Newswise — Receiving a pharmacy degree requires hard work, long hours of study and laboratory work, dedication, and for some, Internet access. Approximately one-third of the graduates receiving their Doctor of Pharmacy degrees this Saturday from Creighton University's School of Pharmacy and Health Professions received the majority of their pharmacy education online.
The Web-Based Pharmacy Pathway at Creighton University welcomed its first class in 2001, and this Saturday this first class will be receiving their diplomas. Web-based students are expected to complete the same requirements as on-campus students, spending up to three weeks on campus each summer for required laboratory courses. Class materials are available on CD-ROM or online, and tests are proctored by local schools, libraries or testing centers. In addition, local pharmacies sometimes contract with Creighton to provide hands-on experience as well. The fourth year of the degree program requires the students to spend 40 weeks in various pharmacy practice situation, which may be near their home or elsewhere in the country
Creighton's was one of the first pharmacy schools available to distance-learners over the Internet, and as such, has been closely observed by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), which accredits all pharmacy programs. The ACPE has made four site visits, and does not recommend any changes in the program.
Students who opt for the web-based classes come from all walks of life. Some are married to military personnel and move frequently; others have family farms or other situations that require them to stay in rural areas without a pharmacy school nearby.
Caren Hughes of Acworth, Georgia, is a graduating Web-Based Pathway student who chose Creighton's online School of Pharmacy as a second career. "Receiving my Doctor of Pharmacy degree online allowed me to receive a first-rate education from home," she said.
"We are pleased we can offer this option to students who, for whatever reason, cannot complete courses in a traditional campus setting," said Patrick Malone, PharmD., FASHP, director of the Web-Based Pharmacy Pathway and associate professor of Pharmacy Practice. "We are proud of all our graduating seniors, but are especially gratified to see that our ability to meet the needs of non-traditional students has paid off with this group of web-based pharmacy graduates," he added.
Creighton University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, offers its 4,000 undergraduate and 2,700 professional and graduate students a unique atmosphere where students feel academically and professionally challenged and individually supported and inspired. Creighton has been ranked at or near the top of Midwestern universities in the U.S. News & World Report magazine's "America's Best Colleges" edition for more than a decade and is recognized among the top 45 universities in the nation for undergraduate research opportunities. For more information visit our website at: http://www.creighton.edu
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