Regis University School of Pharmacy

Denver, Colorado

Founded: 2009

Class Size: Approximately 75

Regis University School of Pharmacy’s mission is to educate men and women to take on leadership roles and make a positive impact in a changing society.

At Regis, there’s an emphasis on the development of skills and leadership abilities necessary for professional work and contributions to the improvement and transformation of society.

“We examine and attempt to answer the question, ‘How ought we to live?’” Rodney A. Carter, PharmD, dean of Regis University School of Pharmacy, told Pharmacy Times.

The Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum at Regis combines an integrated curriculum taught in a team-based learning (TBL) format. Biological, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences are discussed in the context of disease management.

Pharmacy students take part in concurrent experiential training where they work directly with patients in a variety of health care settings. Students also learn course concepts and how biological, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences fit together.

Q: What is unique about your school/program?

A: The learning method and curricular design that we employ sets the Regis School of Pharmacy apart. We have adopted TBL as our primary teaching/learning method. The movement to a team-based approach requires pharmacists to be comfortable and skillful in working on a team.

Students work in their TBL teams to apply the knowledge of pharmacy to solve complex problems of patient care and pharmacy management. They learn not only the critical knowledge and application, but also how to work with the diverse personalities and skill sets brought to the table in their teammates. The TBL format develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and it requires our students to develop excellent communication skills.

A: Our faculty and students are very active in the community, participating in such annual activities as Project Homeless Connect, the 9News Health Fair, the American Diabetes Association Expo, and Habitat for Humanity. Students participate each semester in service-learning activities at local schools, long-term care facilities, and shelters.

Annual service trips to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Fort Morgan, Colorado, where students serve an immigrant community, are valuable experiences. Students may also volunteer in a variety of other areas, such as the Student Graduate Council, Father Woody’s Wheels (delivering food and other donations to Denver’s homeless), and the Colorado AIDS project.

Q: What opportunities do students have for internships or co-ops?

A: Our experiential program has sites in local pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and the Kaiser Permanente Colorado system, as well as many sites across the country. Our students have participated in unique internship opportunities in the Veterans Affairs Valor program and the Kaiser Permanente Kent M. Nelson Clinical Pharmacy program.

A: With the changes in health care that are occurring and will continue to confront us, our students are charged to “Be Bold” as they move out into practice. Our profession can’t wait for the changes to happen; instead, we need to be at the forefront in leading and directing practice changes.

As one of the banners seen on the Regis campus states, “Good things come to those who make them happen.”