3D rendering of Coumadin’s molecular structure.3D rendering of Coumadin’s molecular structure.

CUW is pleased to announce the results of the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Sixty-six, third year pharmacy students voluntarily took the national, standardized test which evaluated student’s knowledge in the areas of: biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, social/behavioral/administrative pharmacy, and clinical sciences.


According to a report, which summarized the test results, CUW pharmacy students, overall, scored in the top third of the national group, which consisted of nearly 3,800 students from 28 pharmacy schools.

“The results of the PCOA reinforce our academic rigor and focus, along with our ability to attract excellent students to a new program,” noted Dr. Dean Arneson, Academic Dean of CUW’s School of Pharmacy.

Other results included: 16 students from CUW scoring in the 90th percentile, nearly 80% of CUW students scoring in the 50th percentile, and CUW students, as a whole, scoring better than or equal to the national group in 20 of 30 subtopics.

“Not only are the overall results of the students remarkable, I believe it’s commendable that 66 of the 71 students in the School of Pharmacy’s Genesis Class took the voluntary test,” said Dr. William Cario, CUW’s Senior Vice President of Academics.

CUW’s School of Pharmacy began in the fall of 2010 and is only the second pharmacy school in the state of Wisconsin. In the fall of 2011, CUW opened the doors to the $12 million School of Pharmacy building, a state-of-the-art facility with classrooms and laboratories on its Mequon campus. The Executive Dean of CUW’s School of Pharmacy, Curt Gielow, is proud of the PCOA results.

“This confirms we are achieving the commitment the University made to the profession to develop and operate a school that produces the highest quality professionals in pharmacy for our community, state, and nation,” said Gielow. “This is just the beginning of getting even better at what we do,” Gielow added.

— This story is written by Kali Thiel, director of university communications for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at kali.thiel@cuw.edu or 262-243-2149.

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