South Carolina College of Pharmacy is an in valuable resource

The South Carolina College of Pharmacy was formed in 2004 with the integration of the Colleges of Pharmacy at the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. The resulting College combines the nationally recognized faculty, staff, and resources of MUSC and USC to create a statewide approach to pharmacy education that is on a par with the most highly regarded colleges in the United States. Pharmacy students have a broader access to experts and an increased range of training opportunities. The merger allowed the two schools to recruit Joseph T. DiPiro, PharmD, as professor and executive dean of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy. Dean DiPiro currently serves as editor of The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and is the past president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

The College boasts a nationally recognized faculty of 74 full-time professors, divided between the two campuses, five research centers, three endowed chairs/professorships, and an endowment of approximately $13.5 million. With an alumni base of 5,400, practicing in 45 states, the College’s influence is far reaching. In July 2009, Forbes.com ranked pharmacy as the top-paying job for women. With a median wage of $86,000 a year, a career in pharmacology outperformed careers in the law, business, medicine, and surgery.