UW School of Pharmacy Welcomes Class of 2018

The University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy welcomed members of the class of 2018 into its professional pharmacy program this fall.

First-year professional students attended two days of orientation, followed by the "white coat ceremony," where they were congratulated by Dean Linda Martin, with family and friends in attendance.

"The UW School of Pharmacy is well known by employers as having graduates who can practice at a high level. That starts with the quality of the applicants and the students we admit to the program," Martin says. "They are the cream of the college student crop. We start out with the best and work to develop them into becoming the health care professionals needed to help patients get the most from their medications."

Admission to the professional program is limited and highly competitive. UW's nationally accredited pharmacy curriculum begins with a two-year pre-professional program followed by the four-year professional program of three years of coursework on campus and a full year of experiential coursework performed off campus. Professors at the school are experienced in teaching, dedicated to their field, and have been continuously recognized nationally and internationally for their research achievements and contributions to the scientific and clinical fields.

"We try to give our students the tools, skills and knowledge to be able to practice in any setting, whether it’s the challenges of the rural frontier or an urban practice," Martin says. "When they start their practice, they will be able to adapt to any of those settings, regardless of the geography or the patient population."

A UW Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree meets the educational requirements to take pharmacy state board examinations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Graduates have a 95 percent or higher passing rate on national licensure examinations.

Members of the class of 2018, listed by their hometowns, are:

Aurora, Colo. -- Zane Dacus.

Ballwin, Mo. -- Nandini Rajashanmugam.

Bandera, Texas -- Erin Yarborough.

Bogart, Ga. -- Amy Thompson.

Brush, Colo. -- Victoria Milano.

Burns -- Laraine Kopetzky.

Byron, Ill. -- James Curtiss.

Casper -- Steven Schoeber.

Chendgu, China -- Yueming Zhao.

Cheyenne -- Tyler Downey, Marcie Hunt, Cassidy Sheridan and Danielle Trierweiler.

Clearfield, Utah -- Slade Goodrich.

Cody -- Drew McMillan.

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Christina Wilkinson.

Evanston -- Carson Hutchinson.

Farmington, Minn. -- Christopher Meyers.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- Ethan Karp.

Fresno, Calif. -- Tracy Ta.

Golden, Colo. -- Nancy McKee.

Greybull -- Jessica Hunt.

Laramie -- Anna Bayert, Andrew Cox, Patrick Cuin, Jessica Frank, Nolan Gecan, Jaclyn Henry, Timothy Hokanson, Ashley Lopez, Sydney Schneider, Heather Scott and Danielle Weiss.

Layton, Utah -- Matt Marigoni.

Littleton, Colo. -- Daniel Puszka.

London, U.K. -- Vivek Patel.

Loveland, Colo. -- Nicole Hlavacek.

North Ogden, Utah -- Lynn Vu.

Ogden, Utah -- Leland Waddoups.

Olympia, Wash. -- Huy Ta.

Phoenix, Ariz. -- Sarah Davis.

Rock Island, Ill. -- Kelsey Kernan.

Rock Springs -- Jaco Fornengo, Karlee Miller and Carolyn Parton.

Sheridan -- Arand Caldwell.

Simcoe, Ontario -- Brittany Smith.

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- Jody Coburn.

Thermopolis -- Everett Woodward.

Torrington -- Mark Schmick.

Uvalde, Texas -- Anisha Patel.

Wheatland -- McKenzie Hellbaum.

Worland -- Haley Schmeltzer.