The Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy offers an innovative program that prepares pharmacy practitioners for the challenges of a rapidly changing profession and promotes the provision of pharmaceutical care. The first pharmacy class was graduated in May 2000 and sat for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examinations (NAPLEX). The school of pharmacy was initially accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in June 2000, and was recently awarded accreditation until 2020.

The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program at Shenandoah University (SU) offers a “2 + 4” design. The pre-pharmacy curriculum requires a minimum of two years to complete the required 65 semester hours of course work. Pre-pharmacy requirements may be completed at Shenandoah University or transferred from another accredited academic institution.

The four-year professional curriculum integrates didactic courses and experiential clerkships within the framework of 142 semester hours.

The pharmacy curriculum is offered on two campuses: Winchester Medical Center (SU Health Professions Building) about two miles from the Shenandoah University main campus; and ICPH Fairfax location in Fairfax, VA on the campus of the INOVA Center for Personalized Health, about 15 miles from Washington, DC. Both are modern facilities designed especially for pharmacy and are equipped with laboratories, computer technology, and small group discussions areas.

Video: A Student’s Perpective

Eighty students on average are admitted each year into the four-year professional Pharm.D. program in Winchester, VA and an additional 45 students may be admitted in Fairfax. Exceptional high school students may elect to apply for the SU pre-admit 3+4 program. Last year we experienced our largest class of 127 P1 students. Because of the highly selective admissions process and the competitive nature of the Pharm.D. program, freshmen admitted as undergraduate pre-pharmacy students will be monitored carefully throughout the two or three year pre-pharmacy program. Admission to the Pharm.D. program is not guaranteed to students entering the pre-pharmacy programs. Admission decisions to the professional program are made on a competitive basis and will be based on published admissions criteria.

Research & Labs

Dr. Wendell Combest in our working medicinal garden.

The school has active research in multiple areas including pharmacogenomics, herbal medications, preparation stability, therapeutic outcomes, cardiology, psychiatric medications, and informatics.

Tuition & Other Financial Aid

Tuition is the same for in and out of state students at Shenandoah’s school of pharmacy. The tuition for the 2012-2013 school year is $30,362. In addition to the tuition there is a technology fee for Shenandoah University’s new environmentally friendly integrated mobile learning program, iMLearning, which provides students and faculty with the tools to enhance student learning and engagement.

The program delivers on the institution’s commitment to academic excellence and campus sustainability by putting the highly rated and environmentally friendly MacBook Pro into the hands of all incoming first-year, full-time students, some graduate students, and a portion of the full-time faculty. In addition to the MacBook Pro, students are offered their choice of either an iPodTouch , iPad 3G or an iPhone.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office and explore their financial options as soon as possible. The majority of students accepted are eligible for significant amounts of financial aid through subsidized and unsubsidized loans and Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant if qualifying Virginia residents. Last year, our pharmacy students received over $585,000 in scholarship funding. This includes scholarships which students procured prior to entering our program to help pay their pharmacy school tuition. The Shenandoah University Financial Aid Office can be reached by calling (540) 665-4538 or byclicking here.

Recognition & Awards

Our students and faculty are often recognized for excellence at the local, state, and national levels. For example, one of our former students won the national patient counseling competition sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association and in spring 2011, our Rho Chi Chapter received the Shenandoah University Outstanding Student Organization Award for their community service efforts.

Alison Smith, Class of 2012, received the Virginia Pharmacists Association (VPhA) Foundation 2011 Student Award.	Drs.Sarah Parnapy and Mary Ann Kirkpatrick surrounded by the Self Care Competition winners, Michelle Chandler, Shannon Fisher, Carolyn Maness, and Katie Miller plus two students from SU, Shelby Jenkins and Ashley Anderson.

University & School History

The Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy was created in 1995 to respond to the growing need for pharmacists in the health-care system. In so doing, Shenandoah University responded to an unmet need for additional pharmacists, but it did so in a unique way. Combining new ideas in pharmacy education with the use of information technology, it created a new educational model that is even more relevant today.

The four-year Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum is student-centered, competency-based and technology delivered. All curricular materials are developed as Web-based documents making complete sets of notes, lecture outlines, slides, and simulations available to students prior to each class session. Even though the curriculum is delivered through various technologies, our student-to-faculty ratio (10 to 1) offers students the opportunity to receive individualized attention. Each student is assigned to a faculty advisor who works closely with the student across the entire four years of the curriculum. The Dunn School of Pharmacy faculty is committed to providing a positive learning environment where students can grow both professionally and personally. Originally, the School of Pharmacy was only located in the Health Professions Building on the Winchester Medical Center campus, but in 2006 the Dunn School of Pharmacy opened its Ashburn Campus located in Innovation Hall on the grounds of The George Washington University Virginia Science and Technology Campus. Students were able to attend that campus for a year, and then continue the program at the Winchester campus. In 2011, the school continued to extend the program and now offers all four years of classes in Ashburn too.

Other Information

Many of our students engage in global experiences including medical mission trips, and Project Hope experiential rotations. Our active student body engages in community service through professional organizations, the Free Medical Clinic, as well as service to the Shenandoah Valley Compassionate Pharmacy.

Rho Chi Health Fair

Key Faculty

• Rob Dicenzo, Professor and Dean:
• Arthur Harralson, Professor and Associate Dean for Research: B.A. Chemistry, California State University; Pharm.D., University of California-San Francisco; Clinical Pharmacokinetics Fellowship, University of Connecticut
• Erin Adams, Associate Professor: Pharm.D., Medical College of Virginia/VCU; Ambulatory Care Residency, VCU
  
• Marcia Brackbill, Associate Professor: B.S. Biology, Pennsylvania State University; Pharm.D., Campbell University; Pharmacy Practice Residency, University of Virginia; Critical Care Residency and Critical Care Fellowship, Medical College of Virginia/VCU
• Jennifer Bryant, Associate Professor: B.S., Westminster College; Ph.D., Kent State University
• Wendell Combest, Professor: B.S. Biology, Southern Methodist University; M.S./Ph.D., University of Arizona
  
• Thomas Ellington, Associate Professor: B.S. Microbiology /Chemistry, East Tennessee State University; Pharm.D./Drug Information Residency, Mercer University
• Rebecca Falter, Assistant Professor: Pharm.D. Shenandoah University; Pharmacy Residency VA Medical Center, Martinsburg, WVA
• Jeremy Fox, Assistant Professor: Pharm.D. Shenandoah University; Pharmacy Practice Residency, Valley Health System/Shenandoah University.
• Nina Hengen, Assistant Professor: M.D. University of Belgrade; Ph.D. University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
• Gretchen Johnson, Adjunct Assistant Professor: B.S. Pharmacy/Pharm.D., Medical College of Virginia/VCU; Pharmacy Practice Residency, MCV Hospitals
  
• Mark Johnson, Associate Professor and Director of Post Graduate Programs: B.S. Pharmacy/ Pharm.D., Medical College of Virginia/VCU; Hospital Pharmacy Residency and Pharmacy Practice Residency, MCV Hospitals
• Robert Kidd, Professor and Chair of Biopharmaceutical Science: B.S. Biochemistry/Biology/M.S./Pharm.D., University of Tennessee; Ph.D. The Ohio State University
• Jamie Klucken, Pharm.D., M.B.A., BCPS
• Alla Marks, Associate Professor and Online Curriculum Coordinator: B.S. Pharmacy, University of Florida; MBA University of South Florida; Pharm.D., Shenandoah University
  
• Amanda Munson, Assistant Professor: B.S. Biology, University of Michigan; Ph.D. Biology, Georgetown University
• Marian Newton, Adjunct Professor: B.S.N./M.N., University of Florida; Ph.D., University of Nebraska
• Tracey Nickola, Assistant Professor: B.S., M.S. State University of New York at Fredonia; Ph.D. State University of New York at Buffalo
• Sarah Parnapy-Jawaid, Associate Professor; Pharm.D., Albany College of Pharmacy; Community Clinical Residency, Price Chopper Pharmacy
• Regina Peacock, Associate Professor: B.S. Pharmacy/Ph.D., University of Georgia
• Craig Richard, Associate Professor: B.S. Zoology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst; Ph.D., Albany Medical College
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