Administration
Dean's Office
Message from the Dean
What makes for an outstanding school or college of pharmacy? This is a question that I have spent many hours considering and reconsidering as we began the process of planning the new Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy.
Is it a new, state-of-the-art building? While it is important to have a building that accommodates the design of the learning program, provides all the facilities that are required to support the academic program, and creates an environment where faculty and staff enjoy working and students enjoy learning, there are many schools and colleges that do not have new buildings. WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING NEW BUILDING, provided by the generous people of Amarillo and the Panhandle who contributed $13 Million to give us state-of-the-art facilities. But, that is not what will make us a "world-class" school of pharmacy.
Is it a large faculty, each with extensive credentials from prestigious universities? Well, again, Texas Tech has assembled a faculty that meets these criteria - our faculty have been recruited to Amarillo from leading pharmacy and medical schools throughout the United States and Canada to begin this program. And, the faculty is continuing to grow. We have 40 faculty now and will grow to 50 by the end of the decade. But impressive credentials of a large number of faculty members do not make for an outstanding pharmacy school. It is the content of what the faculty teach, how they interact with the students, how they impart the knowledge and skills gained while earning those impressive credentials that help make a school great.
Is it a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum? The Pharm.D. is the "cutting-edge" degree for pharmacy. It can best prepare an individual for the profession of pharmacy and any person considering entering the profession to day would be foolish to not seek the degree that will best provide the most opportunities for employment over one's career. The Pharm.D. will be the only degree awarded by all school and colleges of pharmacy by the turn of the next century, and Texas Tech began its School of Pharmacy offering only the Pharm.D. degree. But realistically, the degree is not what makes the school. What are the courses? What are the clinical experiences? What are the competencies being expected of the students? These are the important questions. And everyone who examines the Texas Tech curriculum gives the structure and layout of the curriculum high praise. It has received the complements of pharmacy educators, community pharmacy practitioners, institutional pharmacy practitioners, and Board of Pharmacy officers. That is a real advantage in starting a new school with new faculty.
Surely, it must be the research activities of the faculty - how many grants they receive in support of their research? Research accomplishments of the faculty is the typical measure that places a school or college of pharmacy in a high ranking in the national magazines that try to determine who is number 1. And YES, all forms of research is important for the profession of pharmacy and the health of our nation. But realistically, research accomplishments are more important for the individual faculty member and the institution overall; Having millions of dollars of funded research does not necessarily equate to having a quality professional program for the students. Texas Tech does provides support and opportunities for School of Pharmacy faculty to develop research initiatives because it provides the School of Pharmacy with the opportunity to recruit and continue the development of outstanding faculty members. But Texas Tech requires a balance in our faculty's activities. Research accomplishments must never replace effective instruction in the professional program; time spent in research can not be taken from time for students. We are fortunate that our most effective researchers are evaluated and continually encouraged to be effective teachers. Students benefit from interacting with quality faculty in the classroom. Students also have the opportunity to interact with these researchers in the laboratory, taking elective research activities as part of their curriculum. So, when you check-out our faculty, you will find that many are world-class researchers, or younger scientists that will develop into internationally recognized scholars, but they are also world-class teachers too.
What are some more elements that one might use to identify a quality school?
- Faculty and staff who enjoy working with students and treat them as future colleagues;
- the latest technology;
- A curriculum that focuses on tomorrow's knowledge and skills required to practice pharmacy in the ever changing health care area;
- Being a part of a comprehensive health sciences center, where pharmacy students learn in classes and in clinical experiences with medical, allied health and nursing students; and on and on.
We have all these, and more....But what is that critical element of excellence?
I believe it is not any one of these elements, but how they all come together as an integrated package, designed to provide the student with the support and challenge to achieve his or her unique full potential. That is what make for a great school of pharmacy! The parts, taken as a whole, is what determines quality.
I believe if you look closely, you will find that Texas Tech provides all these elements of quality. I hope you will consider us as a place to learn, grow, and reach your full potential.
Arthur A. Nelson, Jr., R.Ph., Ph.D., Dean