New partnership with MCW offers accelerated path to pharmacy career for UWM students

MILWAUKEE_A new dual-degree partnership between UW-Milwaukee and the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy allows students to earn their bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) in as little as six years.

“This dual-degree program reduces the overall cost of undergraduate and professional education at two outstanding institutions by reducing two full years of education,” said George E. MacKinnon III, PhD, MS, RPh, FASHP, FNAP, founding dean of the MCW School of Pharmacy. “The partnership with UW-Milwaukee, the second-largest institution of higher learning in the state, will help those living in southeastern Wisconsin remain in the area for their full breadth of education from baccalaureate to Doctor of Pharmacy degree, reducing costs associated with moving to other campuses, while still being able to remain engaged in the local community.”

UW-Milwaukee undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences (General Biology), Microbiology or Biochemistry are eligible to apply for the dual-degree program. They will take classes for three years at UW-Milwaukee. Once they have met the requirements for admission to the MCW School of Pharmacy, they move on to the three-year, accelerated PharmD curriculum.

Scott Gronert, dean of the College of Letters & Science at UW-Milwaukee, notes the impact this program can have on Wisconsin’s shortage of health care professionals.

“The traditional pathway to becoming a pharmacist – four years of college followed by four years of pharmacy school – can seem daunting to many, particularly first-generation students. Programs like this that streamline the experience will attract more students and help fill the demand for pharmacists faster. Today’s pharmacists play a critical role for individuals and for the public health system, providing vaccinations, health screenings, mass education and chronic disease management.”

Leveraging the role of the pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic proved decisive in getting individuals tested for the virus and providing vaccines to those who wanted them. More than half (about 300 million) of all COVID-19 vaccines nationwide were administered through the oversight of the pharmacy profession. This demonstrated to the public that pharmacists can do more than just dispense medications.

As the workloads of pharmacists become more demanding, the need to grow the pharmacist workforce has become visible, with retail pharmacy chains reducing their hours. Walgreens alone reports more than 50 currently open pharmacist positions across Wisconsin. An accelerated PharmD pathway is vital as the role of the pharmacist expands.

“Had this partnership been available during my undergrad years, it would have been a game changer,” said Aaron Stange, 2023 MCW PharmD candidate and UW-Milwaukee alumnus. “The opportunity to seamlessly integrate pharmaceutical studies would have enriched my learning experience and opened doors to a more holistic understanding of the pharmacy career paths.”

The ideal time to apply for the dual-degree program is during freshman or sophomore year of college, so that MCW’s Office of Student Affairs can assist undergraduate students with completing prerequisite courses. Dual-degree program students will be partnered with an MCW faculty member and have access to career discussions and shadowing opportunities with MCW’s clinical partners. Student services are available at both institutions to provide advising as early as junior year of high school.

The MCW School of Pharmacy is one of only 18 institutions in the country that offers an accelerated three-year program to a PharmD degree. It is the only pharmacy school in southeastern Wisconsin located at an academic medical center, providing students with access to clinical experiences with Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center.

Information on the first three years of the program at UWM is available at the College of Letters & Science pre-pharmacy webpage or by contacting let-sci@uwm.edu. Questions about the second three years of the program can be directed to Angela Kowalski, MS, enrollment program manager at the Medical College of Wisconsin’s School of Pharmacy, akowalski@mcw.edu or view MCW’s undergraduate dual-degree program webpage.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.