What kind of potential does a PharmD degree hold for shaping the future of health sciences? At UCSF School of Pharmacy, the answer is expanding.

The school has launched three new dual or combined degree programs that give learners the opportunity to pair their PharmD with advanced training in clinical research, public health, or biomedical science.

The new PharmD-Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR), PharmD-Master of Public Health (MPH), and integrated PharmD-PhD programs are the latest examples of the school’s commitment to educational innovation — and to preparing pharmacists for the many ways they can contribute to health care.

“Our responsibility as educators is to give students the foundation, experiences, and opportunities to pursue the many ways pharmacists can contribute to health care,” said Dean Kathy Giacomini PhD, BSPharm. “These new programs are an important part of that vision.”

Together, the programs build on the PharmD’s foundation in patient care and the science of medicines while giving students additional opportunities to develop expertise in research, population health, and scientific discovery.

Combining pharmacy with clinical research

The new PharmD-MSCR program combines the PharmD with a Master of Science in Clinical Research from the UCSF School of Medicine.

Students can earn both degrees in four years while completing the requirements for pharmacist licensure eligibility. The integrated curriculum combines PharmD coursework and clinical experiences with training in clinical research, mentored research, and advanced practice experiences.

Students develop skills to design, conduct, analyze, interpret, and communicate clinical research, preparing them to contribute to evidence generation and application in settings ranging from academic health systems and government to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, regulatory science, and health services research.

The program is directed by Conan MacDougall, PharmD, MAS.

Connecting pharmacy and public health

The PharmD-MPH program pairs the UCSF PharmD with a Master of Public Health from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

The four-year program gives students a foundation in both medication management and population health. That combination can be applied to challenges ranging from medication access and health disparities to disease prevention, health policy, and public health research.

The program also draws on the complementary strengths of two UC institutions, giving students the opportunity to earn degrees from UCSF and UC Berkeley while developing a broader perspective on health and health care.

The program is directed by Kathy Yang, PharmD, MPH.

Training pharmacist-scientists

For students drawn to scientific discovery, the integrated PharmD-PhD provides a pathway to combine clinical training with intensive research.

Students entering through the dual degree pathway complete the first two years of the PharmD curriculum before moving into in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacogenomics. They then return to the PharmD program for their final year of clinical experiences. Current UCSF PharmD students can also pursue a sequential pathway, completing the PharmD first and then beginning the PhD.

The program prepares students to conduct research and translate scientific discoveries into clinical applications, with potential careers in academia, government, drug discovery and development, and other settings spanning research and patient care.

The program is directed by Leslie Floren, PharmD, PhD.

Expanding the possibilities

The three programs differ in their focus, but together they reflect a broader shift in how students can think about a pharmacy career.

A student interested in generating clinical evidence can add advanced research training to the PharmD. A student focused on improving health at the population level can combine pharmacy with public health. And a student drawn to scientific discovery can pursue the training to become a pharmacist-scientist.

That range of possibilities is particularly fitting at UCSF, where education, scientific discovery, and patient care are closely connected within a university devoted exclusively to the health sciences.

The new programs also reflect the school’s broader approach to pharmacy education, giving students the flexibility to build on their clinical training while developing the expertise and perspective needed to address increasingly complex challenges in health care.

For students, that means more opportunities to shape their education around the questions they want to answer, the communities they want to serve, and the impact they want to make.