July 30, 2024 – The University of Florida College of Pharmacy and Santa Fe College in Gainesville have teamed up to provide SF students with a streamlined path to pharmacy school. The two institutions announced the Pharmacy Early Assurance Program (PEAP) will begin at SF this fall.
PEAP will assist Santa Fe College students in preparing to become a pharmacist by offering workshops, mentoring and training opportunities. Participants who fulfill the program’s requirements will receive a guaranteed interview for the UF College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program.
“PEAP creates a pathway for highly qualified Santa Fe College students to pursue their pharmacy education at the UF College of Pharmacy,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean of the UF College of Pharmacy. “Santa Fe [College] students have a strong track record of success in our Pharm.D. program. Having a top-ranked pharmacy college close to home provides them a great opportunity to continue their education and training locally.”
SF students participating in PEAP will pair with a UF College of Pharmacy student for mentorship throughout the program. In addition, they will attend webinars and special events aimed at providing an inside track into pharmacy school.
Santa Fe College students interested in the PEAP program should also consider pursuing the Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Biotechnology degree, said Mary El-Semarani, Academic Chair of SF’s Perry Center for Emerging Technologies. Students with this degree take all the prerequisite courses for UF’s pharmacy school, giving them an even greater advantage. Further, they will graduate prepared for a career in the booming biotechnology sector.
“Graduates will have unlimited career and academic options, whichever direction they choose,” she said.
Santa Fe College students who complete PEAP and are admitted to the UF College of Pharmacy will receive priority in choosing which of UF’s three pharmacy campuses — Gainesville, Jacksonville or Orlando — they want to attend.
The PEAP program further develops an alliance between Santa Fe College and the UF College of Pharmacy, providing additional support to those seeking a pharmacy degree. For years, UF College of Pharmacy advisors have regularly met with SF students to discuss admissions and application steps.
“The PEAP program is just one more way Santa Fe College has strengthened its partnership with the University of Florida,” said Nate Southerland, Ph.D., Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs at SF. “We are pleased SF students now have an even stronger track into the College of Pharmacy and into their dream careers.”
PEAP at SF becomes the third program established by the UF College of Pharmacy. In 2020, a similar program was launched at UF’s flagship campus in Gainesville, and in 2023, a new program debuted at Valencia College in Orlando.
For information, visit: admissions.pharmacy.ufl.edu/steps-to-apply/early-assurance-program.