Academic Life

Student in Portland Coffee ShopOur Portland facilities at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) provide an unparalleled addition to Oregon State Pharm.D. students’ education. At Oregon’s only academic medical center, students receive first-hand exposure to practicing pharmacy in a large city's teaching hospital. The third year of the program includes coursework covering a wide scope of pharmacy practice. Students learn to apply their scientific foundation to clinical applications of pharmaceutical care, focusing on disease state management. In addition, students study the economic and drug policy implications of pharmacy practice.

Working with students from OHSU’s Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, and other health professional programs offer a unique interprofessional education experience for Oregon State Pharm.D. students. In July 2014, the new Robertson Life Sciences Building (RLSB) became the new house to many OHSU professional and graduate programs, allowing for more collaboration between pharmacy students and students from OHSU’s other disciplines.

While students are exposed to hands-on-learning throughout the first three years of the curriculum, the fourth year is entirely devoted to professional rotations throughout Oregon and beyond. Students complete rotations that last for six weeks each, letting students practice pharmacy in community, ambulatory care, general medicine, and hospital or health system settings. Students also choose elective rotations, which lets them further explore practice areas of their choice.

Student Life

Oregon State Pharm.D. students enjoy all the advantages of affiliations with two distinguished universities. While in Portland, students benefit from a variety of OHSU student resources. They can participate in clubs and Student Interest Groups, stay active at OHSU's recreation facility, March Wellness & Fitness Center, use the largest health sciences library in Oregon, play intramural sports with other health professions students, and attend campus events.

Of course, our students also get to live, work, and study in Portland! An exciting city that complements our students' rigorous academic life, Portland is known for culture, fine dining, coffee houses, food carts, cycling, and microbreweries. Year after year, Portland tops lists of America's most livable cities. Portland is 35 minutes from Oregon's wine country, 35 minutes from the scenic Columbia River Gorge, an hour from the hiking trails and ski slopes around Mt. Hood, and 90 minutes from the Oregon Coast.

P3 to P4 Transition

During the fall term of the P3 year, P3 students attend a P4 year orientation and begin selecting rotation sites for the following year. Hundreds of pharmacy practice settings all over Oregon offer rotations for Oregon State students, so students can tailor their fourth year to suit their personal needs and career plans. It is also possible to complete rotations in other states and even in other countries. During the P4 year, students return to campus for seminars on getting ready to enter the pharmacy workforce.