Scene @ CCSU: Biomolecular Sciences program a gateway to pharmacy school

Sunday, February 24, 2013 10:44 PM EST

By JAMES P. MULROONEY CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES

In this tough economic time, one field where opportunities continue to arise is pharmacy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a greater than 25 percent employment increase for pharmacists by the year 2020. Careers in pharmacy range from the pharmacist behind the counter at neighborhood drugstores to positions in hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry.

In its list of top 100 jobs, based on median salary, job opportunities and job flexibility, US News ranks pharmacists third.

Entrance into a pharmacy program requires a strong background in science and chemistry, including courses in microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and biochemistry.

The Biomolecular Sciences program at Central Connecticut State University is preparing students for successful admittance into pharmacy school. In the words of Scott Jagora, a 2011 graduate of the program, CCSUs BMS program has given me a solid foundation and the essential tools to allow me to further my education at a school of pharmacy.

Recently, several of our students have gained successful admission into the new school of pharmacy at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Hartford. One of them is Sara Schroedl, a 2012 graduate of our biomolecular studies program. She shared with us that when she first arrived at CCSU she tried to create her own pre-pharm major; instead her advisor convinced her that BMS would cover all of the pre-requisites for pharmacy school.

I am a little more than halfway through with my first year at USJ and can say that being a BMS major more than adequately prepared me to be successful at USJ, Schroedl said.

Our program, with its emphasis on research and hands-on learning, prepares students to approach scientific questions from both a theoretical and an applied standpoint. These become essential skills that students practice in the study of pharmacy.

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Scene @ CCSU: Biomolecular Sciences program a gateway to pharmacy school