Pacific University School of Pharmacy
Explanation of Curriculum and Grading System (AY 2014-2017)
The School of Pharmacy (SOP) has a 3-year-round learner-centered program that values and promotes
pharmaceutical care and ethical and professional attitudes to prepare students who can provide compassionate
patient-centered care in an ever-changing healthcare environment. Our goals and mission are supported by a
modified block curriculum that allows faculty to provide an active learning environment with a focus on
integration of knowledge, cultural competence, and critical thinking. The effectiveness of the SOP learnercentered environment is maximized with qualified faculty and staff, physical facilities for curricular delivery,
state-of-the-art technology resources, and an administrative organization that supports and promotes faculty
participation in decision-making endeavors. The School maintains quality by encouraging students to place the
highest degree of learning, professionalism, and integrity throughout all SOP curricular activities.
The competency-based curriculum is delivered in a modified block sequence in which students master and
complete one topic at a time before moving on to another content area. In addition, there are a few longitudinal
blocks to integrate different components of the curriculum. The SOP modified block curriculum provides
students with an educational environment that is conducive to academic endeavors, social growth, teamwork and
individual self-discipline. Students may participate in up to two longitudinal didactic electives each semester of
their second and third years. Limited electives are also offered in spring of the first year.
Attached is the 2014-2017 academic year curriculum overview. The SOP’s first two academic years encompass
both didactic and introductory experiential components (IPPEs) whereas the third year is based on
comprehensive and advanced clinical experiences (APPEs). During the first year, students attend two
interprofessional courses to develop their interprofessional skills. Students learn the workings of the pharmacy
as an intern during their IPPEs. Our program provides students with pharmacy practice opportunities in patient
care/pharmacy settings to integrate experience that supports the classroom material. A total of seven APPE
rotations and one self-directed learning rotation (block 711) that are six-weeks in length occur during the P3
year. The four required APPEs are advanced community practice, hospital pharmacy, ambulatory care
pharmacy, and adult internal general medicine pharmacy. Students complete three elective APPEs, one of which
must be a patient care elective.
The SOP uses a Pass/No Pass grading system to evaluate student’s competency and achievement. The faculty of
the School has set the standard of achievement for each student at 90% or higher. In keeping with our grading
philosophy we do not maintain an academic rank order list of our students. In order to receive a Pass
(designated as “P” on the transcript), a student must achieve a score of 90% or higher on each examination.
Biweekly and other summative individualized examinations are used to assess student learning and identify
areas that students need further study to ensure a solid foundation in pharmacy curricular topics. In addition,
students take summative team examinations at the end of each individualized examination. Students will receive
additional points added to their individual examination score in the amount of 5% of the total, provided that the
team examination score is at least 95%. Each summative examination evaluates the expected competencies and
is specifically structured and probed to provide the means to assign the Pass/No Pass grading system to each
block. If a student does not achieve the 90% competency level on the biweekly exam, he/she is required to
remediate the delivered materials shortly after the original examination. Receiving a grade less than 90% on the
remediation results in attending an extended learning program. The standard to pass remediation or extended
learning is also set at a 90% competency level. We believe our Pass or No Pass grade system encourages
students to focus on block goals, competencies, and learning rather than on competing for grades.
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Office of Dean
222 SE 8th Avenue
Hillsboro, OR 97123
503-352-7285 phone
503-352-7270 fax
www.pacificu.edu/pharmd/
July 2014
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Pacific University School of Pharmacy Curriculum Overview (IPPE = Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience; APPE = Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience)
Spring Semester
Fall Semester
Semester
First Professional Year (P1) 2014/15
560 Biomedical Sciences: Biochemistry I
590 Pharmacy Practice 1 (longitudinal)
596 IPPE Preparation (longitudinal)
594 Social & Administrative Sciences 1 (longitudinal)
561 Biomedical Sciences: Biochemistry II
562 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Pharmacodynamics and
Pharmacokinetics Interface
563 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Central Nervous System I
568 PCR: Pulmonary, Cardio, Renal I
569 PCR: Pulmonary, Cardio, Renal II
570 PCR: Pulmonary, Cardio, Renal III
565 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Central Nervous System II
CHP 510 Interprofessional Competence: Theory & Practice
(Didactic)
Second Professional Year (P2) 2015/16
696 IPPE 2 Community (Summer) (longitudinal)
697 IPPE 3 Health System (Summer) (longitudinal)
641 Clinical Sciences: Introduction to Patient-Centered Care
698 IPPE 4 Community (longitudinal)
690 Pharmacy Practice 3 (longitudinal)
694 Social & Administrative Sciences 3 (longitudinal)
642 Clinical Sciences: Cardiovascular I
643 Clinical Sciences: Neurological and Psychiatrics I
644 Clinical Sciences: Neurological and Psychiatrics II
645 Clinical Sciences: Renal
646 Clinical Sciences: Endocrine
647 Clinical Sciences: Sexual & Reproductive Health
648 Clinical Sciences: Gastrointestinal
580 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Gastrointestinal, Nutrition, and
Natural Products
592 Pharmacy Practice 2 (longitudinal)
597 IPPE 1 Community (longitudinal)
595 Social & Administrative Sciences 2 (longitudinal)
581 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Endocrine and Sex Hormones
582 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Hematology and Oncology
583 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Immunology and Toxicology
584 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Pharmaceutics I
585 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Pharmacokinetics
586 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Infectious Diseases
587 Pharmaceutical Sciences: Pharmaceutics II
540 End of Year Examination
CHP 511 Interprofessional Competence: Theory & Practice
(Experiential)
680 Clinical Sciences: Immunology
699 APPE Preparation (longitudinal)
692 Pharmacy Practice 4 (longitudinal)
695 Social & Administrative Sciences 4 (longitudinal)
681 Clinical Sciences: Infectious Diseases I
682 Clinical Sciences: Infectious Diseases II
683 Clinical Sciences: Pulmonology
685 Clinical Sciences: Hematology and Oncology
686 Clinical Sciences: Infectious Diseases III
684 Clinical Sciences: Acute care and Nutrition
688 Clinical Sciences: Drug Induced Disease
640 End of Year Examination
Third Professional Year (P3) 2016/17
701 APPE: Advanced Community
Pharmacy
702 APPE: Health System Pharmacy
703 APPE: Ambulatory Care
704 APPE: Internal General Medicine
Selective
705 APPE: Patient Care Elective
706 APPE: Elective A- Patient Care or
Non-Patient Care Elective
707 APPE: Elective B- Patient Care or
Non-Patient Care Elective
711 Self-Study APPE:
Review/Experiences
709 Comprehensive Curricular Review
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