Dean: Brian Cummings

In 1890, the Detroit College of Pharmacy was founded as a program in the Detroit Medical College, the forerunner of the Wayne State University School of Medicine. The Detroit College of Pharmacy later separated from its parent institution, operated independently for two years, and in 1907, affiliated with the Detroit Institute of Technology. In response to the urging of Detroit area pharmacists another program was developed from the six-year course in pharmacy established at Cass Technical High School into a new College of Pharmacy organized by the Detroit Board of Education in 1924. This College of Pharmacy and the Detroit Board of Education's Colleges of Medicine, Education, Liberal Arts, Engineering and Graduate School were united in 1933 into a university called the College of the City of Detroit and named Wayne University in 1934. In 1957, one year after Wayne University became Wayne State University, the College of Pharmacy at the Detroit Institute of Technology joined the College of Pharmacy at Wayne by merging into Wayne State University’s system of schools and colleges.

In 1974, Pharmacy merged with the Division of Allied Health to form a college devoted to educating the modern health care team. Mortuary Science, which was started as a unit of the School of Business Administration in 1943, evolved into a separate department and eventually became part of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions in 1985. In 2002 the College changed its name to the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to recognize the contributions of Eugene Applebaum, a 1960 alumnus of the college's pharmacy program, and occupied the new facility which opened in 2002. In 2003 the College reorganized from nine departments to the four departments that exist today.

The College occupies a state-of-the-art facility, located on the campus of the Detroit Medical Center, one of the Midwest's leading centers for healthcare, research, and education. The Center boasts a high concentration of health professionals including the faculty and students of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, one of the nation's largest medical schools. The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is designed to provide students with the latest tools to prepare them for health careers in the new economy.

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is organized into four academic departments: Applied Health Sciences; Health Care Sciences; Pharmacy Practice; and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Academic programs exist within each department as follows:

Department of Applied Health Sciences

Medical Laboratory Science 

Students in medical laboratory science learn the scientific principles and theories behind many laboratory tests performed to aid in the diagnosis of disease. During the latter part of the curriculum students become proficient in the performance of these tests and familiar with practical aspects of the clinical laboratory. This work is indispensable to effective patient care because results of laboratory analysis often establish a basis for diagnosis which must be made before treatment can be instituted.

Mortuary Science

The program in mortuary science prepares students for a career in funeral service. The curriculum provides the study of the fundamentals of applied biological and physical sciences as background for understanding techniques and procedures applicable to the preparation and disposition of human bodies and to public health and safety measures. Other areas of study include a thorough understanding of the theory and a proficiency in the practice of the technical skills pertinent to funeral service and the instillation of high standards of ethical conduct required to foster and uphold the dignity of funeral service.

Pathologists’ Assistant

The pathologists’ assistant program trains personnel to assist the pathologist in the performance of postmortem examinations and in the preparation of surgical specimens for study. Additional training prepares the student to take responsibility  for tasks designated by a supervising pathologist such as budgetary, superintendence, and teaching duties.

Department of Health Care Sciences

Nurse Anesthesia 

The nurse anesthetist is a specialist with extensive education and training in Nurse Anesthesia leading to a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. Graduates must take and pass a national certification examination to be granted a specialty license and title of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and are re certified every two years. CRNAs are qualified to provide all types of anesthesia services to adults, children, and infants for any type of surgical interventions. They are employed in major teaching, and tertiary care institutions, trauma, community, and rural hospitals. CRNAs also function as a key member  on the cardiopulmonary resuscitation team and are responsible for care of patients in respiratory distress to establish and secure a patent airway. This program is offered only at the graduate level and students should consult the Graduate Bulletin.

Occupational Therapy

The occupational therapy program prepares the student to assume clinician, researcher, educator, and consultative roles that assist individuals who are limited in the ability to perform tasks required in normal routines of daily living: self-care, work, and play/leisure. The entry level Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy incorporates undergraduate and graduate education. Students learn theoretical concepts and their application related to the restoration, development, and maintenance of physical, psychological, social, emotional, and cognitive functions. The theory-based curriculum includes instruction in the use of specific evaluative procedures; the application of a wide variety of activities related to daily living tasks, including creative and manual skills; and the procedures for functioning as a member of a health care team. The occupational therapist’s goal is to promote meaningful occupations and maximize functional independence in collaboration with the client. This program is offered only at the graduate level and students should consult the Graduate Bulletin for details.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is a dynamic health profession that develops, coordinates and utilizes selected knowledge, skills and techniques in planning, organizing and directing programs for the care of individuals whose ability to function is impaired or threatened by disease or injury. The practice of physical therapy includes: examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and analysis of outcomes.

Physical Therapists provide services to patients/clients who have impairments of body function and structure, activity limitations or participation restrictions or changes in physical function and health status resulting from injury, disease or other causes. Physical therapists must be able to collaborate with a variety of professionals, address risk factors to health, be leaders and providers in the areas of prevention and promoting health, wellness and fitness, serve as educators, consultants, administrators and advocates, utilize critical inquiry skills and direct and supervise the provision of physical therapy services (Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, APTA, 2003).

Some examples of diagnoses of individuals who might be seen by a physical therapist include stroke, low back pain, ACL knee injury, Parkinson's Disease, spinal cord injury, amputation, heart attack, athletic injury, arthritis, cerebral palsy, rotator cuff (shoulder) injury, total joint replacement, spina bifida, general health and personal training, congestive heart failure, emphysema, cancer, head injury, multiple sclerosis, learning disabilities, speed and agility training, and many more. This program is offered only at the graduate level and students should consult the Graduate Bulletin for details. Wayne State students may apply to the program with 90 undergraduate credit hours if all other pre-requisite courses are completed.

Physician Assistant Studies

The mission of the physician assistant studies program is to train highly-qualified physician assistants for primary care in inner-city and other under-served areas of the State of Michigan. This is a graduate-level program designed to meet the need for qualified medical professionals; it is two years in length, and classes begin in May of each year. Interested students should consult the Graduate Bulletin for details.

Radiation Therapy Technology

This health care discipline utilizes ionizing radiation for the treatment of malignant disease. This field requires a basic understanding of and interest in science, especially mathematics and physics, as well as emotional maturity and a desire to assist in the management of patient care. The program is a four-year curriculum consisting of two years of pre-professional and two years of professional course work.

Radiologic Technology

Radiologic Technology is a health care discipline that utilizes ionizing radiation for the diagnosis of disease processes in the human body. This field requires a basic understanding of mathematics and science and a desire to serve patients. As a radiographer, one has the opportunity to combine interpersonal and patient assessment skills while employing highly technical equipment. A diagnostic radiologic technologist is able to formulate exposure factors dependent on procedure, pathology and individual patient dynamics; assist radiologists in more invasive procedures such as fluoroscopic studies; evaluate images for quality and accuracy; and provide support to patients anxious about their health. These technologists are typically employed in hospitals, clinics, educational institutions, and commercial equipment corporations as staff radiographers, clinical supervisors, administrators, educators, marketing personnel and applications specialists.

Department of Pharmacy Practice

The Department of Pharmacy Practice prepares students for entry into the pharmacy profession through coursework in the applied use of drug therapy in the treatment and prevention of human disease, provision of patient-centered care in clinical practice environments, and conducts research related to the rational use, delivery, and access to drugs and other therapeutic modalities. Pharmacy Practice also includes service and leadership to the University and profession of pharmacy and the public related to education and the optimal use of medications.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences shares responsibility for the Doctor of Pharmacy program with the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Teaching and learning in the Pharm.D. program are is designed for the graduate to improve human health, wellness and safety. The Pharmaceutical Sciences span from basic to multidisciplinary and translational aspects of human health, including the conception, discovery, formulation, delivery, action and safety of therapeutic medicines and other agents. Ph.D. and M.S. programs specializing in medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmacology / toxicology provide a stimulating and supportive environment for advanced education and for the successful completion of original research projects. Ph.D. candidates receive Graduate Research Assistantships consisting of competitive stipends, remission of tuition and full health insurance. The department is home to research-intensive programs of study covering a wide range of specialized areas for outstanding postdoctoral fellows and undergraduates. Department members provide much-needed expertise to organizations that are committed to the treatment and prevention of human disease, and to advancing the health and safety of animals and the environment. They are leaders in their service to the University and the professions of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences through research, education and outreach. Graduates of these programs are changing the world, one step at a time, through a rich academic tradition founded upon prizing excellence, extending collegiality and making a difference locally and globally.

Accreditation

The Higher Learning Commission accredits Wayne State University and professional programs in this College are accredited by their respective agencies. Please visit program tabs to see individual accreditation information or visit Accreditation.