Scholars Program

Mentoring
One-on-one direct mentoring for professional growth, clinical practice, scholarship, and/or teaching. Mentors are faculty or adjunct faculty members. Students will submit a list of their top three mentor choices (either from a provided list or of their own choosing). Mentors not pre-identified will need to be approved by the Scholars Program Committee.

Curriculum
Modified coursework encompassing clinical skills, journal club, research, teaching, and leadership. 

Experiential Education
Tailored advanced pharmacy practice (APPE) experiences focusing on clinical practice, scholarship, and/or teaching will be scheduled. Students will be required to complete one clinical APPE experience with their mentor and one teaching elective APPE rotation. An optional research APPE experience may also be scheduled.

Scholarship
Students will conduct a scholarly project, i.e. research project, review article, etc., and present a poster or submit their manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Professional Presentation
During spring semester of the P4 year, students will present their scholarly project via poster presentation at the annual UB SPPS Residency Project Presentation Day. Students will also have the option to submit their scholarly project as a poster at a state or national pharmacy meeting.

Students must not have any unsatisfactory grades in required courses. Students must have a documented history of professional organization involvement and career goals that align with the program. Points in a variety of categories will be awarded based on the student's experience and explanation of goals. Additional points will be awarded to students on the Faculty Merit and Dean’s List. (One additional point for each semester on the Faculty Merit List and two additional points for each semester on Dean’s List). 

P2 students must complete the Scholars Program Application and upload their CV as directed by December 31, 2023 of the second professional (P2) year. Applications are not accepted at any other time.

Applications are reviewed by the Scholar’s Program committee in January. Selected students will be offered an interview, held in February. Following interviews, select students will be invited into the Scholars Program. They will be notified no later than March. Students will participate in the above outlines activities in their third and fourth professional years. 

Digital Badge Title:  Pharmacy Scholarship, Education, Leadership

This program will help you to become a future leader in the profession of pharmacy.   You will be mentored in your third and fourth professional years in the areas of clinical practice, scholarship, and teaching so as to help you develop as a future leader of our profession  You will develop the tools and skill necessary to develop your ability to effectively lead others, inside and outside of the profession.

The program is designed to help Pharm D students obtain residencies and post-graduate experiences.

The program consists of coursework and completion of specific experiential education rotations.

The program requires two years (four semesters) to complete.

Who is eligible for the Pharmacy Scholars program (leading to the Pharmacy Scholarship, Education, Leadership digital badge)?

The Scholars Program of the UB SPPS is designed to identify students with demonstrated excellence in academic achievement who have an interest in postgraduate training.  Pharmacy students in their P2 year apply in December. Students must not have any unsatisfactory grades. Students on the merit or dean's list will be preferentially selected.

If accepted students will complete the program requirements in their last two professional years (P3 and P4 years).

What skills will I obtain?

 In addition to the traditional PharmD program requirements, the Scholars Program student will participate in the following activities during their third and/or fourth professional year: mentoring, modified coursework encompassing clinical, research, teaching, and leadership skills, tailored advanced pharmacy practice (APPE) experiences, journal club, teaching activities, scholarship opportunities, and professional presentation opportunities. 

What will I earn when I complete this program?

You will earn a notation on your academic transcript as well as a digital badge that you may use on your digital resume or social media sites.

For more information about Micro-Credentials at UB please visit buffalo.edu/micro-credentials.