Program overview

Program length: Varies
Class size: Varies
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Pharm.D. candidates who successfully complete a rotation at Mayo Clinic in Arizona will further develop their skills to provide pharmaceutical care to a variety of patients. While interacting with health care professionals, residents, other students, patients, and their caregivers to optimize medication therapy outcomes, you will learn to communicate effectively and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills.

Pharm.D. candidates completing APPEs at Mayo Clinic have the opportunity to experience a variety of clinical pharmacy practices at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Phoenix, Arizona. APPEs are available in both the acute and ambulatory practice settings.

The APPE program includes all the elements that create an exceptional education experience:

• A challenging, high-quality curriculum
• State-of-the-art diagnostic, therapeutic, and research facilities
• A diverse patient population
• An environment based on teamwork and mutual support

Participants may complete clinical rotations in the following areas including: critical care, infectious diseases, hematology, oncology, solid organ transplant, general medicine/acute care, hospital pharmacy, administrative pharmacy, community pharmacy, ambulatory care, and pharmacogenomics.

Applicants should be willing to complete at least two APPEs at Mayo Clinic in Arizona (based on preceptor availability). This will be a combination of required and elective clinical rotations. Required and elective rotations are outlined in the curriculum of the respective College of Pharmacy.

After you successfully complete the program, you will receive credit toward the completion of your Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Application process

Your application and all supporting documentation must be received a minimum of six months prior to the anticipated start of your rotation.

Prerequisites

To be eligible to apply for the rotation, you must be:

• Enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy program at an affiliated institution in the U.S.
• Licensed as a pharmacy intern in Arizona
• Pre-approved by the program director at Mayo Clinic

Affiliated institutions include:

• Midwestern University – College of Pharmacy Glendale
• University of Arizona
• Creighton University
• University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy

At this time, we are unable to accommodate requests for new APPE affiliation agreements.

Application instructions

Students will submit their application during the following dates each year: Sept. 20 - Oct. 20.

Students must provide their college of pharmacy experiential program director with a request for an advanced pharmacy practice experience rotation at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. You must complete and submit the following items:

1. Create an account to begin the online Application for Admission
   • Select – Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences
   • Select – Pharmacy-Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience
2. Complete each section of the application and submit
3. After submission, view the required Supplemental Items and Documents
   • Upload each required item in the Supplemental Items section

Additional required items

• Curriculum vitae, which includes your GPA
• One-page letter of intent that includes:
  • Why you want to complete APPEs at Mayo Clinic in Arizona
  • Top three elective APPE preferences (see list above)

Application review process 

Applicants are selected based on grades and work experiences, as well as volunteer experiences, leadership qualities, and representation of personal qualities and skills in a personal letter.

Applications will be reviewed after the deadline date and accepted applicants will be notified of decisions by late November.

Tuition and financial aid

Tuition rates are determined by and paid to the college of pharmacy at which you are enrolled. Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences participates in a clinical rotation tuition sharing process, which is billed directly to the affiliate school.

Students are responsible for providing living accommodations and transportation.

Curriculum

As an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) student at Mayo Clinic’s campus in Phoenix, Arizona, you devote much of your time to comprehensive clinical training in direct patient care services.

Pharmacy students who successfully complete an APPE at Mayo Clinic in Arizona will further develop their skills to provide pharmaceutical care to a variety of patients. During your APPE, you participate as an integral member of a multidisciplinary patient care team in on of Mayo Clinic’s patient care areas.

While interacting with health care professionals, residents, students, and patients and their caregivers to optimize drug therapy outcomes, you will learn to communicate effectively and demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills.

During your APPE, you also enhance your skills in:

• Developing problem lists
• Defining therapeutic goals
• Developing therapeutic plans
• Monitoring drug therapy outcomes
• Providing drug information and education
• Assessing and practicing evidence-based medicine

Schedule

For the majority of the Pharmacy APPE Program, your learning schedule includes eight-hour days, five days a week.

Accreditation information

See accreditation information for Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.