Service Learning
Co-Curriculum
The School of Pharmacy co-curriculum program is a set of activities and assignments meant to complement PharmD didactic and experiential components. Participation in, and successful completion of, these activities and assignments should help you to become an effective and well-rounded pharmacy practitioner. It will also help you to personalize your PharmD experience. Co-curriculum is not a course and consists of three components: service learning, entrustable professional activities and co-curricular activities.
Co-Curricular Activities
Exemplary Professional Development
Service learning has been identified as an important experience for health professions students.
CU Pharmacy has a long history of service learning. Since 1999 (except for 2020-2021), P1 students educate elementary school students about health-related topics such as nutrition, germs, and allergies.
During the pandemic, we partnered with the UCHealth Seniors Clinic, CU Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging, the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and College of Nursing to develop COAST-IT project: Connecting Older Adults with Students Through Interprofessional Telecare. All remote student pharmacists participate in this rewarding program during their P1 year; on-campus student pharmacists during their P2 year (beginning Fall 2023).
It has been recognized by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) that some extracurricular activities serve as a means by which students can more fully develop into competent, well-rounded pharmacists. As such, all pharmacy schools are required to offer some extracurricular activities, deemed "co-curricular," that are "experiences which complement, augment and/or advance what is learned in the formal didactic and experiential curriculum."
| Examples of co-curricular activities include, but are not limited to: | |
| Active participation in pharmacy or scientific organization meetings | Immunization clinics |
| “Brown bag” medication review and education sessions | Legislative Day activities |
| Career-discerning activities (e.g., research projects, specialized practice opportunities) | Phi Lambda Sigma national leadership challenge program |
| Development of innovative professional business plans | Professionalism-focused journal club |
| Drug abuse/unintentional misuse (poisonings) education programs | Reflective professional development retreats |
| Drug take-back events | Shadowing opportunities with state pharmacy association executives |
| Health fairs/screenings | Visits to various pharmacy practice sites |
| Holding office in student government | Volunteering at a pro-bono clinic for underserved/uninsured citizens (e.g., DAWN) |
The optional Exemplary Professional Development program boosts your professional growth and connects you with a mentor! There are two levels available for selection:
Level 1 = unstructured mentor program
Level 2 = structured mentor program with a few short assignments and maintaining a portfolio, eligible for "Exemplary Professional Development" recognition
Estimated time commitment
1-4
hours
Mentor meetings
1-2
per semester