Study as an undergraduate in the College of Liberal Arts and complete your degree at Mercer's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Pre-Pharmacy is unlike any program at Mercer University. It provides a student with the opportunity to study as an undergraduate in an excellent College of Liberal Arts and complete a degree in pharmacy at one of the nation's top pharmacy schools, Mercer's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, located on Mercer's Cecil B. Day Campus in Atlanta, has been training pharmacists since 1903. The School merged with Mercer University in 1959 and has an outstanding reputation for the highest caliber of professional pharmacy education. Mercer was the first school of pharmacy in the Southeast and fifth in the nation to offer the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) as its sole professional degree. The College has the advantage of utilizing a variety of pharmacy settings for practical experience. The benefits of our location allow for exposure to the new, emerging roles open to pharmacists.
The mission of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is "to prepare its graduates to provide pharmaceutical care and thereby assure the safe and effective use of medications for the benefit of the patient and society."
To achieve this mission, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences:
- Adheres to the values founded and supported in the University's Judeo-Christian heritage, while respecting the pluralistic values of our society;
- Provides an environment where students can participate in active learning and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
- Provides an environment that fosters innovation, creativity, the pursuit of intellectual curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning;
- Provides resources that will enhance the personal and professional growth of students, faculty and staff, and that will foster a positive and continuing relationship with alumni;
- Supports a highly qualified faculty in their pursuit of teaching, scholarly activity and service in recognition that these activities are integral components of continuing professional growth;
- Provides postgraduate education including graduate programs, residencies, fellowships and certificate programs; and
- Demonstrates a caring and responsive attitude toward all constituents.
Nationally and internationally known professors educate students in the advanced knowledge and communication skills necessary to exercise sound professional judgement regarding the proper use of medical agents. Students receive extensive clinical training. Excellent counseling, career guidance and job placement services are available, as are residency programs.
More than 98 percent of College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences graduates pass the National Board Examination.
Pharmacy Study
The applicant pool at College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has experienced significant growth in the last decade, reflecting the increased competition for admission to pharmacy schools nationwide. Despite this heightened competition, the Mercer Early Acceptance Program (EAP) in Pharmacy gives a Mercer University undergraduate a distinct advantage of gaining admission to pharmacy school.
Early Acceptance Program
The Early Acceptance Program (EAP) is designed for students admitted to or enrolled at Mercer University College of Liberal Arts (CLA) in Macon. In order to participate in the EAP program, a student must earn all of their pre-pharmacy credit in CLA (occasionally, AP and dual enrollment credit will be accepted in place of the required courses with the approval of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions) and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 in all courses (no grade below a C will transfer). Starting in the fall of their freshman year, EAP students must also participate in the academic advising and career seminar programs provided jointly by the pre-pharmacy advisor at CLA and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at SSP. One program is usually scheduled at CLA early each fall, as well as an Open House for students at College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences each spring.
During the summer between the freshman and sophomore years (before August), students who wish to participate in EAP are required to submit a secondary application to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences(including a recent picture), although they are not required to submit letters of recommendation, or a supplemental application fee. At the same time, students are also required to participate in the new Pharmacy College Application Services (PharmCAS) program. The PharmCAS application will be available online each year starting in early May at
www.pharmcas.org. There will be a fee of approximately $130 that all students, including EAP students, will have to pay. EAP students will also need to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) during their sophomore year and submit their scores to PharmCAS.
The Pre-Pharmacy Program
Students must take the following specific courses plus the additional elective courses totaling at least 60 semester hours to meet the minimum requirements for admission to the Pharm.D. program:
Biology: BIO 210 and 220
General Chemistry: CHM 111 and 112 or CHM 115 and 241
Organic Chemistry: CHM 221 and 222
Communication: CTA 256
Economics: ECN 150 or 151
First-Year Seminar: FYS 101 and 102
Mathematics: MAT 141 or 191/191L
Physics: PHY 141/121L or 161/121L
Additional courses: Pre-Pharmacy students must complete six additional semester hours in humanities (art, English, foreign language, Christianity, literature, Great Books, history, music, or philosophy) and six additional semester hours in social studies (accounting, African American studies, anthropology, business, computer science, economics, management, political science, psychology, scientific inquiry, sociology, or women and gender studies).
Profile of the Graduate
The Pharm.D. graduate of the Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will be able to:
- Deliver pharmaceutical care based on sound scientific knowledge;
- Solve problems and think critically;
- Effectively counsel patients;
- Educate the public and health care professionals;
- Protect the public by identifying, resolving and preventing adverse drug reactions;
- Monitor therapeutic outcomes;
- Effectively manage resources based on sound financial knowledge and administrative skills;
- Adhere to state and federal laws regulating the practice of pharmacy; and
- Adhere to professional and ethical standards of conduct.
The Career as a Pharmacist
There are numerous advantages to pursuing a career in pharmacy, such as providing opportunities to work with people on a daily basis. Pharmacy plays a unique and vital role in today's health care services industry and is considered to be one of the most respected professions in the country. Pharmacy training prepares students for a wide variety of vocational options. Further, the employment outlook and salary potential for pharmacists are excellent.
The traditional role of the family druggist who fills prescriptions is as important as ever. However, the field has changed significantly over the past 20 years, evolving into diverse and challenging practice areas. The focus of pharmacy has shifted from supplying pharmaceutical products to providing health care. Modern drugs are more potent and more specific than in the past. The pharmacist is the best resource for comprehensive patient education, drug therapy monitoring and information concerning proper medicine use.
The community pharmacy and the hospital pharmacy environment hold expanded responsibilities for future pharmacists. Many community pharmacies are providing screening for hypertension and diabetes, as well as home health care services. In today's hospital, the pharmacist is assuming a new role as a therapeutic consultant to physicians and patients, while continuing to assure the availability and distribution of drug products. Skills in management and administration are also part of practicing pharmacy. In all settings, pharmacists are needed to supervise and monitor personnel as well as dispense and purchase products. The pharmaceutical industry affords positions in sales, marketing, manufacturing, quality control and public service posts, including those with the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, Public Health Service and the Veterans Administration. Additionally, pharmacists teach in a variety of settings.