Pharmacy Students Learn by Experience, not Textbook

For Harrison School of Pharmacy students, the majority of their third year consist of taking Inetregated Pharmacotherapy. This class is broken into a program of four sections, six hours each. The focus of this program is for students to work with cases centralized around drug therapy.

Dr. Paul Jungnickel, professor and associate dean of academic and student affairs for HSOP, said the program is "self-learning, so students are likely to retain information in the long run."

Jungnickel also said the students are placed into a group of eight, with a faculty facilitator to discuss patient drug problems they have encountered while working out in the field. Integrated Pharmacotherapy is considered problem-based learning, as students gain knowledge working with their group and facilitator by discussing cases and analyzing therapy options to present as a final solution.

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"Instead of learning material from a lecture, they're actually learning on their own and bringing back to their group and teaching others," said Jungnickel.

The program was established three years ago after reviewing University of Mississippi's similar pharmacy program. Ole Miss began their program at their medical complex in Jackson, Miss., more than 10 years ago, but is structured differently from HSOP's program. Jungnickel said HSOP studies and presents cases differently than Ole Miss'. Jungnickel also said that HSOP and Ole Miss are the only two pharmacy schools in the nation that present this "integrated learning."

However, Auburns HSOP is the leader in pharmacy schools with the Pharmacy Practice Experience (PPE) program for first year students. The PPE manual explains expectations and purpose of the program, which involves students in pharmacy care, establish social and relational connections with patients, reflective thinking skills and to assist the local community with health-related issues.

This past graduating class of 2009 was the first class to complete the Integrated Pharmacotherapy. Jungnickel said the students are better prepared than the previous students, especially for their fourth and final year, which includes a practice externship.