4 minute read
Important Step, Important Time The New BSPS Program
BY DANIEL P. SMITH
UIC COLLEGE OF PHARMACY INTRODUCES NEW BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES DEGREE PROGRAM
Blending a desire to further enhance the appeal of UIC to potential undergraduates and PharmD students alongside a devout aim to arm students with highly sought-after knowledge and skills, UIC College of Pharmacy leadership recently announced the launch of a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical sciences (BSPS) degree program. UIC’s BSPS program will be the first of its kind in Illinois and only the 25th such program in the United States. “The four-year BSPS prepares students for careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, government regulatory agencies, graduate research programs, or professional health programs while also offering them a fast track to UIC’s PharmD program,” says College of Pharmacy associate dean for academic affairs Dr. Kristen Goliak, who designed the BSPS program proposal alongside Dr. Thomas TenHoeve, the college’s associate dean for student affairs.
ONE PROGRAM, TWO PATHWAYS
A four-year, nonlicensure undergraduate bachelor’s degree, the Chicago-based BSPS program will welcome its first students in the fall 2022 semester. Admission to the program, whether existing UIC undergraduates or transfer students from other institutions, will be based on grade point average and completion of at least 54 credit hours of college-level course work, including required courses. The new program will feature two pathways. The BSPS Pathway will prepare students for employment in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, or healthcare fields or for graduate or professional school by combining
Dr. Charles McPherson
PharmD prerequisite course work with undergraduate research and typical first-year PharmD program classes, such as integrated physiology, pharmaceutics, drug information, and biomedicinal chemistry.
“This program will serve as a valuable feeder program for professional schools such as medicine and dentistry and other graduate programs, such as a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences,” TenHoeve says.
The BSPS/PharmD Pathway, meanwhile, positions students to earn their BSPS and PharmD degrees in seven years instead of the traditional eight since the fourth year of the BSPS program overlaps with the PharmD program’s opening year.
“The BSPS/PharmD Pathway offers an option for students to save one year of time and tuition and achieve both degrees, which is an important opportunity for students in our current economy,” says JoAnn Stubbings, a clinical associate professor emerita in the Department of Pharmacy Practice who played a central role in formulating the BSPS program proposal alongside Goliak and TenHoeve.
The program is projected to enroll 25 third-year students next fall and grow to 50 enrolled third-year students upon full implementation. Leaders expect 80 percent of the enrolled students to be in the BSPS/ PharmD Pathway.
DELIVERING IN-DEMAND SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
With an aging population; heightened use of pharmaceuticals and biologics; the rapid pace of new drug and biologic approvals; and the complexity of advanced treatments, such as therapies, biologics, and vaccines, there is swelling demand among the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and healthcare industries for students trained in the pharmaceutical sciences.
In July 2020, in fact, the college surveyed potential employers and alumni to assess the level of interest and support regarding the potential creation of a BSPS degree program at UIC, including the employment prospects of such alumni. The results showed widespread interest in such an effort from a leading college of pharmacy and research institution.
Focused on relevancy and applied science, the BSPS program will provide students with techniques they can apply in pharmaceutical science laboratories, deep understanding of the mechanisms of drug action and drug delivery, and valuable knowledge on the process of drug research and development. Students will also be trained to analyze contemporary issues related to pharmaceuticals and the practice of pharmacy in the United States.
“These varied learning objectives will help students apply their knowledge into a biomedical and pharmacotherapeutic framework and pursue a diverse array of career opportunities,” Goliak says.
Dr. Charles McPherson, assistant dean for pharmacy undergraduate education, who is now tasked to oversee the BSPS program in the college’s Office of Student Affairs, calls the introduction of a BSPS degree “an important step at an important time.”
“With the new BSPS program, we will be able to expound on our important work preparing the next generation of professionals for a rewarding career in pharmacy, industry, and research,” McPherson says.
The UIC College of Pharmacy and AbbVie have long partnered to deliver essential outcomes concerning research collaborations. That partnership runs deep as our educational mission provides a steady pipeline for the future talent they need to create, discover, and deliver new ways to improve people’s health.
Our pipeline collaborations on everything from internships to experiential rotations to fellowships to job-ready hires have long provided AbbVie with a talented, diverse pool of qualified professionals that is second to none.
