Seated L to R: Pre-Pharmacy Coordinator Sarah Vincent (UNE), President Dr. James Dlugos (SJC), Provost Dr. Joshua Hamilton (UNE), Assistant Professor Dr. Emily Lesher (SJC); standing L to R: Vice President & Chief Learning Officer Dr. Michael Pardales, Chair of the Board Meredith Tipton (SJC), Pharmaceutical Sciences Department Chair Dr. Olgun Guvench, MD, PhD (UNE), Dr. Wallace Marsh (UNE), Jean De Dieu "JD" Ndayishimiye ‘21 Pre-Pharmacy (SJC), Maddie Corbett ‘21 Pre-Pharmacy (SJC), Shelby Lane ‘19 Pre-Pharmacy (SJC and committed to UNE School of Pharmacy), Assistant Professor Dr. Yi Jin Gorske (SJC), Dean of Pharmacy Dr. Robert McCarthy (UNE). (Photo: Evan Loignon).
Leaders of both institutions gather to sign a memorandum of agreement that creates new opportunity for SJC students.
STANDISH and PORTLAND, Maine – Students at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine who are interested in becoming pharmacists have a new pathway to their career, thanks to an agreement with the University of New England.
Today’s pharmacists are doing far more than working behind pharmacy counters. They serve as wellness and medication experts and invaluable members of integrated health care teams. As the field of pharmacy continues to expand, UNE and SJC are partnering to train qualified health professionals to care for the state.
The partnership between Saint Joseph’s College (SJC) and the University of New England College of Pharmacy (UNE COP) will allow qualified students who successfully complete a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in medical biology at SJC to matriculate into the UNE COP. The agreement between the two institutions was made official at a signing ceremony held on February 8 at Saint Joseph’s College in the MacBride Laboratory, where UNE Provost Joshua Hamilton, Ph.D., and SJC President James Dlugos, Ph.D., finalized the agreement.
This 4+4 Program provides a smooth transition into UNE’s four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program to SJC students who have completed 16 specific pre-pharmacy courses as part of their medical biology degree and who have met all other program requirements. Candidates must declare their intention of enrolling in the program by February 1 of their third year of college.
UNE Provost Hamilton, stated, “UNE is so pleased to be entering into this partnership with Saint Joseph’s College. We are excited to provide high caliber students at Saint Joe’s with a seamless transition to UNE, where they will learn the skills to prepare them for an array of career paths in the pharmacy profession.”
"Given our commitment to wellness and sustainability at Saint Joseph's College, we welcome partnerships that provide a path for our students to pursue careers that meet the workforce development needs in Maine and beyond,” said SJC Vice President & Chief Learning Officer Michael J. Pardales, Ph. D. “This agreement with the University of New England's Doctor of Pharmacy program is an excellent opportunity for our students."
About Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy in Portland, Maine, Saint Joseph’s College is Maine’s Catholic liberal arts college in the Mercy tradition. The 474-acre campus, located on the shore of Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine offers more than 40 undergraduate programs and a Division III athletic program to a population of approximately 1,000 on-campus students. A pioneer of distance education since the 1970s, the College also provides online certificates and undergraduate and graduate degrees for thousands more working adults who reside in more than 20 countries. In 2015 the College was selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to receive its Community Engagement Classification, highlighting the College’s focus on community service throughout its mission and daily interactions within local, regional, and global communities. In 2018, Princeton Review recognized SJC as one of its “Green Colleges” for its sustainability initiatives. Learn more at www.sjcme.edu.
About UNE
The University of New England is Maine’s largest private university, featuring two distinctive campuses in Maine, a vibrant campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of innovative offerings online. Our hands-on, experiential approach empowers students to join the next generation of leaders in their chosen fields. We are home to Maine’s only medical and dental colleges, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care programs, and nationally recognized degree paths in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities and the arts.
UNE. Innovation for a Healthier Planet. Visit www.une.edu
FMI, contact: Sarah Delage sdelage@une.edu, (207) 221-4899; Chris Rose crose5@une.edu, (207) 221-4871
