College of Pharmacy, Pharm.D. Special Instructions

In addition to the essays you submit as part of the ApplyTexas Application, you will also submit essays in response to the following two prompts as part of your online Pharm.D. Application. Each essay should be no more than 400 words in length.

Why Pharmacy?

Pharmacy is a “people profession.” With your career goals in mind, discuss how your background has helped to prepare you to interact effectively with people. Include information about your motivation for seeking a career in pharmacy and about research you’ve conducted into the field and into professional issues relating to pharmacy. Describe any unique circumstances, responsibilities or life experiences that may be relevant to your application, such as caring for a sick family member, medical circumstances you have overcome or other circumstances or opportunities that have helped to foster your growth as a future healthcare professional.

Why UT Austin?

The United States offers many excellent pharmacy schools. Citing specific information about The University of Texas at Austin and the College of Pharmacy, explain why UT Austin’s Pharmacy program has a special appeal to you.

In addition to the activities and volunteer information you submit as part of your ApplyTexas Application, you will also submit résumé information as part of your online Pharm.D. Application.

Your résumé format should be simple: left justification, no bullets or special symbols, etc. Your résumé should emphasize your activities and accomplishments during your time in college—and before when relevant. For all activities please include the hours you dedicated to each activity and the period of time in which you participated in each activity:

• Academic experience: Include schools attended, academic major, degrees earned (if applicable) and GPA at each school.
• Work experience: Include dates of employment, hours/week, job title, employer, and duties.
• Major extracurricular activities: Include information about any positions you have held, dates of activities, and hours/week.
• Volunteer/community service activities: Include information about your specific roles and contributions, dates of activities, and hours/week.
• Honors or awards

As part of your Pharm.D. Application, you must certify that you understand and agree to certain conditions, requirements, and policies relating to your application for admission or to your enrollment in the Pharm.D. program. The falsification of information on the Pharm.D. application includes plagiarism of essays, letters of recommendation, and résumé. Such falsification will result in automatic denial of admission, or rescinding of admission if discovered after an offer of acceptance has been sent.

The following details explain the conditions, requirements, and policies for which you must certify your understanding:

Coursework, Prerequisites and Minimum GPA

To be considered for admission to the Pharm.D. program, a student must have:

• A minimum 2.0 GPA on all undergraduate coursework as calculated by the UT Austin Office of Admissions. Ideally the applicant will have a GPA of at least 2.8. (Typically more than 90% of successful applicants have GPAs above 3.0, and more than 50% of successful applicants have GPAs above 3.5.)
• Completed or have in progress the required prerequisite courses. In addition to prerequisite coursework, the successful applicant to the Pharm.D. program will also need to meet all undergraduate graduation requirements of the University of Texas at Austin even if the applicant has already received a prior degree. Please refer to the university’s undergraduate graduation requirements for details.

Foreign Language

To enroll in the Pharm.D. program, a student must earn by August 15 two years of high school foreign language credit or an equivalent amount of college foreign language credit. Students may be able to meet this requirement by earning successful scores through credit by exam.

Previous Conduct

Each applicant to Pharm.D. must submit information about any deficiencies in conduct or scholarship that resulted in the applicant being required to leave or being denied readmission to any college, graduate or professional school. Review details about the requirements regarding your previous conduct (Legal Requirements for Professional Practice) before applying.

Immunizations

Before enrolling in first-year pharmacy courses, students must provide certification from a physician or nurse that they have received the immunizations required for health profession students. This includes Hepatitis B series, a current tetanus shot, proof of chicken pox immunity, and a current TB skin test. Detailed documentation will be required from successful applicants.

Honor Code

During orientation, students admitted to Pharm.D. are required to pledge their full support for the College of Pharmacy Honor Code.

Applicants to and students in the Pharm.D. program are expected to exhibit behavior consistent with that of a pharmacist as given below:

Pledge of Professionalism

As a student of pharmacy, I believe there is a need to build and reinforce a professional identity founded on integrity, ethical behavior, and honor. This development, a vital process in my education, will help ensure that I am true to the professional relationship I establish between myself and society as I become a member of the pharmacy community. Integrity must be an essential part of my everyday life and I must practice pharmacy with honesty and commitment to service.

To accomplish this goal of professional development, I, as a student of pharmacy, should:

• DEVELOP a sense of loyalty and duty to the profession of pharmacy by being a builder of community, one able and willing to contribute to the well-being of others and one who enthusiastically accepts the responsibility and accountability for membership in the profession.
• FOSTER professional competency through life-long learning. I must strive for high ideals, teamwork and unity within the profession in order to provide optimal patient care.
• SUPPORT my colleagues by actively encouraging personal commitment to the Oath of Maimonides and a Code of Ethics as set forth by the profession.
• INCORPORATE into my life and practice dedication to excellence. This will require an ongoing reassessment of personal and professional values.
• MAINTAIN the highest ideals and professional attributes to ensure and facilitate the covenantal relationship required of the pharmaceutical care giver.

The profession of pharmacy is one that demands adherence to a set of rigid ethical standards. These high ideals are necessary to ensure the quality of care extended to the patients I serve. As a student of pharmacy, I believe this does not start with graduation; rather, it begins with my membership in this professional college community. Therefore, I must strive to uphold these standards as I advance toward full membership in the profession of pharmacy.

[Developed by the American Pharmaceutical Association Academy of Students of Pharmacy/American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Council of Deans (APhA-ASP/AACP-COD) Task Force on Professionalism; June 26, 1994]

Early Practice Experience

Students admitted to the Pharm.D. program are expected to complete a minimum of 200 hours in either a community or a hospital pharmacy before the start of their fourth professional year of studies, the P4 internship year. This Early Practice Experience requirement may be waived if the student works as a PCTB-certified pharmacy technician for at least 200 hours before the summer following the first professional year.

Internship

The final year of the pharmacy curriculum is devoted full-time to the internship. Students admitted to the Pharm.D. program must accept an internship assignment to any available region in the State. Region assignment is not negotiable and willingness to be assigned an internship region is a condition of admission to the College of Pharmacy. (Depending on the region, assignment may encompass semesters in the third professional year – P3 – as well.) Review details about the internship before submitting your certification. You’ll find additional information in Frequently Asked Questions: Regional Assignment and the Internship.

Student Health Insurance

Pharmacy students are required to have health insurance in the event of illness or injury occurring at assigned practice (experiential) sites. Neither the college nor practice sites are responsible, per written affiliation agreements, for treatment of students as a result of illness or injuries or for the cost of health services to treat illness or injury.

Professional Liability Insurance

Pharmacy students must purchase professional liability insurance through the College’s group plan each year of the professional curriculum. Notice is sent to students to remind them to pay the annual $17 premium, which provides coverage in the amount of $2 million/$4 million. This policy covers practice activities through courses for which the student is registered. It does not provide coverage for outside employment, the Early Practice Experience (which is a form of outside employment), or activities through student organizations.

CPR Certification

To enter the fourth professional year (P4) of the Pharm.D. program, students must be certified in CPR techniques. More information is provided to students before they begin the P4 senior internship year.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen Policy

Facilities operating under the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards pertaining to human resource management now require verification of competency of all individuals who have direct contact with patients or employees. This includes students participating in clinical rotations in the facility. Competency extends beyond technical skills to an individual’s criminal history.

Professional pharmacy students will be subject to a criminal background check at the beginning of the first professional year (P1) of the professional sequence of courses, and also during the spring semester of the third professional year (P3). Students will be referred to a third party vendor to request the background check and are responsible for any associated expenses and paperwork. The student must complete the background check prior to the deadline set by the College, or the student will not be able to enroll in practice courses. The vendor performing the background check will notify the College of Pharmacy that the student has participated in the check.

Background checks will be honored by all facilities for the duration of the pharmacy student’s enrollment in the professional program if the participating student has not had a break in enrollment. A break in enrollment is defined as a non-attendance of one long-term semester (fall or spring) or more. The above information is verifiable through the College.

Criminal Background Check

The criminal background check will review a person’s criminal history seven (7) years prior to the date of application. The check will include the cities and counties of all known residences. The following criteria will be included:

• Social Security number validation
• Felony convictions
• Misdemeanor convictions or felony adjudications involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
• Misdemeanor convictions related to moral turpitude (prostitution, public lewdness/exposure, etc.)
• Felony deferred adjudications for the sale, possession, distribution, or transfer of narcotics or controlled substances, and involving crimes against persons (physical or sexual abuse)
• Registered sex offenders
• HHS/OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities
• GSA List of Parties Excluded from Federal Programs
• Employee Misconduct Registry
• U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), List of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) search. Applicable State Exclusion lists, if one.

If the Texas State Board of Pharmacy approves the student as licensable via the student pharmacist intern registration process (which infers that, upon completion of all requirements for licensure, the student is approved to take the licensing exam), the student may participate in clinical experiences within the facility. Please refer to §283.4 of the Texas Pharmacy Board Rules, Texas Administrative code for additional information via the website:

Internship Requirements

and

Texas Government Code, Subtitle B., Chapter 411.122 (background checks for pharmacists)

Drug Screens

The University of Texas College of Pharmacy will not require students to participate in a drug screen. However, the College will inform students that they may be asked by an internship facility to submit to a drug screen before participation in clinical experiences at certain facilities. The College will inform the students in advance of their clinical experience if the facility will require a drug screen. The student will be responsible for contacting an approved vendor, paying for the drug screen, and for insuring that results of the drug screen are forwarded directly to the facility.

In Summary

1. Students will be required to participate in a criminal history check prior to the start of the first professional and fourth professional years.
2. Students will contact a participating third party vendor and have the check performed, at their expense, through that vendor.
3. The University of Texas College of Pharmacy will certify that each student has participated in the background check.
4. If practice facilities require detailed information regarding an individual student, the facility will contact the student or third party vendor directly and request the results.
5. If the student is approved as a student pharmacist intern by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (which infers eligibility to sit for the licensure exam), the student will be allowed to participate in clinical experiences within the facility.
6. The College of Pharmacy will not require students to participate in a drug screen. However, the College will inform students that this may be required by certain practice facilities for placement in that facility.

To complete your application for pharmacy you must submit official transcripts of all your college coursework from colleges or universities other than UT Austin. For details about submitting your transcripts, visit the Official Transcripts page.

Each application must include two recommendations submitted on behalf of the applicant. Applicants should request recommendations from individuals who know the applicant professionally and who can offer a frank appraisal of the applicant’s character and suitability for Pharmacy as a profession and professional behavior in a work or volunteer setting.

• Applicants who are no longer in school but are currently employed should obtain one of their recommendations from an employer or business associate.
• Applicants who do not fit into the above category should obtain one of their recommendations from a community leader.

After Pharm.D. applicants submit their online Pharm.D. applications, they are given access and a link to the University’s online Recommendation System. The system facilitates the submission process and assures delivery of the recommendations.

Each applicant to the Pharm.D. program must submit official scores from the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT). To be official, scores must be sent to UT Austin directly from the testing agency. Student score reports or copies of reports do not fulfill this requirement.

Because scores must include the writing sample, scores from tests taken before June 2005 are not accepted. The June, August and October PCAT test dates are recommended. Ideally the applicant will have a PCAT composite score of at least 70%, all PCAT sub-scores of at least 70% and a PCAT writing score of at least 3.0. (Typically more than 75% of successful applicants in a given year have a PCAT composite score that is at least 70%, and more than 50% of successful applicants have a PCAT composite score that is at least 85%.)

The Pharm.D. program takes a minimum of six years to complete. The first two years of coursework are referred to as the prepharmacy years, and the following four years of study make up the professional curriculum.

The Pharm.D. program prepares students to become pharmacists. The Ph.D. program prepares students to become pharmacy researchers.

In accordance with the University's Basic Education Requirements, a student in the College of Pharmacy must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to the completion of two semesters of college coursework.

• If a student has completed two years of a single foreign language in high school, no additional foreign language is necessary.
• Non-native English speakers may take a placement exam in their native language to demonstrate competence in their native language.
• The foreign language requirement must be fulfilled by August 15.

Here are some useful links:

• University Information
• Information about the College of Pharmacy
• UT Admissions
• College of Pharmacy Admissions
• UT Austin Financial Aid
• College of Pharmacy Financial Aid
• UT Housing

The application for transfer admission is available online through the ApplyTexas Application site.

You’ll find tuition and fee information online from the Office of Accounting.

There is no paper application. The application is only available online.

The application is available between August 1 and February 1.

To be considered for admission to the Pharm.D. program, your ApplyTexas Application, the online Pharm.D. application and all documents required to complete both applications must be received in the Office of Admissions by February 1, 2009.

If you are applying as a transfer applicant, you must first choose a major within the College of Natural Sciences and submit the ApplyTexas Application for Transfer Admission. After your application for admission has been loaded to our computers, you will then be able to access the online Pharm.D. application.

If one of the majors that you listed is within the College of Natural Sciences you may still apply to the Pharm.D. program using the online Pharm.D. application. If you wish to change one of your majors to the College of Natural Sciences, please fax (512 475-7478) your written request to Office of Admissions, Attention: Major Change Request. Include your full name, your UT EID, and your signature with your request.

Yes, there is a minimum GPA of at least 2.0. Ideally, the applicant will have a GPA of at least 2.8. (Typically more than 90% of successful applicants have GPAs above 3.0, and more than 50% of successful applicants have GPAs above 3.5.) Also ideally the applicant will have a PCAT composite score of at least 70%, all PCAT sub-scores of at least 70% and a PCAT writing score of at least 3.0. (Typically, more than 75% of successful applicants have a PCAT composite score above 70%, and more than 50% of successful applicants have a PCAT composite score above 85%.) In addition, applicants must have a grade of C or better in all required prerequisite courses.

UT Austin’s Office of Admissions calculates GPA using grades from all your transferable undergraduate coursework from all colleges and universities you’ve attended. You’ll find details about how the university calculates GPAs on the Computing GPA page.

If you’re applying to the Pharm.D. program for a second time, follow these guidelines:

• Submit a new ApplyTexas application if you are applying as a transfer student from another institution. (Current UT Austin students do not need to submit an ApplyTexas application.)
• Submit a new Pharm.D. application (including the application fee), new letters or recommendation, and updated transcripts (if you’ve taken additional coursework since you last applied).
• There is no need to resubmit PCAT scores, unless you have a newer, higher score that you would like us to consider. Scores must be less than three (3) years old.

If you intend to apply to the professional curriculum with the goal of becoming a pharmacist, you should apply for undergraduate transfer admission as a prepharmacy student in the College of Natural Sciences. Even if you are admitted to the College of Pharmacy, you will still be considered an undergraduate student as far as the university is concerned. (Transfer students, including degree holders, apply as undergraduates into the College of Natural Sciences. Do not complete the graduate application.)

If you intend to apply to a graduate program (M.S. or Ph.D.) in the College of Pharmacy with the goal of becoming a researcher, then you should apply to the university as a graduate student.

Current students must complete the online Pharm.D. application. The application and all required documents must be received in the Office of Admissions by February 1.

If you’re applying to the Pharm.D. program for a second time, you’ll need to submit a new Pharm.D. application (including the application fee) and new letters of recommendation. There is no need to resubmit PCAT scores, unless you have a newer, higher score that you would like us to consider. Scores must be less than three (3) years old.

Former students must apply for readmission and complete the Pharm.D. application. Your application for readmission, your Pharm.D. application and all documents required to complete both applications must arrive in the Office of Admissions by February 1.

You are eligible for admission if you have completed the prerequisites for admission. The professional curriculum will still take a minimum of four years to complete.

Yes. Scores must be less than three (3) years old.

Your most recent scores will be used.

You must contact the Assistant Dean for Admissions, Dr. Rich Wilcox, prior to January 15, 2009 for permission to submit scores for the January 2009 PCAT; scores from this test date will not arrive at the university until after the February 1 deadline. If you receive permission to take the January 2009 PCAT, review of your application will be delayed until the scores are received.

Ideally the applicant will have a PCAT composite score of at least 70%, all PCAT sub-scores of at least 70% and a PCAT writing score of at least 3.0. (Typically more than 75% of successful applicants in a given year have a PCAT composite score that is at least 70%, and more than 50% of successful applicants have a PCAT composite score that is at least 85%.)

Yes, official transcripts are required. However, you do not need to submit separate transcripts for your Pharm.D. application. The transcripts you submit to the Office of Admissions to complete your application for transfer admission will be shared with the College of Pharmacy.

Fax a document that lists all your courses to us at 512-475-7478. Please include your full name and EID and that you are applying to the Pharm.D. program.

Please send required documents (transcripts) to The University of Texas at Austin, Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 8058, Austin, TX 78713-8058

Log in to your Application Status page (using your UT EID and password) to find out what items we’ve received and what items are still missing. It may take 3-5 business days (once we receive your items) to process your materials and update the information on your Application Status page. Apply early. Applications and materials received close to the February 1 deadline may take 2 – 3 weeks to process.

You may check your status through Application Status Check.

Start the process of obtaining help with your EID by visiting the university’s EID Self-Service Tools. If the online help system is not able to assist you, you will be given a number to call for assistance.

Yes, Pharm.D. applicants who list a second-choice major are considered for their second choice if they are not admitted to the Pharm.D. program. Not all majors are allowed for second choice; check the college requirements for your second choice to be sure that it’s acceptable.

Log in to your Pharm.D. application and click the Cancel My Pharm.D. Application button. After clicking, you will get a pop up box asking you if you’re sure that you wish to cancel. Click OK.