The PharmD Bridge Program is meant for students who wish to pursue a career in pharmacy and allows them to complete an associate degree at MHCC before transferring to the Pacific University School of Pharmacy to earn a doctorate in pharmacy (PharmD).

“We are proud to be the first community college in the Portland Metro Area to enter into an agreement like this that will allow us to work alongside Pacific University so more students can get their careers in pharmacy underway faster,” said Dr. Alfred McQuarters, MHCC vice president of instruction.

Pharmacy school typically takes about eight years to complete – four years for a bachelor’s degree and four years of pharmacy school. Through the PharmD Bridge program, students earn a two-year associate degree at MHCC (depending on full-time status and placement levels) and then go on to Pacific University’s School of Pharmacy for the final three years.

“Pacific University’s School of Pharmacy is excited to work with the wonderful students at MHCC who want to pursue a pharmacy degree. We wanted to create a path for these students that allows them to attain a PharmD degree in as little as five years while also building our connection with the MHCC community,” said Tony Potter, assistant director of graduate and professional admissions at Pacific University.

To be eligible for the PharmD Bridge program, students need to:

• Complete 36 credits of prerequisites with a C or better, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Apply to the PharmD Bridge Program – get started by emailing PharmD@pacificu.edu. Once accepted into the program, they will receive guaranteed conditional admission to Pacific University’s School of Pharmacy and be assigned a student mentor to help keep them on track.
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA while completing the remaining prerequisite courses and an associate of science degree.
• Transition to Pacific University.

Students with further questions or who are wishing to get started with the program can contact PharmD@pacificu.edu.