College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove

At the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove campus, we are focused on training compassionate, patient-centered pharmacists.

Students gathered around fake patient in simulation center while professor instructs

Midwestern University was founded in 1900 as the American College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. In 1991, the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove (CPDG) was established, and we have been educating patient-centered pharmacists for a wide array of practice settings since then. Located 25 miles west of Chicago, our beautiful gated campus features 105-acres of wooded land and provides students with excellent living and learning opportunities.

Streamlined Admissions

We no longer require PCAT scores as part of the admissions process (though you are welcome to submit them if you wish to enhance your application).

Three-year, Year-round Curriculum

In our program, you will attend courses year-round beginning in early June, with an ultimate May graduation. A bachelor's degree is not required, and our innovative program prepares you to begin your pharmacy career sooner, while still benefiting from a well-rounded education focused on excellent patient care.

Dynamic Curriculum

In your first years in the program, you will engage in interactive lectures, labs, workshops, clinical simulations, and introductory pharmacy practice experiences. In these environments, the safety of our students is our utmost priority. So when needed, interactive technology is leveraged, along with small group sizes and other safety protocols.

In your final year, you will participate in advanced pharmacy practice experiences, where you will be off campus learning in a variety of healthcare environments.

Premier Clinical Partners

We have longstanding partnerships with the best medical centers, healthcare groups, clinics, and diverse pharmacies in the Chicago area to provide a large variety of rotation sites for you, as you explore the many ways pharmacists provide patient-centered care. International, out-of-state, and government agency rotations are also available.

Interprofessional Education

At Midwestern University, healthcare education is all we do. In our curriculum, you will have the opportunity to work with other healthcare profession students to practice communication across disciplines, as well as collaboration.

Student Success

Each year a large portion of our students vie for desired residency positions that begin after graduation. In the spring of 2022, our competing Class of 2022 graduates achieved a match rate that was in-line with the national residency match-rate average. And our Class of 2022 grads achieved a 95% job placement rate within six months of graduation.

As soon as you arrive on campus, you will meet your own faculty mentor who will be available to you throughout your studies at CPDG. In addition to teaching, our dedicated faculty also support students in clinical service, research projects, community outreach, and leadership.

With more than 20 pharmacy-related student organizations, you will have multiple opportunities to develop your leadership skills, serve the community, and work with professional pharmacy organizations. Several of our organizations have won regional and national awards for their local initiatives.
 

Learn More

Learn more about the requirements and find quick links to relevant catalog content to guide you in your application process.

Application Service:    FREE, when you visit Pharmacy Free Application page for a link to get your free PharmCAS code. 
Exam Requirement:    PCAT not required     
Application Opens:     July in prior year     
Application Deadline:  May 1 – apply early!     
Classes Begin:              Early June


Midwestern University uses rolling admission, and we strongly encourage you to apply early.  Once our seats are filled, we may not interview further candidates.

Application Requirements

  • At least 62 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) of prerequisite coursework (see table below). At the time you apply, prerequisite coursework may be in progress or planned for completion prior to matriculation.
  • A preferred minimum cumulative GPA and science GPA of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale.    
  • Transcripts from all prior post-secondary institutions, including any graduate-level coursework completed.
  • Coursework is accepted from regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities, or recognized postsecondary Canadian institutions where the primary language of instruction is English.
  • You must earn a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisite courses.
  • Prepharmacy courses must be completed by the end of the Spring term prior to matriculation in the College of Pharmacy.
  • Two letters of recommendation, preferably:
    • One from a college professor who has taught you, or your pre-health advisor.
    • One from a pharmacist or healthcare professional who knows you well.
  • Completion of an interview with the College of Pharmacy (by invitation only)
  • Demonstration of a people or service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities.
  • Motivation for and commitment to the healthcare profession, demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences.
  • Oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues.
  • Passing the Midwestern University criminal background check.
  • Commitment to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy.

NOTE: Midwestern University no longer requires the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) for admission.

Full list of requirements in catalog

Students seeking admission to CPDG must submit the following documented evidence:

  • Completion of 62 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of nonremedial, prerequisite coursework from regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities, or recognized postsecondary Canadian institutions that use English as its primary language of instruction and documentation.  
    • Preferred minimum cumulative GPA and science GPA of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale  
    • Grades of "C" or better for prerequisite courses (grades of C- are not accepted)  
       
  • No Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) score is required for admission. However, if an applicant's cumulative and science GPAs are below 2.75, then the submission of PCAT scores is preferred to enhance the application.  
    • Scores may be submitted to the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) using PCAT code 104  
    • PCAT exams are offered multiple times per year by Harcourt Assessment, Inc., (also known as Pearson), phone 800-622-3231 or visit About PCAT for more information.  
    • Applicants currently applying to another college within Midwestern University may have scores from the MCAT, DAT, OAT, or GRE transferred, if their cumulative and science GPAs are below 2.75  
    • Current MWU students wishing to apply to the college of pharmacy may have scores from the MCAT, DAT, OAT, or GRE transferred, if their cumulative and science GPAs are below 2.75  
    • Only scores earned from the test offered in 2017 or more recently are acceptable  
       
  • Demonstration of a people or service orientation as evidenced by community service or extracurricular activities  
  • Motivation for and commitment to the pharmacy profession as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer work, or other life experiences  
  • Oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues  
  • Completion of the CPDG on-campus interview process (by invitation only). If necessary, virtual interviews may take place  
  • Satisfactory Midwestern University criminal background check  
  • Commitment to abide by the Midwestern University Drug-Free Workplace and Substance Abuse Policy

View full list of requirements in catalog

Founded in 1991, the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove (CPDG) offers the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Its successful curriculum emphasizes patient-centered care, communications, and uses group learning to develop team-oriented work skills needed for today's healthcare environment.

CPDG alumni work in hospital settings, community pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, educational institutions, and managed care organizations. Graduates of the College are well-positioned to be offered full-time positions in rewarding and challenging practice environments with excellent salaries.

Three-Year, Year-Round Curriculum
During the first professional years in the program, students complete required courses, elective courses, and introductory pharmacy practice experiences. The final professional year transitions into experiential learning at diverse clinical rotation sites.

CPDG offers a single three-year, year-round curriculum that begins in early June, with an eventual May graduation date. This new curriculum continues to provide the high quality pharmacy and experiential education that Midwestern University is long known for, in an efficient timeframe for the benefit of our students. For details, you may review the Three-Year Curriculum Overview (PDF).


Sample Block Schedule
Each class of pharmacy students follows the same schedule of courses each quarter, also known as a "block schedule." With this system, the University will enroll students in their required courses on the days and times they are offered. There is no option to create a custom schedule of required courses.

After the first few quarters in the program, students may sign up for elective courses of their choice (subject to availability) in addition to their required courses. To better understand how block schedules work, review the PS-1 Summer Quarter Block Schedule (PDF)

Please note: Quarterly block schedules are subject to change each year for each class. This is posted for informational purposes only.

Course Descriptions - view catalog

  • Required Courses 
  • Elective Courses - Must complete at least nine hours of elective coursework (subject to change)

Additional Information
Visit these helpful links to learn more about the pharmacy curriculum:

Students who are strong in math and science have the greatest success rates in pharmacy school. Other helpful qualities include possessing a high desire to help people, analytical thinking, communication skills, attention to detail, high ethical standards, a natural desire to learn, as well as good judgment and professionalism.

Our caring faculty take a personal approach to teaching our students. Meet two of our faculty members who balance their professional pharmacy endeavors with their passion for teaching our students:

If you have any questions, please email us at AdmissIL@midwestern.edu

Student Life

There are many pharmacy-related student organizations, so students can develop leadership skills, get involved in projects that serve the community, and work with professional pharmacy organizations. Guided by dedicated faculty members, these are great opportunities to collaborate with professors, get to know more about their leadership in professional pharmacy organizations, offer the opportunity for students to build their own networks, as well as build their resumes.

Visiting our beautiful and secluded campus and seeing all that our pharmacy students have available to them is a unique experience. As a pharmacy student in our curriculum, you will spend your time in several different buildings, as you learn the science of how medications work in the body, as well as practice your communication skills so you can deliver effective patient-centered care.


Clinical Simulation Center

Located in Cardinal Hall, this facility includes numerous patient exam rooms, hospital simulation rooms, operating rooms, and a multipurpose room, plus dedicated classrooms and faculty monitoring rooms. Our pharmacy students use this facility in every quarter of their on-campus curriculum, including courses in Interprofessional Education, Clinical Skills, Introductory to Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE), and Pharmacotherapeutics.

All simulated environments are equipped with recording devices, so that faculty can view and assess students’ clinical skills. Students may also view their videos for self-reflection. The goals of the Clinical Simulation Center include:

  • Enabling students to develop skills in history-taking, physical exam and patient education as well as communication through practical experience.
  • Emphasizing the importance of establishing a caring, trusting, sensitive manner necessary for a positive patient-provider relationship.
  • Challenging students in critical/high stress environments.
  • Encouraging and training students to work in interdisciplinary teams.


Clinic-based examination rooms are equipped with tools and supplies found in outpatient clinical settings. Pharmacy students often meet with “standardized patients” who are actors trained to portray a given scenario and later provide additional feedback to students after the simulated patient encounters.

Computers just outside each exam room provide patient histories for pharmacy student review just prior to entering the room.

Five different hospital-based and/or critical care environments, which include a Labor and Delivery Room, all include manikins that have measurable vital signs, the ability to answer pharmacy students’ questions, and on faculty demand, require student-led emergency interventions.

The Multipurpose Room is used for small group instruction on various skills, such as the use of ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, otoscopes/ophthalmoscopes, and blood-pressure measurement.

Compounding Labs

Located in Centennial Hall on the second floor, these labs offer pharmacy students the opportunity to learn and practice techniques associated with creating medications for patient use.

This is the main teaching laboratory.  All first-year students take two courses that utilize this lab: Drug Dosage Form Design and Institutional Pharmacy.  In Drug Dosage Form Design, students learn the basic techniques of extemporaneous compounding, which allows the pharmacist to customize medications for individual patients when commercial dosage forms are not appropriate due to dosage strength, allergies to inactive ingredients, challenges with ingestion, etc.

Technology is leveraged to maximize student learning of proper techniques in medication compounding. This live demonstration (note the instructor in the background) allows for easy viewing by all students throughout the room.

This is a laminar flow hood which is used to reconstitute medications and prepare IV medications for patients. Air flow comes through a HEPA filter at the back and flows towards the front of the hood. Using special handling techniques, a pharmacist can prepare sterile materials. This is the most common type of hood used for preparing sterile materials. Cameras posted above allow for faculty assessment of appropriate techniques.

This is a class II biological safety cabinet, which is used for preparing sterile compounds of hazardous materials such as cancer chemotherapy drugs. It can also be used to manipulate low level biological samples. Unlike the laminar flow hood, the biological safety cabinet isolates the hazardous material from the preparer as well as keeping the product sterile. Cameras are mounted inside that allow for faculty assessment of correct techniques.

Many of our pharmacy students work with faculty on research. Those that are laboratory-based are often done in the University’s Core Research Facility in Science Hall, as well as additional labs in Centennial Hall.

Additional campus sites can be found on the Downers Grove Campus Virtual Tour.

If you would like to learn more about our campus, curriculum, student life, research opportunities, etc., please feel free to reach out:

Brittany Cufaude
bcufau@midwestern.edu
630-971-6417

Your questions will be forwarded to the faculty, students, and staff best able to answer you in a timely fashion. We look forward to meeting you in the future!

Experiential education courses, commonly referred to as “rotations,” comprise roughly one-third of your pharmacy education. At CPDG, you will have an abundance of unique rotation opportunities available to you, as you explore which area of pharmacy practice you’d like to pursue in your career.

We have been coordinating experiential education for our pharmacy students for 30 years, so we have a depth of partnerships with premier medical centers in the Chicago area for the benefit of your pharmacy education. Key partnerships include:

  • Rush University Medical Center
  • University of Chicago Medical Center
  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Loyola University Medical Center
  • Advocate Aurora Healthcare Centers
  • AMITA Hospitals and Clinics
  • Edward-Elmhurst Health
  • And many more

We offer a wide range of locations for student rotations. If you have a regional preference, our Office of Experiential Education will attempt to accommodate your request, subject to other requests received.


Experiential Education allows you to:

  • Apply knowledge learned in the classroom, labs, and workshops.
  • Learn under the guidance of a pharmacist (preceptor) who shares knowledge and experiences with you.
  • Work with pharmacists that have unique backgrounds and professional experiences.
  • See a variety of practice settings.
  • Work with a variety of patient populations.
  • Work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals.


Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs)

You will begin two introductory rotation courses in the summer after your first full year in our pharmacy curriculum. Each IPPE rotation is four weeks long, and attendance at your assigned site is full time (8 hours per day, Monday through Friday). There is no other coursework during this time.

During this 12-week summer in the curriculum, there are a total of three rotation blocks that are four weeks each. Your assigned IPPE rotations will take place during two of the blocks: one for IPPE Community and one for IPPE Institutional (in either order). Therefore, you will enjoy a four-week break from all coursework during one of the three IPPE rotation blocks.

You will need to be sure you have your State of Illinois Student Pharmacist Technician License. Details provided upon program acceptance.

IPPE Community:
Local community pharmacies, such as Walgreens, CVS, Osco, Mariano’s, Meijer, etc.

IPPE Institutional:
Local hospitals/health systems throughout the Chicago metro area

To maximize your experiences, we will place you at a community pharmacy or institution that is new to you. This will help round out your education, as well as offer new networking opportunities.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs)
Beginning in your final year, these rotation courses will be taken one at a time, in successive blocks of six-week time periods.

Four Core APPE Rotations:

  1. Community APPE – This is the advanced experience that builds upon your Community IPPE. This practice experience will enable you to develop your skills and gain experience in a variety of patient-oriented services in community practice. In addition to medication dispensing, you will focus on drug therapy assessment and intervention, identification, resolution, and prevention of drug-related problems, education, and communication with patients and other healthcare professionals. You may participate in additional services such as administration of immunizations, blood pressure screenings, and medication therapy and disease state management.
  2. Hospital APPE – This is an advanced experience that builds upon Institutional IPPE. This practice experience will enable you to develop your skills and gain experience in hospital practice or other system of integrated pharmacy services. Emphasis is placed on systems to promote safe and effective medication use to optimize patient outcomes. In addition to medication order processing, preparation, and distribution, you will focus on drug-use decision-making processes, individual patient drug therapy monitoring, formulary management, and communication with patients and other healthcare professionals.
  3. Ambulatory Care APPE – This practice experience will enable you to develop your skills and gain experience related to ambulatory care practice. You will participate in drug therapy assessment and intervention, identify drug related problems, develop therapeutic care plans, and effectively communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals to achieve optimal drug therapy outcomes. You will work with patients in clinics and community pharmacies focusing on disease states such as diabetes, hypertension, HIV, cancer, anticoagulation, and lipids.
  4. General Medicine APPE – This practice experience will enable you to develop your skills and gain experience related to general medicine in an acute care setting. Emphasis is placed on participating in an interprofessional healthcare team, drug therapy assessment, patient care activities, and monitoring of outcomes in various patient populations. In addition, you will participate in drug therapy interventions, identify drug related problems, develop therapeutic care plans, and effectively communicate with patients and other healthcare professionals.
  5. Clinical Specialty APPE – Shadow and support a clinical pharmacist who specializes in a specific disease state, such as oncology, cardiology, critical care, or pediatrics. You could also gain experiences in a long-term care environment, home health care, or drug information that supports these clinical areas.

One Elective Rotation:

  1. Elective APPE – Elective rotations are most often non-patient-care-oriented, such as management, compounding, pharmaceutical industry, academia, managed care, pharmacy benefits management (PBM), or tele-pharmacy. If additional clinical specialty experience is desired instead of an elective opportunity, this may be accommodated, subject to availability.


Crafting Your APPE Experiences
Because there are numerous career paths for practicing pharmacists, our various opportunities for unique rotation sites will allow you to explore directions that may be of interest to you. Our staff will work with you to help accommodate your preferences for rotations in specific Chicago-area regions, in urban, suburban, and rural settings, as well as specific clinical sites that interest you most.

Making your APPE rotation choices begins with a two-hour classroom session that discusses the lottery process, provides details on each of the six APPE rotation courses, and offers guidance on selecting sites and preceptors. In addition, 30-minute one-on-one meetings are available for you to review your options with a member of the Office of Experiential Education (OEE) professional staff.

Although the final assignment of APPE rotations is based on a lottery system, roughly 85% of our students receive their top choices in all six rotation blocks. With each of the six rotation types noted above, you will designate your top four choices in rotation site and/or preceptor for that type of APPE rotation. In addition, we offer the following options:

  • Out-of-state rotations (detailed below) – You may do a combination of local and out-of-state/distant rotations. For your convenience, these will be most often in adjacent rotation blocks, so that you can plan your living arrangements accordingly and minimize your relocation time.
  • Sequential rotations – These are back-to-back rotations at the same clinical site, but different preceptors for each type of APPE rotation. For instance, your Hospital APPE and General Medicine APPE rotations could be at the same location. Sequential rotations are available at only select Chicago area medical centers. These rotations allow you to spend less time in orientations and learning computer systems, and more time becoming part of the healthcare team, particularly in the second block at the select site. They also allow you to build relationships with pharmacy staff, which could help in the eventual job search process. Separate application is required.
  • Academic rotations – This Elective campus-based APPE option offers you the opportunity to learn about teaching the next generation of pharmacists. Whether you plan to become a preceptor in the future, or occasionally teach classrooms of pharmacy students, or just wish to work closely with our faculty, this rotation will allow you to understand the teaching environment. Separate application is required.
  • Community Pharmacy Management – If you work for a community pharmacy, you may do an Elective APPE with your store’s district manager or a rotation at the corporate office.
  • Indian Health Service (IHS) rotations – Currently available in New Mexico and Montana, this Ambulatory Care APPE option allows you to learn about providing patient-centered care to people in Native American cultures. Separate application is required.
  • Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) rotations – These are highly competitive opportunities for an Elective APPE. Separate application is required. You may apply to only one of these.
  • Pharmaceutical Industry rotations – This Elective APPE is currently available at Sanofi (Chicago North), Abbvie (north Chicago suburbs), and Eli Lilly (in Indianapolis, IN). Limited seats available. Separate application is required, along with an in-person interview.
  • Cook County Department of Corrections - This APPE rotation is actually popular with students. It provides a unique opportunity to work with patients who require acute care in the on-site hospital and help manage patients with chronic illnesses. Pharmacy students on this rotation play a key role in patient dosing and monitoring services, patient education, anticoagulation clinic, diabetic clinic, and methadone treatment clinic.

 

Licensure
All students are required to have a State of Illinois Pharmacy Technician License with the designation of “Student Pharmacist” by the end of the first quarter of enrollment. Instructions for this license application will be provided. This registration must be maintained for the entire enrollment period.
 

Out-of-State Rotations
Distant Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) are defined as six-week APPE rotations that are at practice sites outside the greater Chicago area. The greater Chicago area is defined as sites within Chicago and the surrounding counties of Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Kendall, and Grundy.

Students in good academic and disciplinary standing, as determined by the College, may participate in distant APPEs. Distant APPEs are subject to final approval on an individual basis by the Director of the Office of Experiential Education (OEE). You may apply to be considered for placement on distant APPEs during your second year. Students must attend all mandatory distant APPE meetings and adhere to all assignment deadline dates. All requests will be considered, but placement priority will occur in the following order:

  1. Students requesting distant APPEs in the same city as their permanent (family) address within the United States.
  2. Students requesting distant APPEs administered by the United States Public Health Services (e.g. Indian Health Services, FDA, CDC, etc.)
  3. Students requesting distant APPEs in cities within the United States where relatives will provide housing for the student.
  4. Students requesting distant APPEs in a state they may be moving to after graduation.

All distant APPE sites and preceptors must be approved by OEE, and the standard University affiliation agreement must be completed prior to the student beginning the rotation. There is no guarantee that requested distant APPEs will be approved and scheduled. Schedule changes resulting from preceptor changes may result in a denied distant APPE request. Students doing distant APPEs are also responsible for contacting the Board of Pharmacy in the state where they are placed to determine the licensure requirement(s) for students on rotation in that state. The student must comply with the requirements for that state and provide proof of compliance to OEE. All travel and living expenses are the student's responsibility.

Why Conduct Research as a Pharmacy Student?

These are valuable opportunities to:

  • Contribute to the ever-changing scientific body of knowledge that improves care for our patients.
  • Gain skills that facilitate career trajectory into clinical practice, academia, and industry roles.
  • Enhance your collaborative network.
  • Present your research through College-funded opportunities in both regional and national forums.

Midwestern University’s College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus offers you various opportunities to learn about and participate in extra-curricular research studies with faculty members.

Research opportunities range from traditional bench research in a laboratory, to clinical research both on and off campus. Participation is “hands on” and may include a variety of activities such as experimental conduct, literature reviews, data collection, data analysis, and presentation of research findings.

Portions of the pharmacy curriculum will introduce you to the various aspects of formal scientific research. If you wish to engage in bench research, additional training is provided and required.


Research Options

Participation in research is welcomed and encouraged as a means to better understand the dynamics of patient care. If you have an interest in participating outside of your pharmacy coursework, there are multiple options for you:

  • Elective Credit - You may opt to do an independent study research course mentored by a faculty member, where you may receive elective credit of one to two hours per quarter.
  • Federal Work Study - You may work with faculty as a Research Assistant through the Federal Work Study (FWS) Program. To qualify for this, you must have a FAFSA form on file with the Office of Student Financial Services and select “Yes” to question #31.
  • Volunteer – If you are interested in simply getting familiar with how research works, you may volunteer to assist faculty in their research endeavors, where no elective credit, FWS earnings, or stipend funds are received. This involvement is a good learning experience and often leads to more formal participation.


Faculty’s Areas of Research

Our faculty are experts in their fields and involved in numerous areas of pharmacy research. To learn more, review our pharmacy faculty’s research areas listed next to each of their names.

In addition, several pharmacy faculty comprise the Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence that partners a strong faculty knowledge base in computer modeling of drug efficacy and toxicity with wet-lab analytic approaches. This group is highly expert in conducting pre-clinical through post-marketing studies. Their work is regularly featured in peer-reviewed research publications, and they train many pharmacy students in cutting-edge scientific research each year.

Mission 
The mission of the Midwestern University College of Pharmacy is to advance the profession of pharmacy by educating future and current pharmacists, engaging in scholarship and research, and maximizing health outcomes through patient care and public service in a culturally diverse society.

Vision
The Midwestern University College of Pharmacy is dedicated to excellence and innovation in pharmacy education, scholarship, and service.

CPDG Strategic Goals

  1. Educate and prepare pharmacists to excel in a changing healthcare environment.
  2. Promote advancements in the profession of pharmacy.
  3. Contribute meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge.
  4. Foster professional development of faculty, staff, preceptors, and students.
  5. Develop and cultivate relationships with alumni and external stakeholders.
  6. Optimize and enhance resources needed to fulfill the College's mission.
     
  • Class Size: 104 
  • Female: 68% 
  • Male: 32% 
  • Average Age: 25 
  • Overall GPA: 3.29 
  • Science GPA: 3.13 
  • Top Home States: Illinois (65%), Michigan (6%), Florida (4%), Wisconsin (3%)

Class of 2022 – Standard Graduation Option (March graduates)

The following statistics are based on the Standard Graduation Option (SGO) Class of 2022, which had 135 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2018 and graduated on time. This percentage accounts for students who voluntarily withdrew from the program, as well as students who had their graduation delayed due to an academic or personal issue, or were dismissed.

  • On-time graduation rate: 84%
  • Delayed graduation due to an academic or personal issue: 6%
  • Overall retention rate: 90%

Class of 2022 – Accelerated Graduation Option (September graduates)

The following statistics are based on the Accelerated Graduation Option (AGO) Class of 2022, which had 42 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2019 and graduated on time. This percentage accounts for students who voluntarily withdrew from the program, as well as students who had their graduation delayed due to an academic or personal issue, or were dismissed.

  • On-time graduation rate: 74% 
  • Delayed graduation due to an academic or personal issue: 14%
  • Overall retention rate: 88%

Class of 2023 - Standard Graduation Option (March graduates)

The following statistics are based on the Class of 2023, which had 116 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2019 and graduated on time. This percentage accounts for students who voluntarily withdrew from the program, as well as students who had their graduation delayed due to an academic or personal issue, or were dismissed. Retention data will be available in summer 2024.

  • On-time graduation rate: 84% 

Class of 2023 - Accelerated Graduation Option (August graduates)

The following statistics are based on the AGO Class of 2023, which had 41 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2020 and graduated on time. This percentage accounts for students who voluntarily withdrew from the program, as well as students who had their graduation delayed due to an academic or personal issue, or were dismissed. Retention data will be available in summer 2024.

  • On-time graduation rate: 71% 

 

Please note: The SGO and AGO curricula are no longer available to incoming pharmacy students. These have been replaced with the standard three-year curriculum that begins in Summer Quarter with graduation three years later in May.

NAPLEX 2022 first time test-taking pass rate
CPDG graduates: 78%

MPJE 2022 first-time test-taking pass rate
CPDG graduates: 69%

In 2022, CPDG graduates achieved the highest licensing exam first-time pass rates among all pharmacy schools in the Chicago area for both the NAPLEX and MPJE exams.

Data for 2022 provided by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE, or state law exam).

Pharmacists practice patient-centered care in community pharmacies, hospitals, physician offices, home health care, managed care organizations, and in corporate offices as patient advocates. For additional insights, visit Pharmacy as a Career.

Class of 2022 Job Placements

March Graduates (Standard Graduation Option (SGO))

Total Job Placement Rate: 95%

Job Placements:

  • Community / Retail: 71% (72 graduating students)
  • Residency / Fellowship: 26% (27 graduating students)
  • Hospital / Health-System: 2% (2 graduating students)
  • Pharmaceutical Industry: 1% (1 graduating students)
  • Total: 102 graduating students       

To determine Job Placement Rate for this graduating class, the following methodologies were used: Two surveys were administered: 1.) three weeks prior to graduation in February 2022 in which 125 (100%) of the graduating students responded, and 2.) In October 2022, a follow-up survey was administered to the graduates who had indicated they had not yet secured employment at the time of the earlier survey. Collectively, a total Job Placement Rate of 95% was achieved (102/107) within seven months of graduation, based on those who had reported such information to the College. There are 18 graduates where no information is available, as of October 2022.

September Graduates (Accelerated Graduation Option (AGO))

  • Community / Retail: 57% (15 graduating students)
  • Residency / Fellowship: 31% (8 graduating students)
  • Hospital / Health-System: 4% (1 graduating student)
  • Pharmaceutical Industry: 4% (1 graduating student)
  • Other: 4% (1 graduating student)
  • Total: 26 graduating students

To determine Job Placement Rate for this graduating class, the following methodologies were used: 1.) A survey was administered three weeks prior to graduation in August 2022 in which 33 (100%) of the graduating students responded, and 2.) In March 2023, ASHP residency matches were reviewed, along with other sources. There are seven graduates where no information is available, as of August 2023.

Please note: The SGO and AGO curricula are no longer available to incoming pharmacy students. These have been replaced with the standard three-year curriculum that begins in Summer Quarter with graduation three years later in May.


2023 Residency Match

Class of 2022 (AGO) September graduates: 89% (8/9)

Class of 2023 (SGO) March graduates: 81% (30/37)

Combined Residency Match Rate: 83% (38/46)

National Match Rate: 81.8%

Based on 2023 National Matching Service (NMS) data obtained from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in April 2023. Match rates are calculated by dividing the number of individuals who matched to a residency program by the number of individuals who submitted a rank list to NMS in 2023, plus those who matched outside of the process. The CPDG graduates' rates are based on the AGO Class of 2022 (September grads) and the SGO Class of 2023 (March grads) exclusively, and do not include students from previous graduating classes. These rates represent the entire match process.

Congratulations to our graduates!

Watch hooding ceremony    
 

Watch 2023 commencement ceremony

The Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), 190 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 2850, Chicago, IL 60603; 312-664-3575, 800-533-3606; Fax 312-664-4652; or www.acpe-accredit.org.

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413.

Academic Course Catalog

Explore details regarding your specific College/Program.

Hear Our Stories

Hear from students and alumni just like you who are pursuing healthcare careers.

Firas Farran, College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Class of 2023

“I think MWU has offered me an unparalleled opportunity to grow as a healthcare professional. It has been a very rich learning experience inside and outside the classroom.”

Student posing in garden

Kevin Bueno, College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, Class of 2023

"This is something I want to do for the rest of my life." 

Contact Us

Our admissions staff is here to assist you in making informed decisions about your academic journey. When contacting us, be sure to to provide your preferred program and campus so we can address your questions or concerns.