GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University students now have an opportunity for direct admission into the Union University College of Pharmacy through an agreement signed recently by the two higher education institutions.
Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey
The agreement’s purpose is to recruit highly qualified Tusculum students to Union’s College of Pharmacy early in their studies. It is also designed to streamline the students’ admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Union.
“We are extremely pleased to partner with the Union University College of Pharmacy so our students can have a seamless transition to this outstanding professional program,” said Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, dean of Tusculum’s College of Science, Technology and Mathematics. “The rigor and caliber of our pre-pharmacy program and all of the academics in our Natural Sciences Department make them ideal candidates to advance after graduation. We are grateful to Union University’s College of Pharmacy for creating this pathway for our students.”
To be eligible for the direct admission program, students must complete all of the prerequisite courses in the sciences and other disciplines and meet the required grade point average and ACT benchmarks.
Mike Renfrow, director of pharmacy admissions and recruitment, said the agreement provides greater efficiency for the two universities and strengthens their collaboration. He said the College of Pharmacy is excited about the potential for growth and development this relationship brings to both higher education institutions.
The College of Pharmacy wants to establish a connection with students as freshmen to help guide them successfully through their undergraduate studies at Tusculum and position them to meet all requirements for admission to the professional program after graduation.
Mike Renfrow
“Tusculum students are considered an excellent fit for the Union University College of Pharmacy due to their demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to their studies and alignment with the values of our pharmacy program,” Renfrow said. “The agreement guarantees a pipeline of well-prepared and motivated students from Tusculum, enhancing the overall academic atmosphere and contributing to the success of our pharmacy program.”
Renfrow said Tusculum’s robust curriculum, values, dedicated faculty and supportive learning environment illuminate that the university is an outstanding higher education institution. He said these strengths match the College of Pharmacy’s goals, ensuring that Tusculum students entering that program have a solid foundation in the sciences, critical thinking skills and a commitment to excellence.
Dr. Henson-Ramsey said the College of Pharmacy is able to provide training in multiple areas of that field that Tusculum students will find attractive. Examples are pediatric pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy and veterinary pharmacy.
Tusculum and the College of Pharmacy strongly believe in providing an experiential education. In Tusculum’s Natural Sciences Department, chemistry and biology students have conducted research for more than five years in the fight against cancer. The students, under the guidance of Dr. Dennis Ashford, associate professor of chemistry, have developed potential medications that can be activated by light to kill cancerous cells and spare healthy ones.
The group has published a paper on its research in Dalton Transactions, an international chemistry journal. Students and Dr. Ashford have also made several presentations within the industry, including at an American Chemical Society conference.
The pre-pharmacy concentration within Tusculum’s Bachelor of Science in chemistry empowers students to become grounded in the fundamentals of chemistry, biology, microbiology and physics through active and experiential learning. Students are also eligible for research opportunities and internships.
Tusculum provides this extraordinary academic climate within a caring Christian environment in which students are encouraged to grow in their faith through a number of programs available on campus. Renfrow said one of Tusculum’s strengths is its Christian values. The university also inspires civic engagement, which enables students to become even better citizens and to serve their communities.
All of Tusculum’s chemistry program graduates since 2018 have been successfully employed or have participated in graduate studies in the field. The College of Pharmacy’s graduates have a 100% job placement rate and a historical average pass rate of more than 95% on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. The program has a 90% residency placement rate. Dr. Henson-Ramsey said these are excellent outcomes.
“Union is a Christian university like Tusculum, and the College of Pharmacy admits a small to moderate number of students into each class,” she said. “The College of Pharmacy has an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, which is exceptional. I think our TU students will find the program appealing and will feel at home there.”
The College of Pharmacy said its Doctor of Pharmacy program offers academically qualified students an opportunity to study with some of the finest Christian scholars in the field. The credentials of the College of Pharmacy faculty exemplify Union University’s commitment to integrating rigorous academics with a Christian worldview. The College of Pharmacy’s mission is to develop comprehensively trained, patient-centered practitioners of strong personal and professional character, who are equipped to meet the demands of an ever-changing health care environment.
Four goals convey how the College of Pharmacy endeavors to achieve its mission and vision:
- Promoting an excellence-driven academic culture
- Providing a Christ-centered environment
- Developing people-focused practitioners
- Fostering the future-directed growth of students and faculty
“The direct admit agreement underscores our confidence that Tusculum students possess the qualities needed to excel in our program and contribute positively to the pharmacy profession,” Renfrow said. “We believe that Tusculum students are well-prepared for the challenges of our program both academically and professionally.”
More information about Tusculum and Union’s College of Pharmacy are available at www.tusculum.edu and https://www.uu.edu/programs/pharmacy/, respectively. Further details about the anti-cancer drug research can be accessed at https://site.tusculum.edu/anti-cancer-drugs-research/. To learn more about the pre-pharmacy concentration, please visit https://site.tusculum.edu/pre-pharmacy-concentration/.