The Rocky Mountain Remote PharmD pathway at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CU Pharmacy) is now fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), three years after its initial launch.
“The remote pathway was developed to reduce barriers and increase access to our pharmacy program for students who may not be in a position to move to the Denver metro area,” said Brian Hemstreet, PharmD, Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs at CU Pharmacy. “This is most often because of the increased cost of living in Colorado compared to other regions, but also may be related to students having family commitments at home or the desire to be close to their support system while completing the program. By making the program more accessible, we will also continue to add to the already rich diversity of our student body.”
Gina Hardgraves, right, smiles with her husband at a CU Pharmacy social event in Colorado Springs. Hardgraves is a remote PharmD student, and is able to balance her education with her family. |
Fourth year pharmacy student Gina Hardgraves has been in the remote program for most of her pharmacy education and sees the option as a benefit.
“I chose to go remote as I live an hour away from campus,” she explained. “My grades improved, my stress level went down, and I gained more time to be with and take of my family – but I still get to enjoy the perks of campus life too, such as meetings with professors, being in the Colorado Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists and part of Phi Delta Chi. The remote group works well together to help each other study and succeed. It’s been amazing! I truly would not have made it through school if the remote pathway wasn’t an option.”
Created in 2021, the Rocky Mountain Remote pathway pharmacy classes are synchronous, meaning they are the same classes as the on-campus program, delivered in real time via video conferencing technology. Students are placed into a cohort alongside on-campus students to foster relationships with their peers. Twice a semester, students must travel to the world-class CU Anschutz Campus for hands-on lab work and training. A major goal of the program development was to ensure that remote pathway students have the same award-winning education as on-campus students. According to Hemstreet, CU Pharmacy faculty are well versed and highly experienced in teaching in this format, and students will have excellent support from the school throughout their time in the program.
“We’ve had excellent outcomes for the pilot phase of the remote pathway over the last three years, so It’s been an amazing feeling to have this now fully accredited as permanent part of our program,” he said. “We hope to continue to attract the best future pharmacists who will make a positive impact on patient care as the next generation of practitioners.”
The addition of the remote pathway now adds another dimension that distinguishes CU Pharmacy not only as a Top 15 pharmacy program in the country, but leaders in delivery of high-quality pharmacy education. The CU Pharmacy Class of 2029 is currently accepting applications for both in-person and remote students.