Real World Experience

Real-world experiences complement classroom-based instruction at MCPHS. They give students a chance to apply what they have learned and develop the soft skills and mindset required to thrive in complex healthcare and life sciences settings. Our graduates are prepared for the collaborative, team-based environments found in patient-centric clinics, hospitals, and biopharmaceutical companies. While at MCPHS, they practice deep listening, communicating across disciplines, synthesizing ideas, and integrating perspectives through a variety of exercises and programs.

Many real-world experiences are baked into the core curriculum. For example, all Doctor of Pharmacy students participate in rotations, including introductory and advanced rotations in the inpatient and outpatient care settings. They graduate with more than 1,700 hours of experiential learning through rotations alone.

But students can also take advantage of opportunities beyond rotations. We invite you to explore our real-world experience offerings and resources.

Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE)

In the pharmacy program, all students learn with and from a variety of healthcare disciplines to develop a team-based approach to patient care. Across our campuses, pharmacy students have an opportunity to participate in a minimum of six IPE events to actively collaborate with learners in fields ranging from medicine to acupuncture to dental hygiene to optometry.

IPE activities at MCPHS include:

• Collaborative, case-based discussions in interdisciplinary teams to enhance preparedness for clinical rotations.
• Team discussions on health disparities and barriers in healthcare following a viewing of the documentary “Color of Care.”
• A patient, team-structured simulation event that involves collaboration across disciplines.
• An interprofessional book club discussion.
• Case conferences organized with Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, University of Massachusetts School of Nursing, and Simmons University School of Social Work on topics ranging from nicotine cessation to pediatric discharge.
• An Interprofessional Student Scholarship Showcase event.

Visit the MCPHS Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education to learn more about these and other opportunities.

Office of Experiential Education

A third of the Doctor of Pharmacy program is spent working with and learning from pharmacists, healthcare providers, research scientists and industry professionals through rotations. The Office of Experiential Education guides pharmacy students through the rotation process. We are affiliated with leading hospitals, medical institutions, and companies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and place students at these institutions.

Pharmacy students complete:

• Two introductory rotations: one in the inpatient care setting and one in the outpatient care setting.
• Six advanced rotations: two in the inpatient care setting, two in the outpatient care setting, and two electives. To allow for a wide variety of hands-on experiences to explore unique interests, electives are available in dozens of different areas.

MCPHS is also affiliated with nationally competitive experiential opportunities that enable students to explore pharmacy advocacy, regulatory affairs, and other topics. The Office of Experiential Education works with students to prepare their application prior to competing for these rotations.

Global experiential opportunities are also available. This allows students to explore healthcare systems and disparities on an international level. It also gives many international students the chance to explore the role of a pharmacist firsthand in their home country.

The Office of Experiential Education collaborates with students to position them for postgraduate education, including by coordinating multiple rotations at the same site if the student wants to pursue a residency or fellowship at that site.

Office of Experiential Learning contact:
Paul DiFrancesco, EdE, MPA, RPh
Associate Dean of Pharmacy Experiential Education
paul.difrancesco@mcphs.edu

Additional Opportunities for Students

MCPHS also fosters real-world experience by:

• Organizing special events and programs such as Medicare Part D Day, which gives students the opportunity to work alongside faculty and help seniors select the Medicare Part D plan that meets their healthcare needs.
• Covering the registration cost for regional or national meetings that our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows attend.
• Providing an allotment for honors students to attend a professional meeting.
• Helping to cover regional or national conference registration fees (funding provided by the Student Government Association).
• Supporting students who compete in regional and national competitions (funding provided by the Student Government Association).

Fellowships and Residencies

The School of Pharmacy offers academic, research, biopharmaceutical industry and traditional fellowships as well as residency training in community pharmacies and some of the best medical centers in the world. In fact, we run the second largest Biopharmaceutical Industry Fellowship program in the country. Learn about postgraduate opportunities at MCPHS available to students with a PharmD from any institution.