Chicago State University College of Pharmacy to graduate first class of Pharmacists

May 15, 2012 - PRLog -- (CHICAGO) – The inaugural class of the Chicago State University College of Pharmacy (CSU-COP) is preparing for the first of two ceremonies leading up to graduation.  The 77 students will take their oaths as Doctors of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) and receive their hoods on May 16.  The Oath & Hooding Ceremony will be followed by a dinner and reception at the Grand Ballroom of Navy Pier.  On May 17, the newly minted pharmacist will join students across CSU for a college-wide commencement.  The Oath & Hooding Ceremony and graduation events will be held at the Emil & Patricia Jones Convocation Center on the campus of CSU.

This inaugural CSU-COP graduating class boasts some impressive firsts in it short history, among them two Albert Schweitzer Fellows and first prize awards in “environmental sciences” and “chemistry”, from the 2012 Spring Symposium & Student Research Conference in Science Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M). The program has been recognized as the most diverse Pharmacy program in Illinois and one of the most diverse in the nation, ranking number 11 in underrepresented minority student pharmacist enrollment.   The composition of the 2012 graduating class is one-third Caucasian, one-third Asian and one-third African American.  The COP has as its goal, producing pharmacy professionals who will positively affect the health care needs of a global community. They accomplish this by offering a dynamic curriculum that embraces student-centered learning while encouraging engagement between students and faculty that fosters students’ academic and professional goals.  
“This is an exciting time for the pharmacy profession,” says Dr. Miriam A. Mobley Smith, dean of the College of Pharmacy at CSU.  “Pharmacist have evolved from dispensers of medication to providers of health care services,  yet their roles continue to expand.  At CSU we are preparing our Pharmacy students, not just for today, but for future patient care needs, clinical management and policy thought leadership.”  
In the midst of a challenging economy, statistics show that the employment outlook for those holding a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree to be high, with starting salaries above $95K, according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.  Further, employment for pharmacist is expected to increase by 25% by 2020 according to the U.S. Department of Labor.  Pharmacists can also expect an array of options as to the setting in which they work, ranging from community pharmacies to hospitals and intuitions, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, and state and federal agencies.  

Details of the events planned for the School of Pharmacy are as follows:

Pharmacists’ Oath & Hooding Ceremony
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Emil & Patricia Jones Convocation Center
1:00 p.m.
Sponsored in part by CVS

Mortar and Pestle Graduation Reception & Dinner
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier, Inc.
600 E. Grand Street
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
$85.00 - Limited Seating
Sponsored in part by Walgreens & MassMutual Financial Group

For information call 773-821-2169

Commencement Ceremony
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Emil & Patricia Jones Convocation Center
11:00 a.m.
(Ticketed event)

About the Chicago State University School of Pharmacy (CSU-COP)
The mission of the Department of Pharmacy Practice is to prepare and empower pharmacy students and pharmacists to become competent providers of pharmacist care in all practice settings. This mission is achieved through a combination of innovative didactic coursework, experiential training, mentoring, scholarship, and community service in partnership with students, pharmacy practitioners, and the medical and lay communities. The Department serves the professional community through the development and evaluation of innovative pharmacy practice models that promote the role of the pharmacist as an integral member of the healthcare team.

About the Chicago State University
Chicago State University was founded as a teacher training school in Blue Island, Illinois on September 2, 1867.  Today, the University is a fully accredited public, urban institution located on 161 picturesque acres in a residential community on Chicago’s Southside.  CSU is governed by a board of trustees appointed by the Governor of Illinois.  The University’s five colleges - Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Pharmacy - offer 36 undergraduate and 25 graduate and professional degree granting programs.  CSU also offers an interdisciplinary Honors College for students in all areas of study and has a Division of Continuing Educations and Non-traditional Degree Program.