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Certificate Description

The professional Certificate in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care provides an intensive, structured learning experience for students with interest in pursuing a career in emergency medicine, toxicology, or critical care. Students who complete the certificate will possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to serve patients with a wide spectrum of disease states that present to the emergency department and intensive care unit. The program provides educational needs for pharmacy students who are looking to advance their understanding of emergency medicine and critical care pharmacotherapy. The certificate program provides the graduates with advanced knowledge necessary when pursuing postgraduate training in emergency medicine, toxicology, and critical care.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Provide intensive, structured learning experiences for a cohort of students with interest in pursuing careers in emergency or critical care medicine. [1.2 Expert knowledge of practice] 
  2. Provide clinical foundation and active learning experiences to enhance student’s problem-solving and decision-making abilities in high-acuity patient care environments. [2.1 Problem-solving and decision-making] 
  3. Utilize evidence-based-medicine and patient cases to individualize patient care to diverse patient populations within critical care and emergency medicine settings [3.1 Patient-centered care]
Faine Zepeski ER

“My goal for this program is to create a cohort of students who are passionate about pursuing a career in acute care medicine. We plan to incorporate evidence-based medicine, interprofessional teamwork, and critical thinking to give students the skills necessary to succeed in advanced post-graduate training. I think Iowa is the best place to gain this expertise with our institution’s history of interprofessional collaboration, clinical research, and practice excellence." 
-- Anne Zepeski, clinical assistant professor

Required Courses

Fundamentals of Clinical Pharmacy for the Critically Ill (PHAR:8517)
  • This is is a seminar-style, 2 semester-hour course that will take place in the Fall Semester of P3 year. Students will enroll in the course contingent on acceptance into the Emergency Medicine Critical Care (EMCC) Certificate Program. The course will explore 3 major core concepts as they relate to acute care clinical pharmacy practice: 1. Clinical Skills, 2. Evidence-Based Practice, and 3. Communication and Professionalism. All course learning objectives and activities will support these core concepts.
  • The course will be carried out through a combination of didactic-style teaching, case-based learning, longitudinal projects, journal clubs, and peer-evaluation activities.
  • Fall P3 year, 2 S.H.

Emergency Medicine (PHAR:8794)
  • This course an overview and discussion of pathology and pharmacotherapy in emergency medicine. The course is delivered in a diverse fashion, incorporating traditional didactic lectures, journal clubs, and active learning.
  • Spring P3 year, 2 S.H.

Special Topics in Acute Care (PHAR:8718)
  • This inpatient elective therapeutics course complements the overall therapeutics course series and emphasizes the use of drug therapy in a wide variety of hospital situations. It addresses the pharmacotherapy used in treating diseases, disorders or syndromes, including a review of the disorder, therapeutic goals, treatment plans, patients counseling as appropriate, and monitoring patient outcomes. Students will learn how to assist other caregivers in the development of rational plan of drug therapy for a patient and to evaluate existing plans of therapy and suggest therapeutic alternatives when necessary. The course covers the pharmacotherapy associated with a wide variety of inpatient therapeutics topics. Although some topics from the regular therapeutics series may be reviewed, they will be covered in additional depth or presented in a more case-based format. 
  • Spring P3 year, 2 S.H. 

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (PHAR:94XX)
  • All students in the EM-Critical Care Certificate Program will be required to complete one advanced practice experience in one of the following focus areas: 1) Emergency Medicine; OR 2) Critical Care (cardiovascular, medical, surgical, or burn); OR 3) Toxicology (poison center or toxicology consult service).
  • P4 year 

Elective Courses (Minimum 2 S.H.)

Clinical Toxicology (PHAR:8514)
  • This inpatient elective therapeutics course complements the overall therapeutics course series and emphasizes the use of drug therapy in a wide variety of hospital situations. It addresses the pharmacotherapy used in treating diseases, disorders or syndromes, including a review of the disorder, therapeutic goals, treatment plans, patients counseling as appropriate, and monitoring patient outcomes. Students will learn how to assist other caregivers in the development of rational plan of drug therapy for a patient and to evaluate existing plans of therapy and suggest therapeutic alternatives when necessary. The course covers the pharmacotherapy associated with a wide variety of inpatient therapeutics topics. Although some topics from the regular therapeutics series may be reviewed, they will be covered in additional depth or presented in a more case-based format.
  • Spring P2 year, 2 S.H.

Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology (EPID:5500)
  • Epidemiologic applications and methods used in clinical settings to evaluate clinical medicine and other health profession disciplines including health measurement, health outcome determination, diagnostic process, risk assessment and communication, prognosis, study design, patient surveys, clinical trials, decision analysis and meta-analysis, health services research. Offered fall semesters. 
  • Available elective for students already enrolled in MPH program at the College of Public Health
  • Fall P3 year, 2 S.H.

Advanced Topics in Infectious Disease, HIV, and Antimicrobial Therapy (PHAR:8505)
  • Topics in antimicrobial treatment of infectious diseases beyond those in the required pharmacy curriculum, including topics covered in the infectious disease therapeutics course; lectures, case discussion, class participation, and summary presentations of an uncommon organism or antimicrobial agent.
  • Spring P3 year, 2 S.H. 

Advanced Drug Literature and Evaluation and Application (PHAR:8500)
  • This course will enhance the student’s knowledge and skills in the practical evaluation of drug literature. Emphasis will be placed on the applied interpretation and application of study findings to patient care using a diverse cross-section of clinical study designs.
  • Fall P3 year, 2 S.H.

Application Requirements

Applications Dates for P2s

Jan. 20, 2025 - Feb 20, 2025

Letters of recomendation

Not Required

Letter of Intent

Yes

GPA Requirements

>= 3.0

Curriculum Vitae

Yes

Method to Confirm GPA

Unofficial University of Iowa Transcript

Additional Information

Number of Students in Program

Max 15

Acceptance Notification

April 1st (prior to registering for Fall P3 year)

Fees

$2,000 for full certificate program

Certificate Directors

Faine and Zepeski

Applications for the Emergency Medicine – Critical Care Certificate

  • Applications are closed for the Spring 2025 semester.
  • Application requirements: 
    • Attestation of certificate requirements (linked on application portal)
    • Pharmacy school GPA ≥3.0, confirmed by unofficial University of Iowa Transcript
    • Letter of intent (limit: 1 page)
    • Curriculum vitae
  • Students will be notified of acceptance to the program by April 1st, 2025
  • Official kick-off Fall semester 2025 (P3 year): Fundamentals of Clinical Pharmacy in the Critically Ill