Hi!
I recently thought of a few more questions; hopefully you'll be able to answer some of them.
1. What percentage of the students graduate on time (within 4 years)?
2. During rotations (IPPE & APPE) does the College of Pharmacy normally have preceptors set up or do students have to find their own sites to complete their pharmacy practice experience?
3. Do many students decided to apply for a residency? If so, do you feel Howard College of Pharmacy is able to generally prepare and place most students who are interested in applying and seeking a residency?
4. If possible, would you be able to describe the schedule for an average day/week of a P1 student? For example: (What amount of time do you spend in class/lab? How much time do you generally use to study ? Are you able to be actively involved in extracurricular activities?)
1) There aren't statistics for that but at a small school, it would be misleading to post any percentage. If 1 person dropped out from a class of 70, you're already looking at a 98.5%. That being said, HUCOP, like any other program, have students leaves of absence or leave entirely for a variety of different reasons, it would not be representative of the school's academic performance.
2) IPPE 1 (retail), IPPE 2 (hospital) and up to three APPEs can be set up by the student if they have a location in mind or want to return to their home state. Otherwise the school will automatically assign you to sites.
3) I would say about a third of each class decides to apply for residency with about half of those applicants getting spots. In the last two years we've had students get placed at a few prestigious locations (2 at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Walmart Corporate, UNC PGY1/PGY2/MBA program, City of Hope in Los Angeles, etc.) I am a P2 currently so I couldn't comment truly until it's my time to apply fourth year. It would be difficult to say most students who are interested in residency get it simply because everyone is different. Landing a residency is the accumulation of 4 years of coursework, leadership roles, networking, recommendations, work during school, and so many other variables that no two applicants are alike.
4) P1s have a lighter course load their first semester here, it's essentially a step above the pre-reqs for admission. Their second semester, school picks up significantly. Again, I couldn't generalize students time management skills (or lack there of) because no two students are alike. I'll say that my first year, second semester was very stressful because I had never had a course load as large before. I had three leadership positions which made it a little more challenging as well. Fast forward to my second year, second semester, I now have five leadership positions and am getting the best grades of my life, despite a drastic increase in responsibilities and difficulty in courses. I study every single day for at least 6 hours and depending on when an exam is, I may spend even more. It's all a matter of perspective and how a student adapts.
I hope I answered your questions somewhat. No matter the school anyone goes to, the results will differ depending on the student in all honesty. Anything else, please feel free to ask!