Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Fact Sheet
History
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 and today, in addition to pharmacy, offers clinical doctorate degrees in occupational therapy (OTD) and physical therapy (DPT), 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.
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.
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 a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy and physical therapy.
In 2001, Creighton established the nation’s first distance-based, entry-level pathway to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Faculty
- J. Chris Bradberry, Pharm. D., serves as dean.
- More than 105 faculty members provide instruction.
- Current Pharmacy student-faculty ratio: 10 to 1; PT student-faculty ratio: 11 to 1; OT student-faculty ratio: 11 to 1.
- Creighton has one of the largest OT faculties in the nation, with 17 faculty holding doctoral degrees.
- There is one endowed chair in the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. The Gilbert F. Taffe, Jr. Endowed Chair in Pharmacy Sciences, held by Alekha Dash, Ph.D.
- The faculty is instrumental in enhancing the school’s reputation for excellence in value-centered education, as well as their own reputations in clinical education, service and research. Some examples of the faculty’s successes are:
- Shirley A. Blanchard, associate professor of occupational therapy, received the 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award for Teaching Achievement from the Creighton Student’s Union.
- Gail Jensen, PT, Ph.D., F.A.P.T.A., associate vice president for academic affairs, dean of the Creighton Graduate School and University College and professor of physical therapy, delivered the 42nd Mary McMillan Lecture Award during the 2011 annual meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association.
- Samuel Augustine, Pharm.D., professor of pharmacy practice, earned the American Pharmaceutical Association’s 2009 Daniel B. Smith Practice Excellence Award.
- A. Joseph Threlkeld, Ph.D., PT, associate professor of physical therapy and Rui-Ping Xia, M.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of physical therapy, conducted landmark research on human gait in the Creighton Rehabilitation Science Research Lab.
- Christopher Destache, Pharm. D., professor of pharmacy practice, received major grant funding in 2011 from the National Institute of Health to further his research with nanoparticles in relation to HIV-1 treatment.
- Rene' Padilla, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, LMHP, and Helene Lohman, OTD, OTR/L, published in 2011 the third edition of their book, Occupational Therapy with Elders: Strategies for the COTA.
Students
- Today, about 1,150 students are enrolled, with over 1,100 entry-level professional students and 46 post-professional students. In addition, the school offers 12 residency positions, eight in pharmacy practice and four in physical therapy.
- Students from 45 states and 11 countries are pursuing clinical doctorates from Creighton University’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions.
- In Creighton’s Ignatian tradition, students and faculty are very service-minded. The Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service and Education (OISSE) maintains a long-standing partnership with the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes of Nebraska addressing health disparities. OISSE’s community engagement model also includes local opportunities in the Omaha metropolitan area, as well as international initiatives in the Dominican Republic and China. Since 1999, 2,655 SPAHP students have contributed more than 86,000 hours of service to the community; over 7,600 of those hours were during the 2009-2010 academic year.
- 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 touch handheld devices that are fully serviced by the school’s staff. These state-of-the-art machines are incorporated into every aspect of learning.
- The Office of Health Sciences’ Multicultural and Community Affairs (HS-MACA) 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.
- Pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy students choose from hundreds of clinical training sites in every healthcare category 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.
- Creighton PT students receive more than 46 weeks of clinical training, up to 10 weeks more than students at other Midwest schools.
Alumni
- 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 in all three programs have been 100 percent for the past several years.
- 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.
Points of Pride
- For more than 25 years, the Creighton University Center for Drug Information & Evidence-Based Practice has provided evidence-based, timely and unbiased information to our colleagues in the health care professions. Drug information skills are critical to the practice of pharmacy. We strive to teach our students—tomorrow's pharmacists—the skills essential to meet and exceed the challenges of comprehensive patient-based care.
- Our Office of Interprofessional Scholarship, Service and Education, or OISSE, plays a significant role in connecting students with diverse and meaningful opportunities to serve others. In 2011, the OISSE faculty and staff earned the first John P. Schlegel, S.J., Presidential Diversity Award for Service because of their initiative that engages and enhances the community and supports the advancement of diversity.
- The School’s Health Services Research program is recognized nationally for its work in the area of patient safety.
- According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for pharmacists, physical therapists and occupational therapists will grow faster than the average growth for all occupations through 2014.
- The School of Pharmacy and Health Professions has a partnership with the University of Alaska to offer the occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) program and seats in the distance pharmacy class 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).