University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Expanding to Montgomery County
ROCKVILLE, Md. (February 23, 2007) - The University of Maryland School of
Pharmacy will take its nationally-ranked Doctor of Pharmacy program to The
Universities at Shady Grove this fall. Responding to a critical pharmacist
shortage in Maryland that is expected to become more severe as
baby-boomers age and use more medications, the School will enroll 40 additional
students at the Montgomery County campus. The School is well beyond its
maximum student capacity on the UMB campus. The plan will enable an enrollment
increase of one-third in the entering class.
The
expansion will be supported through enrollment increase funds provided by the
Governor at the request of the Board of Regents and a substantial capital
investment by the University of Maryland, Baltimore to construct specialized facilities for pharmacy
at Shady Grove.
UMB
President David J. Ramsay says, "Such an investment is worthwhile to support
the University's mission to meet Maryland's need for the vital health profession of
pharmacy. Moving our PharmD program to Shady Grove also gives our
research-intensive School
of Pharmacy a foothold in the heart of Montgomery County's 270 research corridor."
School of Pharmacy Dean David A. Knapp says, "The Shady Grove
program will
eventually enroll a full four-year complement of 160 students, drawing
upon the
rich resources of clinical facilities and government and industrial
laboratories in the region to support the doctoral program. The new
location
will also provide an alternative to the main campus in Baltimore for
students residing in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as well
as somewhat easier
access for students from Western Maryland."
The
Shady Grove expansion is part of an ambitious expansion plan by the School of Pharmacy to double its PharmD enrollment over the
next 10 years. Central to the effort is construction of a new pharmacy building
on the Baltimore campus to house the additional faculty,
students, and educational and research facilities essential to support the
growth. The School received initial planning funds for the building during last
spring's General Assembly and has engaged architects to begin work on the
building.
For
more information, visit the University
of Maryland School of Pharmacy web page.
Contact: John Buettner
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: jbuettner@usmd.edu
