Doctor of Pharmacy / Doctor of Philosophy Pathway Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology has developed a pathway for students who are interested in simultaneously pursuing a Pharm.D. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology. This program is intended for students who are interested in a career that merges basic research on the mechanisms of action of drugs on biological systems with a clinical emphasis. The program has been designed to integrate core curriculum requirements of the Ph.D. program with the curriculum of the Pharm.D. program, by making course substitutions where possible, and waiving some course requirements in the Ph.D. program. In doing this, we minimize curriculum redundancy between the two programs, while ensuring that the student is adequately prepared for the demands of both degrees.

During the joint program pathway, students engage in three research rotations that begin during the summer before their P1 year and are completed by the end of the Fall semester of their P2 year. Students then choose a dissertation mentor/laboratory at the beginning of the Spring semester of their P2 year. Students are also expected to use two clerkship rotations for laboratory research. The program is structured so that students take their Ph.D. qualifying exams at the end of the P2 year. The curriculum requires students to complete their Pharm.D. degree one semester later than would be the case if they were only enrolled in the Pharm.D. program, and to take their pharmacy licensure exam in the fall of the 5th year. From that time on, the students engage in full time dissertation research to complete the Ph.D. program.

Students who are interested in pursuing this pathway should apply to both programs simultaneously. The student must first gain admission to the College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program before they can be accepted into the joint program pathway. Students are accepted into the Ph.D. program if the student meets the admissions criteria for that Ph.D. program and if there are appropriate research mentoring and support available for the student. Interested students should contact the Director of Graduate Admissions in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology for application procedures and information.