Creighton University

• Overview
• Faculty
• Students
• Alumni
• Curriculum and Service
• Points of Pride

The history of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions (SPAHP) dates back to 1905, with the establishment of the Creighton College of Pharmacy. The school expanded to include other health professions (respiratory therapy, nurse anesthesia, and medical technology) and today, in addition to pharmacy, offers clinical doctorate degrees in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT), and a bachelor’s degree in emergency medical services (EMS). In 2002, the school changed its name to the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.

Today, about 1,100 students are enrolled, with 1,000 entry-level professional students and 97 post-professional students. More than 100 faculty members provide instruction.

A degree in pharmacy at Creighton has evolved from a Graduate in Pharmacy (Ph.G.) in 1905 to a Pharmaceutical Chemist (Ph.C.) established in 1920, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (B.S.Pha.) initiated in 1935, and a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) first offered in 1976 and today the sole degree for pharmacy in the United States.

In 2001, Creighton established the nation’s first distance-based, entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

• J. Chris Bradberry, Pharm D., serves as dean.
• Pharmacy student-faculty ratio: 10 to 1; PT student-faculty ratio: 12 to 1; OT student-faculty ratio: 13 to 1.
• There is one endowed chair in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. The Gilbert F. Taffe, Jr. Endowed Chair in Pharmacy Sciences is currently held by Alekha Dash, Ph.D.
• Creighton faculty members serve nationally in their professional organizations, such as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).
• The school’s faculty has earned a national reputation for excellence in clinical education and research. PT professors conduct landmark research on human gait in the Creighton Biodynamics Lab. Pharmacy professors receive research grants in pharmacy sciences and practices and are pioneers in veterinary therapeutics. OT professors write textbooks and receive national awards for teaching excellence.
• Creighton has one of the largest OT faculties in the nation with 16 full-time faculty, 14 hold doctoral degrees.

• Students from 47 states and 17 countries are pursuing clinical doctorates from Creighton University’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
• Students are taught to be mission-minded. Every year, Creighton University health sciences students serve more than 4,000 people through community-service activities. They work in clinics for the underserved, conduct drug and alcohol education seminars, and volunteer with local charities.
• The school is deeply committed to enhancing diversity among students and faculty. The current student body of 1,100 includes more than 8 percent underrepresented minorities.
• The Office of Health Sciences’ Multicultural and Community Affairs (HSMACA) works to ensure underrepresented students’ academic and professional development. The office offers health care seminars, summer research programs, financial counseling, academic counseling, mentoring, social and cultural activities, and prehealth advising.

• More than 75 percent of graduates receive one to three job offers before they graduate.
• On national licensure exams, students in all three disciplines (occupational therapy, physical therapy and pharmacy) consistently perform well. First time licensure pass rates typically average 95 percent or higher.
• Creighton pharmacy, occupational therapy and physical therapy graduates are involved in many different areas of professional practice, including governmental service, hospitals, community clinics, teaching and research, post graduate work and traditional practice.

• Pharmacy and health professions students have a wide range of clinical training opportunities including pediatric, geriatric, mental health and community development in large hospitals as well as small rehabilitation clinics.
• Third-year OT students create their own professional rotations, and many follow mission-based service in countries such as the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.
• PT students can choose from more than 350 clinical training sites in 45 states and seven foreign countries.
• Pharmacy students can choose from more than 300 clerkship sites in the United States.
• The pharmacy curriculum is currently being revamped, with plans for implementation with the entering class of 2010.

• The school’s Health Services Research program is recognized nationally for its work in the area of patient safety.
• U.S. News & World Report ranks Creighton’s physical therapy doctorate program 19th in the nation, the occupational therapy doctorate program 28th, and the pharmacy program 42nd. The occupational therapy program is one of the top five among Midwest schools.
• Creighton’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions is a national leader in teaching with technology. All occupational therapy, pharmacy and physical therapy students are issued tablet PCs when they begin their respective programs of study. Third-year pharmacy students are issued iPod’s that are fully serviced by the school’s staff. These state-of-the-art technologies are incorporated into every aspect of learning.
• Creighton PT students receive more than 46 weeks of clinical training, up to 10 weeks more than students at other Midwest schools.
• The clinical doctorate degree has been the standard in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions (SPAHP) for longer than at any other institution. Creighton was the first in the nation to offer clinical doctorates in occupational therapy and physical therapy.
• Responding to the manpower issues in all three professions, the school also offers the first web-based, entry-level clinical doctorate in pharmacy in the country and has a partnership with the University of Alaska to offer the occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) program to Alaska students.
• All Creighton programs are fully accredited for the maximum cycles. Creighton’s Pharm.D. program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the PT program by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), and the OT program by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).