Specializing in a focused area of medicine is more important than ever for advancing in the health care field. The UI College of Pharmacy’s new Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Certificate offers Doctor of Pharmacy students the chance to deepen their expertise in one of the most demanding areas of practice. This program not only provides advanced training for life-saving situations but also offers additional specialized career training.

The certificate program is led by Brett Faine, clinical associate professor of emergency medicine and pharmacy, and Anne Zepeski, clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine and pharmacy. Together, they are committed to providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary for acute care settings.

The goal of the program is to enhance the curriculum by providing a robust approach to acute care pharmacotherapy. Since there were already acute care-focused electives available in the College, the certificate aims to align these courses into a cohesive training program, supporting students interested in pursuing post-graduate training in acute care pharmacy.

Faine and Zepeski hope the certificate attracts students with diverse interests in the acute care setting. Students will be exposed to emergency medicine, critical care, and toxicology, while having the opportunity to customize their elective rotations to fit their professional goals. The Fundamentals of Clinical Pharmacy for the Critically Ill course will further enhance the certificate by building essential skills in communication, evidence-based medicine, clinical practice, and project management.

“While it would be wonderful if they all followed our footsteps in emergency medicine pharmacy, we understand that may not be a passion for all of our students,” Zepeski said. “We hope the skills they learn from this experience will support their pursuits in post-graduate clinical training.”

Both Zepeski and Faine bring years of specialized experience in emergency medicine and pharmacy to the program, making them uniquely equipped to lead it.

Zepeski has been working as an emergency medicine pharmacist since completing her residency in 2018. 

“The most rewarding part of my job is providing bedside care to critically ill patients as part of a high-functioning interdisciplinary team,” she said.

"Now is a great time to enter the field, too, as hospitals are managing more medically complex patients than ever before."  -- Anne Zepeski, clinical assistant professor

Faine, with 16 years of experience as an emergency medicine pharmacist, has also found great fulfillment in the field. 

“I enjoy the camaraderie from working as part of the health care team in an environment that constantly requires unique problem solving and the ability to adapt to the continuous challenges in emergency care,” he said.

Both professionals hope graduates from the Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Certificate program will experience similarly rewarding careers. Now is a great time to enter the field, too, as hospitals are managing more medically complex patients than ever before.

“Pharmacists’ role in emergency medicine has repeatedly been shown to improve the quality and safety of care provided to patients,” Zepeski said.