Hey wondering what other options I have if any for a distant learning PharmD program I currently hold a B.S in Bio-Chemistry. Looking at most curriculum it would seem almost one year of schooling goes to rotations and then just a of year schooling. Ideally I have been trying to consider maybe something like this while I am still working.
Interesting question. But aren't those sorts of PharmD programs just top up programs for practicing pharmacists who already hold pharmacy degrees?
I think that it is very important to study the licensing requirements wherever you anticipate practicing pharmacy. Here in California, Business and Professions Code section 4200(a)(3) seems to require that an applicant have at least 90 semester units in pharmacy "completed while in resident attendance at a school or college of pharmacy". That suggests to me that while they do recognize some DL for some classes, they don't accept totally DL pharmacy degrees. http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/laws_regs/lawbook.pdf So to my layman's eye, a totally DL schooling in pharmacy might not be acceptable for licensure in this state. But licensing laws vary jurisdiction by jurisdiction, so you will need to examine the detailed regulations wherever you are. Start with your local pharmacy board and look at their licensing section. Here in California, one need only have a bachelors degree in pharmacy to be licensed as a pharmacist, though I expect most would-be pharmacists prefer a doctorate. But the education and the degree must have come from a school of pharmacy or from a pharmacy department that is "recognized by the board". So that's another complication. There's also a requirement that the applicant have 1500 hours of supervised practical experience as set out in the regulations. I expect that in-person pharmacy schools will arrange that for their students, but don't know if it's possible for a DL pharm student to arrange it through a local pharmacist or hospital. There's also a pharmacy exam that must be passed, which I would expect contains practical hands-on elements. (Last summer I served as a test-subject for the 2016 dental exams in San Francisco, and that one was exceedingly hands-on. Students had to perform real dental work that was graded by the examiners.) DL students might be at a disadvantage without practical experience doing the things pharmacists will be called upon to do.
A PharmD for those who weren't licensed under the old laws that allowed bachelor's degree are going to take longer than two years. Creighton was the only option for a distance, entry-level program. I believe LECOM now has a program. Creighton's program takes four years. The shorter programs are for those who are already licensed.
I am one of the old time pharmacists. There is not a completely distance learning option. The two year programs were for practicing pharmacists and are being phased out as there were only so many willing to spend the time, energy and money. One of my old professors, Dr. Chris Bradberry is the dean there. I would gently say that passing medicinal chemistry with a professor is tough, I cannot imagine it without one. If your degree is in biochemistry you may have an easier time. There are also mandated labs that don't lend themselves to online (kind of hard to compound over the internet and they can't ship the stuff to your house). I think there are like 2-4 weeks of 5 day/week/8hour/day of labs per year the first 2 years. I can tell you from taking Dr. Bradberry's classes, he is a top notch guy and one of the leaders in the field. All of the over 2 years of 8 hour per day 5 days per week of rotations will of course be in person. The problem with that may be depending on where you live (if not in Nebraska where they have preceptors) you may ahve to work out some rotations on your own and if sites are filled with students from that state you may ahve issues finding spots. I am a preceptor and have students from SWOSU every month so I can't take anyone else, I just don't have room. Most preceptors in hospitals and pharmacies are volunteers to the school. Clinical rotations have paid professors. You can get from A-B but it's 4 years and not the easiest path. The complexity of drugs today and the fact kids now have to learn what I did in college and the many advancements in the 30 years since (we didn't even know what HIV was back then) makes it an intense program. I recommend Dr. Bradberry to anyone, but you will get so much more from him in person.
There are distance learning PharmD programs. I just posted their names. Online courses are just one form of distance learning. If you're doing all or most of the program off campus, then it's a distance learning program.
For Phdtobe, CU's program is for practicing pharmacists who want to upgrade the degree. The University of Florida had the largest but is now phasing it out. Sanantone, I agree that Creighton has a distance learning component. But didactic is now only 1/2 of the training. There is at least 1.5 years of 5 day per week, 8 hour per day rotations. I now take students who are doing both the IPPE rotations and the APPE rotations. I have the early (IPPE) for 3 weeks 40 hours per week and the APPE (advanced practice) for 4 weeks for 40 hours per week. Having been involved in this for over 30 years, I can tell you there will be problems if you wished to take all classes at Creighton if you lived in say....Oklahoma. As none of us in Oklahoma have agreements with Creighton for their students. The student and school would need to arrange rotations in their area. Would the University of Oklahoma or Southwestern loan professors in clinical rotations? Hard to say, would it cost more? Quite probably in a degree that already runs up to $100,000 in tuition. So yes, it's possible. Would I recommend it? No.
https://lecom.edu/academics/school-of-pharmacy/pharmacy-pathways/pharmacy-4-year-distance-education-pathway/
