Pharmacy (PharmD)

The first professional year of the Pharmacy program covers essential scientific foundations and professional skills. The courses are designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of both the science and practice of pharmacy.

Scientific foundations

• Applied Pathophysiology
• Human Anatomy
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Pharmaceutics

Professional skills

• Applied Pharmacy Practice Laboratory
• Extemporaneous Pharmaceutical Compounding
• Pharmacy Informatics

Additional introduction

A general introduction to the Pharmacotherapy Literature is also provided in the first year.

The second professional year of the Pharmacy program builds on foundational knowledge and further develops practical and theoretical skills.

Applied practice and study

• Applied Pharmacy Practice Laboratory (continued)
• Clinical Therapeutics
• Pharmacotherapy Literature (further development)

Drug actions and delivery

• Applied Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics
• Drug Delivery
• Pharmacogenetics

Nutrition and health

The relationship between nutrition and health is explored in greater detail.

Regulatory and practice environments

• Pharmacy Law (introduction to the regulatory environment)
• Community and hospital practice environments (further development of the professional role)

The third professional year continues the Applied Pharmacy Practice Laboratory and builds on the knowledge from the second year. It provides increased exposure to the pharmacist’s clinical and professional roles.

Applied practice and study

• Applied Professional Practice
• Pharmacy Management

Clinical roles

• Advanced Therapeutics
• Concepts of Integrative Medicine
• Toxicology of Medications and Drug Abuse

Ongoing study

• Clinical Therapeutics (continued)
• Pharmacotherapy Literature (continued)

The PharmD program includes service-learning opportunities throughout, culminating in extensive patient care experiences. In the final year, students participate in placements across hospital, community, and primary care settings.

The final year also offers an elective rotation and a research component through the Pharmacy Research Project.

Credit hours

• Complete 48 credit hours (core and elective courses) by April of the application year.
• Complete 1 Regular Fall/Winter session (Sept-April) with 24 new credit hours of university-level courses.

Academic standing

• Achieve an AGPA of 3.00 or higher.

English Casper test

• Complete the test and score greater than 1.5 standard deviations below the mean for your applicant pool.

Written requirement

• Meet the University of Manitoba written “W” requirement.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB)

• If you have AP/IB credits, still complete one regular session (Sept-April) with 24 new credit hours.
• No credit for courses completed more than ten years before the application year.

All applicants to the College of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba are required to complete the online Casper assessment to be eligible for admission.

Casper is an online test that assesses personal and professional characteristics deemed important for successful students and graduates of our program. By implementing Casper, we aim to enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.

Please visit www.takecasper.com to create your Altus Suite account and sign up for the Pharmacy/ CSP-10201 – Canadian Professional Health Sciences version of Casper.

Test requirements

To take the Casper test, you will need the following:

• Government-issued photo ID
• Valid email address
• Working webcam
• Working microphone
• Reliable high-speed internet connection

Test dates

• There are a limited number of testing dates available. Please note that these are the only testing dates for your Casper test.
• You must select College of Pharmacy – University of Manitoba for distribution before the posted distribution deadline.
• Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
• There may not be additional tests scheduled, but the most up-to-date information can be found at https://takealtus.com/dates-times/.

Taking the test

• The Casper test can be taken practically anywhere that meets the aforementioned requirements.
• If you require testing accommodations for Casper, submit the Accommodations Request Form signed by you and your qualified professional three weeks before your desired test date.
• The test typically takes between 60-90 minutes to complete.
• There is an optional 10-minute break halfway through the test.

Test content

• The Casper test comprises 12 sections: eight video-based and four word-based scenarios.
• Following each scenario, you will answer a set of three probing questions in five minutes or less.
• Each of the 12 responses is anonymized and scored by a unique rater, providing a robust and reliable impression of your personal and professional characteristics important to our program.

Preparing for the test

No studying is required; however, you are encouraged to familiarize yourself with the test format via the System Requirements Check and the 12-section sample test prior to taking Casper.

Additional helpful resources are available free of charge at https://takecasper.com/test-prep/ and https://takecasper.com/faq/.

Test results

Casper test results are valid for one admissions cycle.

Applicants who have already taken the Casper test in previous years will be expected to retake it.

For more information about the test, email support@takecasper.com or use the chat function at takecasper.com.

The College of Pharmacy accepts 55 students annually to the PharmD program. Applications are accepted in the following categories:

• Manitoba resident applicant pool
• Canadian Indigenous applicant pool
• Out of province applicant pool

For more details, visit the College of Pharmacy applicant information page:

• College of Pharmacy applicant admission requirements

To be considered for admission, applicants must achieve an Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) of 3.0 or higher. For more details, visit the College of Pharmacy applicant admission requirements.

AGPA calculation

The AGPA is calculated using the following formula:

AGPA = (0.55 x Core Course GPA) + (0.45 x Cumulative Other GPA)

Core course GPA

The Core Course GPA is the average grade for required prerequisite core courses, including all attempts.

Cumulative other GPA

The Cumulative Other GPA is the average grade for all courses (excluding prerequisite core courses) completed at the university degree level within the past 10 years, including all attempts.

Selection criteria

Eligible applicants are ranked based on the following criteria:

• Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) – 75%
• Casper – 25%

Important: If you attended or are attending an institution outside the University of Manitoba, please review the Transfer Credit Equivalency Database to check if your courses have been previously assessed.

Courses submitted for consideration by external applicants that are not directly equivalent to the University of Manitoba's required courses may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee. If your course(s) do not match the required courses listed in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Required Courses, 1. Required Courses from the University of Manitoba, you must:

• Submit a syllabus for evaluation after applying and before the deadline.
• Understand that the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee reserves the right to refuse admission if prerequisites are not met.

Core courses required

Additional requirements

Applicants must also complete a 3 credit-hour course that meets the University of Manitoba’s Written English (W) requirement. This can be included as part of the above requirements.

If your courses are not directly equivalent to those listed in the UM Transfer Credit Equivalency Database, you must submit a syllabus for evaluation after applying and before the deadline. The College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee reserves the right to refuse admission if the prerequisite requirements are not met.