PharmD Program

With a goal to become an icon of excellence through leading clinical pharmacy education, research and practice; CCHE 57357 developed a structured program in collaboration with Colorado University. The program aims to develop competent, ethical, contemporary and compassionate who will lead the advancement of the clinical pharmacy profession in Egypt.

The PharmD in general is a two-year program; though it can be extended for up to four years. Each year is comprised of three semesters. The program is a 67.5 credit-hours joint-program developed by CCHE 57357 in collaboration with Colorado University (CU). The program is a hybrid program; the didactic component is provided by CU faculty as distance-learning whereas the experiential component is provided on site at CCHE 57357 by experienced CCHE 57357 preceptors. Additionally, three live courses are conducted by CU faculty at CCHE. The experiential part starts with Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE), that runs as 90 hrs./semester for the first four semesters. This is then followed by a total of 1200 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE).

The didactic coursework combines professional skills courses and pharmacotherapeutic courses. Pharmacotherapy courses cover the pathophysiology, advanced pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacokinetics and professional skills development specific to the disease state.

The experiential program provides hands-on-learning at various practice areas including but not limited to acute care, emergency department, ambulatory care, dispensing area and IV admixture. The program also allows for a set of electives including infectious diseases, pharmacogenomics, bone marrow transplantation, and Drug Information Center.

Another unique aspect of the program is utilizing Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as part of evaluating the students. The OSCE was introduced by Dr. Ronald M. Harden in the 1970s as “an approach to the assessment of clinical competence in which the components of competence are assessed in a planned or structured way with the attention being paid to the objectivity of the examination.”

Although the OSCE is a common method for learners assessment and practice licensing in USA and Canada, 57357 -CU PharmD OSCE exam represents the first OSCE for pharmD students in Egypt.

OSCE examination comprises standard stations where students have to complete specific tasks.The examination mimics real life scenarios, where the clinical tasks are carried in an interactive environment involving standardized patients (patient actors). OSCE examinations are conducted at the conclusion of each semester and serve as an integral part in the student evaluation.