FORT VALLEY, Georgia — Fort Valley State University and the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy have partnered to help support students and future pharmacists with their 3+4 program.
This program allows Fort Valley State students to get a head start in the healthcare industry before transferring to UGA's four-year pharmacy program. Junior-year Fort Valley State students, in particular, who meet specific academic goals and successfully meet the admissions requirements get a guaranteed interview at UGA's College of Pharmacy.
Kelly Smith, the Dean of UGA's College of Pharmacy, mentioned how collaboration is critical for partnerships that help grow the students and the school.
"Pharmacy has long been one of the most trusted professions and continues to be," Smith said. "Partnerships like that that we have with Fort Valley State University are really made up of people who are passionate and seek to be collaborative."
If the students enter, they jump onto the four-year pharmacy track and expect to complete the necessary courses for their Bachelor of Science degree.
Fares Howari, the dean of Fort Valley State University's College of Arts and Sciences, finds it essential to build future pharmacists.
"They will get skills, competence, and knowledge to enable them to do research and development and to deliver what they find and to be able to communicate with the patient, to be able to communicate with the stakeholders, the policymakers, and the community as well," Howari said.
So, what does this mean for Fort Valley State University students? Dion Goodwin, a senior biology major at Fort Valley State University, feels like the classes he has taken have prepared him to be a resource in the healthcare industry.
"Put Fort Valley on the map, I would say," Goodwin said. "It's important that we're showing them that we're not just a school that can just stop after undergraduate. We can go anywhere and do anything."
Currently, the United States is facing a shortage of pharmacists because of burnout, increased demand, and worker mobility. This program is aimed at eliminating the shortage and properly educating future pharmacists who can serve close to home.
"There is no better time to forge this unique relationship," Smith said in a statement. "Georgia communities are projected to need more pharmacists now and in the future. The value of pharmacists in helping people address their healthcare concerns is becoming extraordinarily apparent, especially since the pandemic. Pharmacists are being recognized for their leadership and the value they bring to an integrated healthcare team."