First Professional Year (P1)
The first professional year includes coursework in the science of how medicine works. It also includes introductory pharmacy practice coursework covering such topics as working with patients, dispensing medications, teamwork with other pharmacists, and teamwork with other health care providers. As a first-year and second-year student you take classes at Oregon State University's main campus in Corvallis. If you are in the Portland Cohort you will attend class largely via Zoom at the Robertson Collaborative Life Sciences and travel to Corvallis one day a week for your lab and attend any classes offered that day in person in Corvallis.
Second Professional Year (P2)
The second professional year includes more advanced science coursework, emphasizing pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry. Pharmacy practice coursework covers monitoring and adjusting medication use to ensure optimal patient health. Other coursework covers communication in different pharmacy practice settings, managing pharmacy staff and finances, and ethical decision-making.
Third Professional Year (P3)
The third professional year coursework emphasizes advanced strategies for treating specific diseases. Other coursework covers drug policy decisions and strategies for improving overall population health. As a third-year student you take classes at the Oregon Health & Science University campus in Portland, giving you access to OHSU's world-renowned practice settings and care providers.
Fourth Professional Year (P4)
The fourth professional year consists entirely of hands-on, supervised practice in a range of pharmacy practice settings. Depending on your goals and interests, these settings could be all over Oregon and beyond. While hands-on experience is a part of the curriculum in all four years, the fourth year is entirely devoted to it.