Starting next year, students at UNMC can get a dual degree in pharmacy and public health.
The Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Public Health degree will be offered in the fall of 2014. Dr. Gary Yee, associate dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, says the program fits with UNMC’s mission to attract students who want to pursue more than one discipline.
He says the dual degree is important as residents in rural and underserved areas increasingly rely on pharmacists for health information and immunizations.
"But more than that, it's just the place where they can provide information about screening, about preventive care, and that really is complementary to trying to improve health status for an entire state, such as Nebraska."
Dr. Yee says the program also prepares students for research and academia, or for careers in managed care, where they’d be making policy decisions. Five universities within the Big Ten Conference offer the dual degree in pharmacy and public health.