Name: Cassandra Hanna
Title: Director of Experiential Education, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Hometown: Littleton, CO
What kind of professional expertise and knowledge do you bring to the Pharmacy classroom?
I am the only alumni faculty member in the School of Pharmacy so I have not only the undergrad/pre-pharmacy experience, but also the Pharm.D. in-classroom experience to relate to the students.
Additionally, I have an extra certification in pharmacotherapy and currently work as a clinical pharmacist at a local Level-1 Trauma hospital, which allows me to combine real-world expertise with my clinical knowledge. This helps me teach complex topics in a way that is understandable for pharmacy students.
In your opinion, what are the greatest strengths of the Pharm.D. program at Regis?
The ability for students to communicate, collaborate and learn from others in the team-based learning format. Students are accountable for their own learning based on coming to class prepared, having real-world applications to discuss during class, and being able to collaborate and learn how to work on a team which is essential to practicing pharmacy after graduation.
Integrated faculty collaboration is evident — all faculty teach in every area of the curriculum and not only that, the highly-collegial culture allows for faculty to be innovated to teaching each generation of pharmacy student and meeting students where they are.
Students can choose their own pathway — 3 or 4 years to complete their Pharm.D. degree. Few programs allow students to pick this after 1.25 semesters of being enrolled, unlike having to choose before enrollment.
What differentiates the Regis Pharm.D. program from similar programs at other universities?
High residency match rates (clinical electives and residency prep courses), high fellowship match rates (industry certificate program), team-based learning experiences, optimized experiential rotations specific to students’ interests and the 3- or 4-year program students can choose from.
Do you have any advice for aspiring pharmacy professionals or students seeking related career paths?
Pharmacists are more than just “pill counters” — we are the most accessible medical professionals with one of the highest levels of training, including residencies, fellowships and certificates, to ensure we are not only the medication experts, but are life-long learners.