a minimum
of 30 credit hours towards a professional degree in pharmacy. Once the application for intern
registration is approved and the intern card issued, the student may function as an intern as
described in ß283.3 of the Rules, but ONLY under the supervision of a Texas State Board of
Pharmacy (TSBP)-approved preceptor in a pharmacy licensed by the Board.
However, the word "internship" is a little more difficult to define, since it is used to describe a variety of pharmacy-related experiences. Hopefully, the various descriptions below will help further explain what an "internship" might mean when this term is used at The UT College of Pharmacy.
The Internship Program that is part of The University of Texas College of Pharmacy
professional curriculum
The internship program of The UT College of Pharmacy satisfies ALL of the hours required for
licensure in the state of Texas and in most other states. This internship program encompasses
several professional sequence courses, although the majority of internship hours required for
licensure are earned through the senior rotation courses. These rotations are non-paid experiences.
During the final year of the pharmacy curriculum, students will participate in seven full-time (approximately 45 hours per week) six-week rotations. Although preceptors and practice sites will, of course, be different in every region, all students are required to participate in two acute care rotations, one ambulatory (community) pharmacy practice rotation, one institutional (hospital) pharmacy practice rotation, one selective rotation (selected from a list of patient-focused experiences), and two electives.
A summer or fall Internship, or "enrichment internship"*
These are the competitive state and national enrichment experiences with primarily the
pharmaceutical industry and national and state associations, although some may be sponsored
by other organizations. To distinguish this type of experience from other internships,
we refer to these as "enrichment internships".
During each Fall semester, the Office of Student Affairs provides a list of enrichment internships available, to the extent known at that time, for the following summer and fall semesters. Additionally, information that the College receives regarding these experiences is posted on the television monitor and on the College's web site. Pay attention to deadlines! If interested, students must apply for these internships and will usually be competing with other pharmacy students from across Texas and/or the US, depending on the internship. Most of these experiences provide a stipend, although it is usually only enough to cover living expenses during the internship.
Students are encouraged to do their own research regarding available enrichment internships through web searches, networking through professional organizations, classes, etc.
A job Internship*
Once a student receives a TSBP intern card, he/she may be employed in a Class A or Class C
pharmacy as a student pharmacist-intern and perform the functions of an intern under the
supervision of a TSBP-certified preceptor as described in ß283 of the Texas Pharmacy Rules.
Effective June 4, 2000 a pharmacist-intern may function as a pharmacy technician under the
direct supervision of a pharmacist under certain circumstances. Refer to ß283.5 for more information.
However, a note of caution: Although the pay may be slightly higher, or you may feel pressured by an employer to act as an intern in the practice setting, you must be extremely cautious about assuming intern duties you do not feel qualified to perform. Some students with considerable pharmacy experience may feel comfortable with the possibility of expanded duties (beyond those of a technician, for example), while others with limited or no experience may be overwhelmed at the additional responsibility. REMEMBER-PATIENT LIVES ARE AT STAKE, so do not "bite off more than you can chew".
Should you have any questions regarding intern status or internships, please see Assistant Dean Jennifer Myhra in the Office of Student Affairs.
* Internship hours gained from participating in these internships are not required for licensure in Texas, but may satisfy internship requirements for licensure in other states. Also, hours earned to not replace any rotations during the senior internship year.
Visit the "Frequently Asked Questions" page on the Experiential webpage.