News

By Dr. Elizabeth Brito, Assistant Dean, LECOM School of Pharmacy — Bradenton

Key Takeaways

• LECOM’s pharmacy curriculum is modular and systems-based, building knowledge progressively across four years
• Students grow not just in pharmaceutical knowledge but in professionalism and personal maturity
• The fourth year puts everything together through real-world rotations in hospitals, retail, community care, and long-term care
• Faculty advisors guide each student individually, supporting both academic progress and career planning
• Pharmacy school is one of the few programs where you emerge as a meaningfully different, more capable person than when you started

When I watch students walk across that stage at graduation, what I feel is hard to put into words. I have known many of them for four years, watched them come in nervous, work through some genuinely challenging moments, and grow into professionals who are ready to step right into the workforce. That transformation is not accidental. It is what pharmacy school is designed to do.

Our curriculum at LECOM is modular and systems-based. Students begin with a science foundation and then move through the body system by system, learning the diseases, the pharmacology, how the drugs work, the receptors they act on, and the side effects, all organized so that knowledge builds continuously on itself. It is a structure that works, because by the time students reach their fourth year, they have a complete and integrated picture of pharmaceutical care.

But here is what I want prospective students to understand: the growth you experience in pharmacy school goes well beyond the curriculum. You are learning how to manage conflict with your peers, how to communicate with patients from every kind of background, and how to work alongside people with very different personalities and approaches. These are the skills preceptors notice most. The feedback we consistently receive from rotation sites is how professional our students are, how well they handle situations, and how effectively they counsel patients. That does not happen by accident. It comes from building those habits from day one, not scrambling to develop them in the fourth year.

Time management is probably the most important skill you will develop in this program. I talk to students a lot about the reality of doctoral-level study, because many of them arrive having coasted through undergrad on natural ability without ever building serious study habits. Pharmacy school will change that quickly. Interestingly, the students who struggle most at the start are often the ones who found college the easiest, and once they recalibrate and commit to managing their time, they tend to figure it out and thrive.

The faculty advisors are a big part of making that happen. Every student is assigned an advisor who meets with them regularly, and over time, as trust builds, the advisor begins to understand not just what is happening in the classroom but what is happening in the student’s life outside of school. That context is what allows us to actually guide students in a meaningful way, not just tell them to study harder.

So when I say pharmacy school changes you, I mean it genuinely. The knowledge, the professionalism, the personal growth. From day one to graduation day, it is remarkable to be part of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the curriculum look like in LECOM’s traditional 4-year pharmacy program?

The curriculum is modular and systems-based. Students begin with science foundations and progress through each body system, learning about diseases, pharmacology, drug mechanisms, and side effects in an integrated way. The fourth year is devoted to clinical rotations in real-world settings.

Q: What kinds of rotations do LECOM pharmacy students complete?

In the fourth year, students rotate through hospitals, retail pharmacies, community settings, and long-term care facilities, placed based on their interests and career goals.

Q: How does LECOM prepare pharmacy students for professional practice?

Professionalism is built into the program from year one, including communication skills, patient counseling, dress standards, and workplace expectations. Preceptors at rotation sites consistently report that LECOM students arrive ready to perform professionally.

Q: Does LECOM assign faculty advisors to pharmacy students?

Yes. Every LECOM pharmacy student is assigned a faculty advisor who meets with them regularly throughout the program to support academic progress, study strategy development, and career planning.

Q: How hard is it to balance pharmacy school with personal responsibilities?

It is challenging, but students do it every day, including parents. The key is time management and being open with your advisor about what is going on in your life. LECOM faculty genuinely care about student success and will work with students to find strategies that make it manageable.