Experiential Learning
In addition to classroom instruction, the Pharm.D. curriculum at the Regis University School of Pharmacy has an experiential component that provides students with access to a variety of clinical education sites, where they receive hands-on experience under the guidance of professional preceptors in hospital, community and other clinical settings. These settings often afford the opportunity to interact with diverse and multicultural patients, promoting an appreciation for different cultures and perspectives.
Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs)
Introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) include various real practice experiences in community, institutional, research or other health care settings. IPPEs begin in the spring semester of the first professional year and continue until the end of the third professional year. Students are afforded different learning opportunities each semester (for a total of five IPPEs). During each semester, students are given a full day off from campus and classroom activities to be at their designated experiential site. This allows the students at Regis' School of Pharmacy to learn about the practice setting and complete specific assignments that emphasize the concepts learned in concurrent curriculum course work.
Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs)
Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) are primarily direct patient care experiences that build on the introductory experiences. Following three years of classroom courses, Regis student pharmacists complete seven, six-week APPEs in their fourth and final year. Students are required to complete a community, inpatient hospital health system, inpatient general medicine and ambulatory care learning experience. The other three learning experiences are elective opportunities for the students. Each experiential opportunity includes specific learning objectives for the student to master during their experience.
Students get the opportunity to begin their Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) in the second semester of their very first year. Regis University School of Pharmacy has established a large network of preceptors from the clinical community in the Denver metro area and beyond. Our students have been welcomed and recognized by the pharmacy community as professional, skillful and principled candidates that highlight the culture and mission of Regis. In addition to practical experiences, service learning activities are an integral component of our experiential program, allowing students community outreach both locally and abroad.