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In This Section
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Doctor of Pharmacy - IL
- Pharmacy Student Facilties
- Curriculum & Student Life
- Rotation Opportunities
- Research Participation
- Prerequisite Course Guides
- Early Assurance Programs
- Scholarships
- Office of Experiential Education
- PharmAcademy
- Pharmacy Residency & Fellowship Programs
- Continuing Education
- Pharmacometrics Center of Excellence
- Our Faculty
- College of Pharmacy, Glendale Campus
- Pharmacy Careers
Founded in 1991, the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus (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.
New Three-Year 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 now offers a single three-year, year-round curriculum that begins in 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.
Sample Block Schedules
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, please click on the links below. Block schedules for the new three-year curriculum are not yet available. These block schedules reflect the more recent Three-and-a-Half-Year Pharm.D. Curriculum.
Please note: Quarterly block schedules are subject to change each year for each class. The following are posted for informational purposes only.
3.5-Year Curriculum
First Professional Year:
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Second Professional Year:
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Third Professional Year:
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Course Descriptions
Required Courses - Subject to some modification with the development of the new three-year curriculum.
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:
Dr. Shridhar Andurkar
Dr. Jennifer D'Souza
Meet one of our recent graduates who reflects back on how his time at CPDG has impacted his career:
Dr. Tolu Akinwale, CPDG Class of 2013
For additional details, please fill out our Request Information Form. Select our Illinois campus, then select "College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove Campus" and complete the remainder of the fields. Or 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.
Student Performance Data
CLASS OF 2024 SIZE
- 108 students
CLASS OF 2024 PROFILE
- Female: 67%
- Male: 33%
- Average Age: 24
- Top Home States: Illinois (70%), Michigan (12%), Florida (4%)
GRADUATION AND RETENTION RATES
Class of 2019
- On-time graduation rate: 89% 1
- Delayed graduation due to an academic or personal issue: 4%
- Overall retention rate: 93%
Class of 2020
- On-time graduation rate: 83% 2
LICENSING EXAMINATION
2019 NAPLEX first-time pass rate: 77.50% 3
JOB PLACEMENTS & RATE
Class of 2020 Total Job Placement Rate: 95% 4
Job Placements:
| Community / Retail | 82 | 58% |
| Residency / Fellowship | 40 | 28% |
| Hospital / Health-System | 6 | 4% |
| Pharmaceutical Industry | 5 | 4% |
| Managed Care | 4 | 3% |
| Other | 4 | 3% |
| Total | 141 |
CPDG GRADUATE RESIDENCY MATCH RATE
| Number Submitting Rank Lists to the Match | Number Matched | Match Rate | |
| CPDG Class of 2020 Graduates | 64 | 36 | 56% 5 |
- Based on the Class of 2019, which had 206 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2015 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.
- Based on the Class of 2020, which had 203 matriculants. This percentage is reflective of those students admitted in Fall 2016 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 spring 2021.
- Based on 2019 data published on the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Website.
- To determine Job Placement Rate, the following methodologies were used: Two surveys were administered: 1.) three weeks prior to graduation in February 2020 in which 178 (100%) of the graduating students responded, and 2.) In October 2020, 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. Additional confirmations of employment were received from graduates' correspondence with CPDG faculty, as well as reviews of LinkedIn profiles in November 2020. Collectively, a total Job Placement Rate of 95% was achieved (141/148) within nine months of graduation in the COVID-19 environment, based on those who had reported such information to the College. There are 30 graduates where no information is available, as of November 2020.
- Based on 2020 National Matching Service (NMS) data obtained from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in April 2020. 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 2020. The CPDG Graduates' rate is based on students from the Class of 2020 exclusively, and does not include students from previous graduating classes. These rates also represent the entire match process.