Early Assurance Program

Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy

What is Early Assurance?

 

The Early Assurance Program (EAP) creates a clear pathway for high-performing UT Tyler undergraduate and local community college students to apply and enroll in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy.  

What are the benefits of participating in EAP?

 

1.  Eases the transition from undergraduate coursework to a professional degree program

• improves familiarity with the college environment

• establishes early relationships with the college’s academic community

For example, EAP students will be invited to college events such as White Coat and Conferral of the Doctoral Hood ceremonies as the guest of a student pharmacist.  EAP students are also invited to guest lectures and celebratory events at the college.

2.  Reduces potential barriers to admission

• lowers the cost to apply through: 
  • a voucher for the PharmCAS application fee
  • a waiver of the seat reservation fee
• an abbreviated applicant interview. 
  • available due to multiple early interactions with the staff, pharmacy students, and college faculty while completing EAP requirements
  • three faculty members use a standardized rubric fo score abbreviated interview questionnaire

  • abbreviated interviews last approximately one hour

In contrast, non-EAP applicants participate in a day-long interview that consists of multiple mini-interviews (MMIs), a writing assignment, a math test, a campus and building tour, a classroom exercise, and interaction with a student panel.  

Both the EAP and MMI interview processes are designed to increase candidate familiarity with Fisch College of Pharmacy and for faculty and staff of the college to become familiar with qualified applicants. EAP students have 12 months to become familiar with the college compared to approximately 8 hours for non-EAP applicants.

3.  Provides applicants earlier exposure to potential pharmacy career pathways

• • Early engagement with faculty specializing in different areas of pharmacy, the pharmaceutical sciences and research.
  • Every EAP student is assigned a faculty member who provides academic and career advising from the time of acceptance into EAP until graduation.
  • The additional year of contact with an advisor provides more opportunities to build professional relationships for mentoring, research and recommendations.

Early Assurance Program Eligibility

 

UT Tyler students	East Texas Participating Institutions*
Apply after freshman year June 1st - opens for applications September 1st - closes for applications	Apply after freshman year June 1st - opens for applications September 1st - closes for applications
Minimum GPAc 3.0 and GPAsm 3.0 dual credit included in GPA no repeated prerequisite courses Prerequisites completed in the two year period prior to fall semester admission	Minimum GPAc 3.0 and GPAsm 3.0 dual credit included in GPA no repeated prerequisites Prerequisites completed in the two year period prior to fall semester admission
Attend two COP** professional events attend one event in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester  such as White Coat ceremony, Student Council meeting Attend one COP** social event such as Fall picnic, Fisch birthdays	Attend two COP** professional events attend one professional event in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester examples include White Coat ceremony, Student Council meeting   Attend one COP** social event such as Fall picnic, Fisch birthdays
*see list of Designated Community Colleges ** COP = College of Pharmacy	GPA = grade point average GPAc = cumulative grade point average GPAsm = science and math grade point average

 

**Participating Institutions

Angelina College

Hill College

Jacksonville College

Kilgore College

Northeast Texas Community College

Panola College

Paris Junior College

Texarkana College

Trinity Valley Community College

Tyler Junior College

 

BEFORE applying:

1. Request official transcripts for freshman Fall and Spring courses be sent to the college
2. Arrange for three Letters of Recommendation to be sent directly to the college from the following:
   • a science/math professor from a course you have taken at your current college
   • a second professor of a course your have taken at your current college
   • a supervisor from a work/academic experience
3. Prepare a personal statement that addresses the following: 

Describe the most significant personal or academic risk you have taken and the outcome.  How did this change you as a person?

• • • Minimum length:  500 words
    • Maximum length:  1500 words
    • Save in PDF format

Complete the online application linked below by September 1st:

Early Assurance Online Application