SIUE School of Pharmacy swamped with over 400 applications

Despite an incomplete staff and two buildings under construction, SIUE's School of Pharmacy received 469 applications for enrollment, but only 75 will receive acceptance letters. Philip Medon, dean of the school, said he was not surprised by the surge of applications.

"We were certainly pleased that there was so much interest in our program," Medon said. "But, we only have 75 positions available. That makes the competition very high."

The school accepted applications Sept. 1 through Dec.1. Since then, the school has been deciding which students have the academic credentials to be accepted into the new program. The top 170 candidates will be invited to the campus during the first week of March to complete interviews.

"The interest is high for pharmacy everywhere," said Mark Luer, chairman of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. "It's the only pharmacy school in southern Illinois." Luer said applicants were required to complete 70 hours of pre-pharmacy classes and pass the Pharmacy College Admissions Test, similar to one taken by medical students, in order to be considered for the program.

The School of Pharmacy's new building is scheduled for completion this summer. Another building set to be used by the school is the former School of Engineering building, which is currently being renovated and will be completed by April.

According to SIUE's School of Pharmacy website, tuition will cost an Illinois resident $6,100 per semester. The University of Illinois-Chicago charges $6,000 per semester for an in-state resident, while Midwestern University of Downers Grove's charges entry-level students $21,000, according to the schools' websites.

"I think we compare very favorably," Medon said. "I think we meet the needs of the type of student that comes from our region, and therefore I think they should always look at us as a choice." Medon said the students who do not get accepted will be encouraged to apply again next year. If students are uninterested in applying again, he said, the school will help them find another major that might interest them.

Luer said a majority of the faculty has been hired and will start by the end of March. Though curriculum for the school has been planned, it is up to the faculty to develop individual coursework for the classes. The rest of the faculty will begin work in July.

"We're moving forward very quickly," Medon said. "We're hiring faculty and admitting students over this semester, so we're excited about the possibilities."