Doctor of Pharmacy

A four-year curriculum, following a minimum of two years of college prerequisite work, leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) is offered to students admitted to the School of Pharmacy. A sample outline of the curriculum is listed in the following pages. The degree will not be conferred until the student has successfully completed all prerequisite and Doctor of Pharmacy degree requirements.

Application Procedure

Application forms may be obtained by mail or in person from the School of Pharmacy Office of Admission. A non-refundable fee of $55 must be sent with the completed application, personal statement, sealed official transcripts and sealed letters of recommendation by the final deadline date of February 1 (subject to change).

Applications received before February 1 will have priority consideration when all necessary criteria have been met. Application should be mailed to: Student Affairs Office, USC School of Pharmacy, 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033, (323) 442-1466, email: pharmadm@hsc.usc.edu.

Credentials for admission must include complete records of all previous college or university work. The student must include with the application two copies of sealed official transcripts from each college or university attended.

Evaluation of official transcripts is completed by the School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee and a letter of acceptance is mailed to each applicant who qualifies for entrance. All documents received by the Office of Admissions become the property of the university and cannot be returned or duplicated for other than university purposes.

Admissions Guidelines

The Admissions Committee of the school considers several factors in making admissions decisions. Primary elements include strong academics, competitive performance in the interview, recommendation forms, and written comments as specified in the application. The committee also considers a candidate’s motivation to pursue pharmacy, strong interpersonal skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, and leadership abilities. While the School of Pharmacy gives equal consideration to every qualified applicant, the school cannot accommodate all qualified candidates who apply for admission.

Admission of International Students

International students are subject to special admissions procedures which are specified in the Admissions section of this catalogue.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to the School of Pharmacy requires: (1) graduation from an accredited high school; (2) a minimum of two years (60 semester or 90 quarter units) of prerequisite college courses; and (3) a minimum 3.0 (A = 4.0) cumulative grade point average based on all college course work.

Prepharmacy Requirements

A minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units, to include English, public speaking, social sciences, humanities, calculus, chemistry and biological sciences, are required for admission to the School of Pharmacy. These requirements may be fulfilled at a two-year community college, four-year college or university. Only grades of C- or higher are acceptable. Pass/no pass and credit/no credit grades will not be accepted (unless a course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis). Candidates who have received or will receive a baccalaureate degree or who have completed units in excess of the minimum required will be considered more favorably than applicants who have fulfilled only minimum requirements.

English

One year of English composition is required. Remedial English and English as a second language (ESL) are not acceptable. An English proficiency examination may be required.

Public Speaking (Speech)

Course should include oral and written communication skills and the development of listening skills. One semester or one quarter is required. The equivalent course at USC is COMM 102 Human Communication Principles and Practices.

International Students English and speech taken in a foreign country will be accepted only from countries whose native tongue is English (e.g., Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the British West Indies).

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Psychology, macroeconomics or microeconomics and related courses, totaling at least 12 semester or 18 quarter units must be included.

Psychology One course in general psychology and human behavior is required. The equivalent course at USC is PSYC 100.

Economics One course in economics, macroeconomics or microeconomics is required. If a one-year course is offered, both semesters may be taken and excess units may be applied to either the remainder of the unit requirements for the subject area, or as elective units. The equivalent course at USC is ECON 203 or 205.

Other Recommended Subject Areas Studies in anthropology, psychobiology, geography, sociology and political science are recommended.

Humanities

A minimum of two courses in literature, philosophy, history, ethics, foreign language or fine arts, totaling at least six semester or nine quarter units is required. The humanities requirement can be met by completing the Humanities Core Course in the University of California system.

Mathematics and Physical Sciences

Courses must include calculus, general chemistry and organic chemistry, totaling at least 19 semester or 28 quarter units. Only courses for science majors are acceptable.

Calculus One semester or two quarters is required. The course should include differential and integral calculus. The equivalent course at USC is MATH 125.

General Chemistry One-year course, including laboratory, for science majors is required. The course should include inorganic chemistry and qualitative analysis. The equivalent course at USC is CHEM 105abL.

Organic Chemistry One-year course, including laboratory, for science majors is required. If the school offers less than a one-year course, the student must complete the second semester at another institution. The equivalent course at USC is CHEM 322abL.

Biological Sciences

A one-year course is required in general biology with laboratory, for science majors (excluding courses in human anatomy, human physiology and microbiology), totaling at least eight semester or 12 quarter units. The USC courses are BISC 110L and 112L.

Electives

The student must complete other courses to meet a minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter units. Recommended courses: statistics, computer science, physics and biochemistry.

Advanced Placement Examination

The School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee will not accept CollegeLevel Examination Program (CLEP) courses. The School of Pharmacy Office of Admission may consider advance placement examination credit. Only course credit will be given, not unit credit.

The pharmacy prerequisites are essential preparation for a rigorous four-year professional curriculum in the School of Pharmacy. Because of scheduling, it may not be possible to arrange all requirements into a four-semester or six-quarter course of study. It is recommended that, if necessary, summer sessions be used to meet non-science prerequisites.

An entrance examination (PPBE, PCAT) is not required. An interview will be required for admission.

Transfer Students

Students from other U.S. accredited colleges of pharmacy may be admitted to advanced standing in the second or third year class if a vacancy exists. To be eligible for transfer, a student must be in good standing at his or her present school, the curriculum of the school must be similar to that of the USC School of Pharmacy, and a statement must be sent from the dean of the present school indicating that the school approves of the student’s transfer application. No student from another school will be accepted for admission into the fourth year.

The class level into which a transfer student is placed will be determined by review of the applicant’s prior course of and academic record. A transfer student admitted to advanced standing must meet in full all pre-pharmacy requirements.

Post-Baccalaureate Program

The School of Pharmacy accepts a limited number of applicants (if vacancies exist) who hold a recently conferred baccalaureate degree in pharmacy from a college of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. Such applicants may not be required to meet all pre-pharmacy requirements in order to qualify for admission and, if admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, may be accepted at an advanced level for a minimum of two years (66 semester units) of full-time study.

Graduates from a Foreign School of Pharmacy

The School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee may consider, on a limited basis (space permitting), applications for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy program from applicants holding a recent pharmacy degree (B.S. Pharm.) from a recognized foreign school of pharmacy and who have completed all prerequisite courses listed. One year of English composition and speech must be completed inthe United States. The class level into which the applicant will be placed is determined individually by review of the applicant’sprior academic record.

Trojan Early Decision Program (TED)

The TED program was introduced to encourage highly qualified applicants with bachelor’s degrees who wish to apply to the USC School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program as their first choice. Applicants who submit an application with all required documents and meet specific requirements by October 15 will be considered for early priority admission. If admitted, it is understood that these students will not apply to other schools.

Special Admissions Program for High School Students

The Trojan Admission Prepharmacy Program (TAPP) has been designed to attract highly qualified, mature high school seniors to take their prepharmacy course work at USC beginning as first semester freshmen. Admission to TAPP requires a student to have a minimum 1200 combined score on the SAT, a minimum 3.5 high school GPA, and have good oral and written communication skills. An interview will be required.

Applicants accepted into TAPP must complete the freshman and sophomore years (four academic semesters with a minimum of 16 units each semester) at University Park Campus. All prepharmacy courses must be taken during the fall and spring semesters at USC for letter grades. Summer school at USC or elsewhere and credit/no credit grades are not acceptable. Participation in the TAPP program will guarantee the unique advantage of acceptance into the Doctor of Pharmacy program, if students earn an approved cumulative GPA, which includes math and science and all prerequisites. Each student receives ongoing individual advisement, access to the School of Pharmacy’s student services and the privilege of joining the Prepharmacy Club. The prepharmacy requirements are listed below.

First Year, Fall Semester		Units
BIOL 110	Introduction to Biology I	4
CHEM 105a	General Chemistry	4
WRIT 140	Writing and Critical Reasoning	4
General Education (Social Issues)		4
First Year, Spring Semester		Units
BIOL 112	Introduction to Biology II	4
CHEM 115b	General Chemistry	4
COMM 102	Human Communications Principles and Practices	4
General Education(Arts and Letters)		4
Second Year, Fall Semester		Units
CHEM 322a	Organic Chemsitry	4
MATH 125	Calculus I	4
General Education	Cultures and Civilization I	4
General Eductaion	Cultures and Civilization II	4
Second Year, Spring Semester		Units
CHEM 322b	Organic Chemistry	4
WRIT 340	Advanced Writing	3-4
PSYC 100	Introduction to Psychology	4
ECON 203	Principles of Microeconomics, or
ECON 205	Principles of Macroeconomics	4

High school students interested in this program must initially request an admission application from the USC Office of Undergraduate Admission. Upon admission to USC, applicants should contact the School of Pharmacy Office of Admission for a TAPP application.

This unique six-year prepharmacy/doctor of pharmacy program will afford students continuity in their professional education.

Curriculum Requirements

The completion of a four-year professional curriculum is requiredto earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The curriculum except forthe fourth year is a “block” program. All students must enrollin 18 units each semester in courses designed for that level,fall and spring. Students do not have choices of courses to takenor are they permitted to drop any one course or courses duringthe semester. (Level III students have elective course choices).Progress is permitted only when the prior semester is completedin full. Students should view the curriculum outlined here asadvisory only and subject to modification. “Level” is used inplace of the term “year” because it connotes an achievement stagerather than a fixed period of time. “Hours” are substituted for“units” in identifying acceptable time requirements for completionof the program stages. Aggregate hours must equal a minimum of144 units/hours.

Program of Courses

(For Entering Pharm.D. Students Beginning Fall 1996)

Level I, Fall (18 hours)
PHAR 303	Pharmaceutics I
PHAR 309	Biological Systems I
PHAR 315	Biochemistry
PHAR 319	Pharmacy Literature Review and Statistical Analysis
PHAR 361	Introduction to Pharmaceutical Care Externship I (Hospital or Community)
PHAR 363	Communications Workshop
PHAR 365	Leadership and the Profession of Pharmacy
Level I, Spring (18 hours)
PHAR 306L	Pharmaceutics II
PHAR 310	Biological Systems II
PHAR 316	Molecular Genetics and Therapy
PHAR 332	Over-the-Counter Pharmacy Products
PHAR 362	Introduction to Pharmaceutical Care Externship II (Hospital or Community)
PHAR 366	Statistics Laboratory
PHAR 368	Pharmaceutical Care Pharmacy Practice Lab I
Total Level I: 36 hours
Level II, Fall (18 hours)
PHAR 403L	Pharmaceutics III
PHAR 411L	Clinical Microbiology
PHAR 419	Pathology
PHAR 437	Public Health and Epidemiology
PHAR 441	Immunology
PHAR 450	Pharmaceutical Care Practice II, or
PHAR 460	Parenteral Therapy Externship
Level II, Spring (18 hours)
PHAR 406	Pharmaceutics IV
PHAR 414	Therapeutics I
PHAR 418	Therapeutics II
PHAR 422	Nutrition
PHAR 432	Management within Health Care Organizations
PHAR 450	Pharmaceutical Care Practice II, or
PHAR 460	Parenteral Therapy Externship
Total Level II: 36 hours
Level III, Fall (18 hours)
PHAR 545	Therapeutics III
PHAR 547	Therapeutics IV
PHAR 549	Therapeutics V
PHAR 553	Pharmaceutical Economics and Outcome Studies
Electives - students must select one from the following:
PHAR 555	Community Pharmacy I
PHAR 557	Health Systems Pharmacy I
PHAR 559	Geriatric Pharmacy I
PHAR 563	Computing Application
PHAR 565	Basic Research Design
Level III, Spring (18 hours)
PHAR 546	Therapeutics VI
PHAR 548	Therapeutics VII
PHAR 550	Therapeutics VIII
PHAR 552	Pharmacy Law
PHAR 554	Pharmacy Ethics
Electives - students must select one from the following:
PHAR 556	Community Pharmacy II
PHAR 558	Health Systems Pharmacy II
PHAR 560	Geriatric Pharmacy II
PHAR 566	Pharmaceutical Development
PHAR 568	Drugs of Abuse
Total Level III: 36 hours
Level IV, Fall (18 hours)
Required Clerkships
Elective Clerkships
Level IV, Spring (18 hours)
Required Clerkships
Elective Clerkships
Total Level IV: 36 hours

Required Clerkships - four rotations:

PHAR 601	Acute Care Clinical Practice Clerkship
PHAR 604	Primary Care Clerkship, or
PHAR 607	Outpatient Psychiatric Pharmacy Clerkship
PHAR 605	Community Pharmacy Clerkship

An Inpatient Practice Elective must be satisfied by PHAR 602 if the student selects PHAR 604 Primary Care Clerkship rather thanPHAR 607 Outpatient Psychopharmacy Clerkship. If the student selects PHAR 607, the student may take electives marked * to satisfy the requirement.

Elective Clerkships - two rotations:
PHAR 602*	Inpatient Psychiatric Pharmacy Clerkship
PHAR 603	Long Term Care Clerkship
PHAR 606	Geriatrics Clerkship
PHAR 610*	Inpatient Clinical Practice Clerkship
PHAR 611*	Pediatric Drug Therapy Clerkship
PHAR 612*	Surgery Clerkship
PHAR 613*	Cardiovascular Drug Therapy Clerkship
PHAR 614*	Applied Clinical Pharmacokinetics Clerkship
PHAR 615	Drug Information Services Clerkship
PHAR 616	Radiopharmacy Clerkship
PHAR 617*	Oncology Clerkship
PHAR 618*	Ob-Gyn Clerkship
PHAR 619	Dermatology Clerkship
PHAR 620	Hospital Pharmacy Practice Clerkship
PHAR 621	Advanced Pharmaceutical Literature
PHAR 624*	Critical Care Clerkship
PHAR 625	Drug Utilization and Evaluation Clerkship
PHAR 627*	Nutritional Support Clerkship
PHAR 628	Advanced Community Pharmacy Clerkship
PHAR 630abcd	Directed Clinical Project
PHAR 631	Acute Care Geriatrics Clerkship
PHAR 633**	Pharmacy Administration Clerkship
PHAR 634*	Anticoagulation Therapy Clerkship
PHAR 635*	Antimicrobial Therapy Clerkship
PHAR 636	Clinical Pharmacy Research Clerkship
PHAR 637*	Chemical Dependency
PHAR 638*	Clinical Transplantation
PHAR 639	Pharmaceutical Industry
PHAR 640	AIDS/Immune Disorders
PHAR 646	Clinical Pharmacology
PHAR 650	Clinical Pharmacology and Pathophysiology

*Acceptable for satisfying the inpatient practice elective requirement.

**PHAR 633 required for Pharm.D./M.B.A. degree.

Total for Pharm.D. degree: minimum 204 semester units (hours). This includes 60 semester units of prepharmacy courses.

Degree Requirements

All students in the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program must meet course requirements, grade point average requirements and program residency requirements. All course requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. The degree will not be conferred until the student has successfully completed all pre-pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degree requirements. Students are subject to the degree requirements in the catalogue current for the semester of their admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.4 in the Pharm.D. curriculum to meet graduation requirements.

Registration

Details of the School of Pharmacy registration procedure will be included in the orientation program prior to the first week of classes.

Cancellation of Registration

During the first three years of the Doctor of Pharmacy program (Levels I, II and III), a student will only be permitted to withdraw from all courses enrolled in a semester and may not selectively withdraw from a single course or group of courses. During the fourth year, students must contact the School of Pharmacy Admission and Student Affairs Office for withdrawal guidelines. Procedures for readmission into the program or make up of incomplete courses and clerkships are included in the school’s brochure on academic policies and procedures.