5 things we learned by launching a Ph.D. program

As I mentioned in?my previous message?on our endeavours to shorten the work week, I created this series to share ideas and experiences that may benefit the academy and be of interest to you in your own leadership roles in pharmacy education. Please do not hesitate to reach out with your own experiences as we collectively work to transform and adapt to a constantly evolving healthcare environment.

????Case study: launching a Ph.D. program

Launching a new doctoral program is a challenge for any college. Starting a pharmaceutical engineering Ph.D. program, as we at VCU School of Pharmacy did in 2019, taught us a lot about what to do — and not to do.

Guided by the tireless efforts of?Sandro da Rocha, Ph.D., a professor at our school and founding director for the Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering and Sciences and also our new Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering, along with his counterpart at the College of Engineering, the program has come a long way in just a few years.?

I am happy to share five lessons we learned along the way.

1?? Keep an eye on the big picture.

Any new program will need to attract students, funding and institutional support. Look at national and regional needs and trends to see what educational outcomes are likely to be needed or wanted. In our case, a wave of pharmaceutical manufacturing in the region around the university, supported by a national push to bring drug manufacturing back to the U.S., encouraged the concept of a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical engineering. And when crafting the proposal, we made sure it aligned with the university’s stated goals and mission.?

???Takeaway: Be aware of cultural and organizational shifts.

?2???Build on what exists.?

Faculty in our pharmacy school for decades have collaborated with colleagues at the university’s College of Engineering. Their shared interest in research on the development of new drug products led them naturally to work together. When we decided to create a Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical engineering, the path to a successful partnership was already well-established. Pharmaceutical scientists and engineers at both schools worked together closely to design and create the program’s curriculum, goals and structure.

???Takeaway: You don’t need to start from scratch. Look for something that already works well.?

?3???Be flexible.??

Because of our interest in building a truly cross-disciplinary program, we knew we would need to recruit students with differing backgrounds and training. That led us to create a curriculum with enough flexibility to teach them what they need and build on what they already knew. In our case, once the basics are covered early in the program, students can choose six three-credit research and other electives — 18 credits, about half the total — from a range of subjects from from our extensive offerings at VCU. More importantly, students can reinvent themselves with all that flexibility that is built into the curriculum.

???Takeaway: Innovative programs will require new approaches to succeed.?

?4???Be ready to back up your proposal.???

The state agency that reviews new programs like ours asked for data to support the proposal — job-placement figures, comparable programs and more. Since to our knowledge there is no other Ph.D. in pharmaceutical engineering in the U.S., we did not have exactly what they requested. After discussions with the agency’s reviewers, we worked to collect job opportunities and openings, as well as supporting statements from local, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and institutions of higher ed. In the end, the program won approval.

???Takeaway: Be prepared to answer for all your decisions.?

?5?? Recruitment is key.?

Once we had the approval, we needed to reach potential Ph.D. candidates — and quickly, since the program launched just months after it was approved. We pursued a number of strategies including social media posts and online advertising. The most successful approach proved to be the simplest: Our director, Sandro da Rocha, built an extensive database of former colleagues and connections in the field, spelling out the program’s advantages and potential. After many, many emails and phone calls, we found that these contacts were open to learning more, thanks in part to VCU’s strong reputation for groundbreaking research in areas such as pulmonary aerosols. Once we had gathered a list of possible recruits, we met with them individually. Our pitch focused on the innovative nature and flexibility of the program and how it would let them reinvent their careers.

???Takeaway: Sometimes simplest is best.

????Results

The?Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Engineering at VCU?— to our knowledge the first such program in the nation — had a?soft launch in 2020?with two students. In its second year, that number rose to five; in its third, seven. For fall 2023 the program is seeking to recruit 15 Ph.D. students.?I hope this update is helpful to you. I am indebted to Dr. da Rocha for his insights and most of all his innovative, tireless efforts on behalf of the program and its students.?

Feel free to contact me with any questions or to follow up?by email,?on Twitter (@vcupharmacydean) and when our paths cross in person.?

Best wishes,

Kelechi C. "K.C." Ogbonna, PharmD, MSHA

Dean & Professor?

Archie O. McCalley Chair

VCU School of Pharmacy