MCW Partners with Mount Mary for Pre-Pharmacy Program

"We are always looking for opportunities for our women to become successful in STEM and health-related disciplines."

DR. CHRISTINE PHARR, MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

A new agreement between the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and Mount Mary University will assure qualified undergraduate students at Mount Mary early admittance to the MCW School of Pharmacy.

In addition to being guaranteed a spot in MCW's three-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, full-time Mount Mary students who successfully complete the requirements will also connect with MCW in the early stage of their academic careers. They will each be assigned an MCW mentor and have opportunities to participate in the School of Pharmacy programs and events before entering pharmacy school.

Learn more about pre-pharmacy at Mount Mary.

"This partnership enhances a direct pipeline to recruit diverse students exemplified by Mount Mary to the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program," said George E. MacKinnon III, PhD, MS, RPh, founding dean of MCW's School of Pharmacy. "We're excited for the growth this partnership will bring to the PharmD program and expanding our reach within the Milwaukee community."

The partnership is the first of its kind for Mount Mary. At a university where the undergraduate population is all female, one of the goals of the direct admittance program is to attract and retain more women in STEM careers.

This agreement will have wide-ranging effects, both for advancing women in the sciences and to address demand for pharmacists within the region, said Mount Mary President Christine Pharr, Ph.D.

"Mount Mary is very pleased to be expanding upon our partnerships with the Medical College of Wisconsin with the new Pharm.D. Early Assurance Admittance program," Pharr said. "We are always looking for opportunities for our women to become successful in STEM and health-related disciplines. Given that over 80 percent of Mount Mary students stay in the greater Milwaukee area after graduation, this will be a wonderful collaboration that will benefit our institutions and our community."

The seven-year program is comprised of four years of undergraduate curriculum at Mount Mary, resulting in a Bachelor of Science degree, followed by three years of study in the PharmD curriculum at MCW.

About the Medical College of Wisconsin

The MCW Pharmacy School is the only three-year PharmD program in the Midwest that is located at an academic medical center, providing access to world-renowned resources at Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin for students and faculty alike. The aim of the MCW Pharmacy School is not only to educate the pharmacists of the future, but also create new and innovative practice models and inter-professional health care teams that leverage the role of the pharmacist to deliver patient-centered care with improved health outcomes.

The Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy's Doctor of Pharmacy program has been granted Precandidate status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603; (312) 644-3575; FAX (866) 228-2631