Coming online in 2011, the USF College of Pharmacy will open new frontiers for students across the state seeking to serve on the front lines of Florida’s growing health care industry. Growth in the state’s elderly population, in particular, will exponentially expand the need for highly educated, motivated pharmacy professionals. At USF Health, we stand ready and willing to meet that need.
The pharmaceutical industry touches all aspects of health care, and pharmacists therefore interact with all aspects of the medical field. Due to population growth and a limited number of schools of pharmacy, Florida is facing a long-term, critical shortage of these all-important professionals. This is a challenge that will not be solved quickly, but the University of South Florida stands now as a key part of the solution.
This campaign provides us with the opportunity to join with forward-thinking people like you in solving this burgeoning health care challenge. Working together, we can be unstoppable.
The first step in this solution will be the school offering a new Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program. As the state’s first public College of Pharmacy in a metropolitan area, we will have the unique ability to train the next generation of professionals in a fast-paced urban environment. And, as such, our students will learn first-hand the important role that pharmacists play in the lives of people living across the spectrums of age, health, wealth and disease.
Because Florida leads the nation in percentage of population over 65, we will focus on geriatric care. But we won’t stop there. We will be leaders in drug therapy optimization, the expanding field of gene-drug therapy and personalized medication therapy. We will conduct our teaching and our research in an environment that USF Health has become famous for, one that is patient-centered and technology-driven. By doing so, we know that USF College of Pharmacy graduates will lead the transformation of the future of health care.
The College of Pharmacy seeks the help of private citizens, corporations and industry to support implementation of the pharmacy program. The USF: Unstoppable Campaign is a unique opportunity for you to help shape this program and impact the future of health care delivery. Join us in making this endeavor a reality.
New Faculty Startup Fund
First-rate faculty members are the foundation of a first-rate program. The College of Pharmacy must attract top-notch scholars and clinicians to build its initial faculty group, and recruiting pharmacy faculty is extremely competitive. The school seeks to raise $1 million to recruit approximately 35 faculty members. USF Doctor of Pharmacy faculty will provide clinical services, conduct research and clinical trials to develop innovative medications, and contribute to an interdisciplinary clinical teaching environment. These funds will assist faculty with establishing research programs and create a nurturing environment for young clinicians.
Endowed Pharmacy Chairs and Directorships
As the USF PharmD program develops, recruiting and retaining preeminent leaders in pharmacy research and education will be essential for its success. The College of Pharmacy is seeking $8 million to create an endowed faculty chair, an endowed directorship and two endowed professorships. These endowment funds will provide significant resources to attract and reward the brightest minds. Pharmacy chair holders will direct cutting-edge research, leverage competitive federal research opportunities, draw outstanding students and mentor junior faculty members. Endowed funds provide permanent support for these research and teaching activities.
Pharmacy Need-Based Scholarships
Endowed and immediately expendable scholarships are vital for recruiting and educating future generations of pharmacists. The College of Pharmacy seeks to raise $1 million for need-based scholarship funds to attract a diverse student population. The costs related to obtaining a professional pharmacy degree add up quickly and can create significant debt for pharmacy graduates. These costs can limit access for students without personal resources or family support, reducing the pool of otherwise exceptional candidates. An investment in pharmacy scholarships not only reduces students’ financial burdens, but also pays great dividends by increasing the number of qualified pharmacists to serve our community.
Doctoral Scholarships
The USF College of Pharmacy plans to offer a doctorate as the program grows. Therefore, the school is raising $500,000 to fund two doctoral student scholarships. These awards will go to highly motivated students interested in advancing the field through basic science and clinical research and education.
Student Professional Development
Pharmacists are playing a more prominent role on health care teams, making crucial— even life-saving—decisions for patients in myriad settings. Students in the PharmD program will benefit from interdisciplinary collaborations that draw on USF Health’s faculty and resources in medicine, nursing and public health. The College of Pharmacy seeks to raise $2 million to enhance opportunities for student professional development. These funds will provide support for students to strengthen their leadership, research and clinical skills by attending national pharmacy conferences.
Named College of Pharmacy
Initially, the new pharmacy program will use existing classroom and lab space in the USF College of Medicine. As the school grows, expanding its faculty and student body, it will need additional space, equipment and technology to support growing research and teaching capabilities. The College of Pharmacy is seeking $10 million to build and equip a new facility, which will eventually house the College of Pharmacy at USF Health. This facility will provide a naming opportunity for individuals looking to transform health care by making a meaningful and lasting impact on advances in drug therapy.
