![]() CONTENTS |
12. College of Pharmacy--continued
Admission and RegistrationAdmission to the UniversityAdmission and readmission of all students to the University is the responsibility of the director of admissions. Information about admission to the University is given in General Information. Admission to the Professional CurriculumNo student may begin the professional curriculum until he or she has been admitted to the University by the director of admissions according to the normal undergraduate procedures and has been admitted to the professional curriculum in pharmacy by the dean, following recommendation by the Admissions Committee of the College of Pharmacy, according to the procedures below. All students must meet the admission requirements given in the catalog in effect at the time of application. Admission to the University in no way implies or guarantees admission to the professional curriculum. If the number of eligible applicants for the professional curriculum exceeds the number that available facilities can accommodate, final selection is made by the college Admissions Committee and the dean. Students should note that the two admission processes are separate and independent and that deadlines for submission of all application materials for admission to the University may differ from those for submission of all application materials for admission to the professional curriculum. As a condition of admission to the college, each student must sign a statement that he or she agrees to accept assignment to any one of the college's internship regions throughout the state. Cooperative arrangements for pharmacy education exist with academic units and health care institutions in the following internship regions: Austin/Temple, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Galveston/Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio. Internship regions may be added or deleted at any time based on the availability of resources. Elective regions, which provide limited internship experiences for a specified period of time (less than four months), may also be available. Students assigned to San Antonio and Pharmacy Scholars students from UT El Paso and UT Pan American in Edinburg must spend about a year and a half to two years in those regions; students assigned to the other regions spend only the final year of the program (the internship year) in their assigned region. Students are assigned to internship regions through a computer-generated random lottery number system that takes students' ranked preferences into account. Since most students relocate to internship regions outside the Austin area, region assignment occurs during the latter part of the second professional year to allow students adequate time to make personal and financial arrangements. There are no exceptions to the region assignment process. If a student fails to agree to accept assignment to any region, he or she will not be admitted to the college. The Pharmacy Scholars Program is available to highly qualified high school seniors entering the University of Texas at El Paso or the University of Texas - Pan American. It offers these students conditional admission to the Unviersity of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy once they complete the requirements of the program at the first school. Additional information is available from UT El Paso at (915) 747-8535 or http://chs.utep.edu/pharmacy/home.html, and from UT Pan American at (956) 318-5255 or http://www.panam.edu/programs/pharmacy/. Admission to the First Professional YearAdmission to the professional curriculum is competitive. The Admissions Committee evaluates the quality of scholarship indicated by the applicant's grade point average and PCAT score. In evaluating the applicant's academic record, the committee pays particular attention to the courses required for admission to the college. Letters of recommendation, extramural service activities, work experience, and the interview and essay writing help the committee to assess leadership potential, knowledge of and commitment to the pharmacy profession, and communication skills. Interviews are generally granted only to applicants with competitive grade point averages and test scores. Because the University is a public institution, preference is given to applicants who are legal residents of Texas and to applicants from states without colleges of pharmacy. Application deadlines.The priority application deadline is February 1; the final deadline is March 1. Students are admitted for the fall semester only. Admission Requirements
Admission Procedures
RegistrationGeneral Information gives information about registration, adding and dropping courses, transfer from one division of the University to another, and auditing a course. The Course Schedule, published before registration each semester and summer session, includes registration instructions, advising locations, and the times, places, and instructors of classes. The Course Schedule and General Information are sold at campus-area bookstores. They are also published on the World Wide Web and are accessible through the registrar's Web site, http://www.utexas.edu/student/registrar/. Professional Liability InsuranceProfessional liability insurance is required of all students each year of the professional pharmacy curriculum. Coverage in the amount of two million dollars for each claim and four million dollars in the aggregate per year is provided through the insurance policy. The approximate annual premium is $17.00, payable by the student; the policy covers the period September 1 through August 31. Medical Clearance RequirementsIn addition to the measles, mumps, and rubella immunizations required by the University, students must show proof of immunity to tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis B, varicella, and tuberculosis before they enter the first professional year. In compliance with Title 25 of the Texas Administrative Code, Rule 97.64 regarding students enrolled in health-related courses that involve direct contact with patients, the following are required:
Immunization requirements are subject to change. Every effort is made to notify students promptly of any changes. Registration as a Student Pharmacist-InternUpon completion of the first professional year, each student must register as a student pharmacist-intern with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. This is accomplished through completion of the Application for Student Pharmacist-Intern Registration. Each student must be registered as a student pharmacist-intern in order to complete the academic requirements for the degree. Additional information regarding intern registration and pharmacist licensure is given in the section "Legal Requirements for Professional Practice." Student Health InsuranceStudents should procure health insurance to cover treatment for injuries or illness. This is especially important for the senior internship year, when students have frequent contact with patients in a number of different health care facilities. The Student Health Insurance Plan, operated under the auspices of University Health Services, offers optional low-cost insurance for students who are not covered by other programs. Information about this plan is available through University Health Services. Academic Policies and ProceduresAcademic Standards in the College of PharmacyUniversity regulations on scholastic probation and dismissal are given in General Information. In addition, the following academic standards are in effect in the College of Pharmacy. Academic Progress
Academic Probation and DismissalA student is placed on academic probation in the College of Pharmacy if he or she receives a grade of D or F in any required pharmacy course. If the grade received is an F, the student must repeat the course and may not progress to courses for which it is a prerequisite until he or she has earned a grade of at least C in the failed course. If the initial grade received is a D, the student may progress to courses for which the course is a prerequisite. The student may choose to repeat a course in which he or she received a D, if the course does not conflict with other courses the student would normally take in the same semester; however, this choice affects the student's release from academic probation as described in the following section. If the student receives more than two incompletes in required pharmacy courses, regardless of the grades ultimately awarded, he or she is subject to review by the Academic Performance Committee; the committee may choose to place the student on academic probation. A student is subject to dismissal from the college if he or she receives more than one D or F in required pharmacy courses in one semester. The student is also subject to dismissal if he or she receives a second D or F while on academic probation or conditional academic probation. Release from Academic ProbationAfter receiving a grade of F. The student must repeat the course and earn a grade of at least C before taking courses for which the failed course is a prerequisite. In the semester or summer session in which he or she repeats the course, the student must complete a full academic load, including at least five hours in required pharmacy courses and/or other courses recommended by the academic adviser. A full academic load is defined as twelve hours in a long-session semester and six hours in the summer. The new grade replaces the grade of F when the student's pharmacy grade point average is calculated. If the new grade is a C or better, the student is released from academic probation if and only if he or she has earned no further grades of D or F while on academic probation or conditional academic probation. If the student does not earn a grade of at least C upon repeating the course, he or she is subject to academic dismissal. After receiving a grade of D. The student chooses whether or not to repeat the course (if the course does not conflict with other courses the student would normally take in the same semester). In either case, he or she may progress to courses for which the course in question is a prerequisite. If the student chooses to repeat the course, he or she must earn a grade of at least C. If the new grade is a C or better, the student is released from academic probation if and only if he or she has earned no further grades of D or F while on academic probation or conditional academic probation. If the student does not earn a grade of at least C upon repeating the course, he or she is subject to academic dismissal. The new grade replaces the grade of D when the student's pharmacy grade point average is calculated. If the student chooses not to repeat the course, he or she remains on academic probation (or conditional academic probation, described below) through completion of the internship courses in the final semester. (To take the internship courses, the student must have a grade point average of at least 2.00 in required pharmacy courses.) If the student earns the symbol CR in each internship course, he or she is released from probation and graduates in good academic standing with the college. Conditional Academic ProbationIf a student on academic probation receives no grade lower than a C in required pharmacy courses during the following semester or summer session in which he or she takes a full academic load, the student may be placed on conditional academic probation. This status allows the student to hold student office and receive college scholarships for travel to professional meetings. The student remains on conditional academic probation until graduation and is subject to dismissal if he or she receives a second grade of D or F. Calculation of Grade Point Averages
The Academic Performance CommitteeThis committee of the College of Pharmacy is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of students in the professional program. The committee makes recommendations to the dean regarding students' academic progress and academic probation and dismissal. The committee also makes recommendations to assist students who may be in academic difficulty. Any student in academic difficulty may be asked to appear before the committee for guidance. The committee hears all student appeals regarding academic progress and academic probation and dismissal. The committee aids the Admissions Committee in the evaluation of students who wish to return to the college after having been dismissed. Course Load and Sequence of Work
Early Practice ExperienceAll students must participate in an early practice experience, which consists of at least two hundred hours in either a community pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy practice setting. Since the student must be registered with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy as a sutdent pharmacist-intern before gaining these hours, and since that registration requires that students have completed the first year of the professional sequence, students may not begin accruing these hours until after the first professional year. The early practice experience must be completed before the student begins the fourth professional year. Additional information is provided to students during the first professional year. Standards of Ethical ConductPharmacy practitioners enjoy a special trust and authority based on the profession's commitment to a code of ethical behavior in its management of client affairs. The inculcation of a sense of responsible professional behavior is a critical component of professional education, and high standards of ethical conduct are expected of pharmacy students. Toward that end, the faculty and students of the College of Pharmacy have pledged their support to the Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct and Scholastic Integrity and the Code of Ethics that implements this Policy Statement. Upon entering the College of Pharmacy, and each academic year thereafter, students are asked to recite and sign the following pledge: "As a student of the University of Texas College of Pharmacy, I have reviewed and hereby pledge my full support to the Honor Code. I pledge to be honest myself, and in order that the spirit and integrity of the Honor Code may endure, I pledge that I will make known to the appropriate authorities cases of dishonesty which I observe in the College of Pharmacy." In addition, the following oath, which students will be asked to sign, is included at the end of all class examinations. At the discretion of the instructor, the oath may also be included for other assignments such as quizzes, written reports, or papers. "I have neither participated in nor witnessed any acts of academic dishonesty pertaining to this assignment." The entire text of the Policy Statement on Ethical Conduct and Scholastic Integrity and the Honor Code are available at http://www.utexas.edu/pharmacy/students/handbook98/3code.html. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including failure of the course involved and dismissal from the college and/or the University. Since dishonesty harms the individual, fellow students, and the integrity of the University and the College of Pharmacy, policies on scholastic dishonesty are strictly enforced. Attendance in Classes and LaboratoriesStudents in the College of Pharmacy are expected to attend all meetings of the courses for which they are registered. Students who fail to attend class regularly are inviting scholastic difficulty. In some courses, instructors have special attendance requirements that should be made known to the students during the first week of classes. With the approval of the dean, a student may be dropped from a course with a grade of F for repeated unexcused absences. Academic AdvisingAcademic and career advising is an ongoing activity of the Office of Student Affairs, Pharmacy Building 5.112. Because advising is not restricted to the time just before registration, all students are strongly encouraged to seek advice whenever they need it about degree requirements, the availability of course offerings each semester, and taking courses in proper sequence. Advising for University prepharmacy students is provided by the College of Natural Sciences Health Professions Office. University students interested in the profession of pharmacy should contact that office early in their college careers. Prepharmacy students from outside the University should seek advice from the Office of Student Affairs of the College of Pharmacy. Career Counseling in the College of PharmacyThe college provides career counseling to students in the professional sequence of courses. Throughout the year, career counselors are available in the Office of Student Affairs to assist students in examining the career options available to them upon graduation. In addition, a systematic exploration of professional career options is conducted in the required course Pharmacy 249, Introduction to Pharmacy. Guest lecturers include successful pharmacists representing a variety of pharmacy practice models, other health care and regulatory settings, and careers in professional organizations, education, research, and the pharmaceutical industry. HonorsUniversity-wide honors are described in chapter 1 and in General Information. In addition, the College of Pharmacy encourages academic excellence through Rho Chi, the national pharmaceutical honor society, and through the Pharmacy Honors Program. Pharmacy Honors ProgramCriteria for admission. Students who plan to seek special honors in pharmacy should apply to the chair of the Honors Program Committee after they have completed the fall semester of the first professional year; they must apply before they begin the second professional year. The criteria for admission to the program are (1) admission to the professional curriculum; (2) a grade point average of at least 3.00 in all required professional coursework completed at the time of application to the program; and (3) approval of the Honors Program Committee. Requirements for graduation. Requirements for the completion of the honors program are (1) a grade point average of at least 3.00 in all required professional courses; (2) a grade point average of at least 3.00 in all professional courses, including required professional elective coursework; (3) completion of at least two of the following honors courses: Pharmacy 139H, 149H, 166H, 168H, and 173H; (4) completion of at least one honors elective; (5) completion of Pharmacy 278H and 479H; and (6) completion of the regular curriculum for the degree. The statement "Special Honors in Pharmacy" appears on the transcript of each graduate certified to have completed the honors program.
|
||
| Top of File | |||
|
Undergraduate Catalog Related Information Office of the Registrar
17 August 2004. Registrar's Web Team Send comments to Official Publications
|