On November 12th, our school had the opportunity to hear from Kristi Kinslow, the Director of Pre-Professional Studies and Recruiting Manager from the University of South Carolina (USC) College of Pharmacy. She spoke with us about the process of becoming a pharmacist through the USC Pharm.D. Program. This program, which has been around for over 150 years, is the oldest and most established pharmacy college in South Carolina. Admissions are highly selective and competitive with only about 100 acceptees per year.

To become a pharmacist through USC, students must complete at least a total of 6 years of education. The first two consist of pre-requisite courses, which may be taken at another institution. After that, students enter the four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. This program is a professional doctoral degree, and is one of the fastest paths to earning a doctoral degree. Kristi explained that there are over 30 different fields within pharmacy, and a single Pharm.D. degree qualifies graduates to work in any of them. “This degree allows you to constantly change your field,” Kristi said, “the sky is your limit.” 

She also emphasized that a career in pharmacy offers flexibility, versatility, and a competitive salary. Additionally, the USC College of Pharmacy provides students with a strong network of engaged alumni, who can open doors to numerous professional opportunities. Kristi also noted that the role of pharmacists especially became visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they served on the front lines of healthcare. In reality, she reflected, “people didn’t even acknowledge how much pharmacists did until COVID.” We now better recognize the vital role of pharmacists in medicine. 

By Eleanor