ETSU pharmacy school receives grant to support first-generation college student outreach

JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy received one of two diversity grants from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation to support the pharmacy school’s commitment to recruiting a diverse student body.

The $15,000 grant will help Gatton College of Pharmacy develop an outreach program aimed at currently enrolled pre-health professional students from the Appalachian region who are the first in their families to attend institutions of higher learning. Nearly half of the pharmacy school’s students are first generation, and over a third of the college’s students are from rural zip codes.

“We are so excited by this news,” said Dr. Debbie Byrd, dean of Gatton College of Pharmacy. “Recruiting first-generation college students from Appalachia goes straight to the heart of our mission, to improve health care in rural and under-served communities. This grant will allow us not only to enhance our diversity in our pharmacy school but also in the profession.”

The program at Gatton College of Pharmacy will develop a robust and diverse outreach program aimed at educating, exposing and recruiting pre-health Appalachian FGCS to the profession of pharmacy. This Gatton First-Generation Pharmacy Program (FGPP) will include development of a pre-pharmacy course, summer camp immersion experience and pharmacy mentoring program, all of which are designed to explore the depths of the profession, discover career options in pharmacy and to prepare those first-generation students for application to a college of pharmacy.

According to a 2014 Department of Education report, it was estimated that 40-50% of college students have parents who never attended college. First-generation college students are considered to be disadvantaged when considering higher education outcomes. For example, many decide to forego college education altogether; and those who do pursue college have greater attrition rates.

Nationally, almost 90% of low-income first-generation college students leave college within six years without completing a degree. More than 25% leave after their first year, which is a four-fold increase in the dropout rate as compared to higher-income second-generation students.

Founded as the nation’s first private college of pharmacy within a public university, Gatton College of Pharmacy receives no state money and makes an annual statewide economic impact of over $36 million. Over half of its graduates reside and practice in Tennessee. Learn more at www.etsu.edu/pharmacy.

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