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June 29, 2009
School of Pharmacy Receives Pre-Candidate Status
Husson University received notification of "pre-candidacy" status from the national Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education (ACPE) on Monday. "This means we will matriculate our first class of Pharm.D. students this September and we will be on our way," said Dr. Rod Larson, Dean of Husson's School of Pharmacy. "Husson has already enrolled 100 'pre-pharmacy' students and has tuition deposits for close to 60 doctoral students pending this approval. We have the faculty, staff, facilities and students and now the official authorization to begin. Most of our entering class, 72%, is from Maine, although we have deposits from across the nation. Most of our clinical experiential sites are in Maine. We believe Maine students studying and practicing right here will work, and there is a significant unmet need for pharmacists, particularly in rural, small town Maine. This is what Husson is all about," said Husson president William Beardsley. Husson began accepting pre-pharmacy undergraduates in 2007. The accrediting council (ACPE) requires that the dean, faculty, curriculum, facilities and much of the practice sites all be in place before "pre-candidacy status" is awarded. Husson has met these standards and has assembled a full class of students. The approval this past weekend is the final go ahead for the first year of the Doctor of Pharmacy, Pharm.D. professional phase. The Husson School of Pharmacy is now on track to graduate its first class in 2013. Husson has developed several tracks for moving from high school graduation into the doctoral Pharm.D. program. Students may enroll in Husson's pre-pharmacy/chemistry major or pre-pharmacy/biology major and then transfer into the Pharm.D. after two, three or four years of study if and when they meet all entry requirements. Husson has signed a compact with the University of New Brunswick that follows a similar pattern where several of the Canadian student practice sites will occur in Canada. Students with extensive science backgrounds and/or science degrees at other colleges and universities across the country also may apply directly. "The pre-pharmacy program at Husson gives talented Maine students an accelerated, affordable special opportunity and reflects Husson's mission of serving Maine youth," said pharmacy director of admissions Julie Ogden.
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