With a 97% first-time pass rate, the School of Pharmacy continues its legacy of excellence in preparing future pharmacists

By Logan Underwood

As they take the next step in their careers, the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy’s newest graduates have already distinguished themselves on a national stage. The School’s PharmD Class of 2024 earned a first-time North American Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) pass rate of 97%, giving the School the third-highest first-time pass rate among the 143 accredited pharmacy schools in the U.S.

With a first-time pass rate 19 percentage points ahead of the national average, the School of Pharmacy reaffirms its reputation of excellence in pharmacy education.

“Our PharmD graduates continue to set the bar for excellence in pharmacy education and patient care,” says Steve Swanson, dean of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy. “Their success on the NAPLEX reflects not only their dedication and talent but also the strength of our curriculum, the expertise of our faculty, and the incredible support of our preceptors and alumni network.”

The multi-hour NAPLEX, a requirement to become a licensed pharmacist, contains more than 200 questions on all aspects of pharmacy. The School’s PharmD graduates didn’t just pass — they excelled.

“Our PharmD graduates continue to set the bar for excellence in pharmacy education and patient care.”
—Steve Swanson

“I am incredibly proud of my class and the hard work they’ve put into the NAPLEX,” says Janvi Shah (PharmD ’24), now a managed care clinical pharmacy resident at Navitus in Madison, Wisconsin. “I’m thrilled that all the effort and dedication we’ve invested over the past four years has paid off.”

More than half of the Class of 2024 outperformed expectations in critical areas like patient data interpretation, drug dispensing, and medication management. Their expertise also stood out in identifying drug characteristics and optimizing medication-use systems to enhance safety and quality.

“At the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, we are committed to preparing future pharmacists who are not only highly knowledgeable but also adaptable, compassionate, and ready to lead in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape,” says Swanson.

Exceptional performance, exceptional preparation

The School’s exceptional performance is the result of targeted efforts to reinforce student preparedness and augment standard study aids like RxPrep and Access Pharmacy. For example, faculty revised their exams to better mirror the style and format of the NAPLEX.

“Faculty went back and looked at how they asked the exam questions in their assessments so that these questions and format more closely reflect what students will experience on the exams,” says Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Mel de Villiers.

Even in their final year, when PharmD students focus on clinical rotations rather than traditional coursework, NAPLEX preparation remains a priority. Typically, each clinical rotation block is paired with webinars covering drug therapy, standardized tools, and other professional topics.

“These webinars are paired with discussions to really delve down deep into a topic,” says Assistant Dean of Experiential Education Mara Kieser. “So these are excellent review sessions to help learners prepare for the licensure exam.”

In 2023, curriculum leaders introduced additional student-driven webinars, adding five sessions tailored to topics requested by students themselves.

“We asked the students what other topics they felt like they needed to review,” Kieser says. “Based on their feedback, we contacted experts and asked them to provide a short webinar session to help the learners prepare for specific topics, such as infectious disease, oncology, or HIV prevention and therapeutics.”

These sessions had an immediate impact.

“I particularly appreciate the infectious disease update, which I applied right away during my inpatient rotation,” says Shah, who later contributed as an expert herself, helping to update a webinar about migraines. “I was grateful to have the opportunity to give back to the School and current students.”

For Nick Ebert (PharmD ’24), now a PGY-1 resident at the Tomah VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, a webinar about HIV was especially valuable.

“All of this starts with the students. The caliber of students we have is fantastic.”
—Mel de Villiers

“It’s a topic that requires a lot of memorization, so it was good to have a refresher about the different medication names and combination therapies that would appear on the exam,” he says. “I also had an upcoming specialty rotation that included an HIV component, so it was extra helpful.”

Student pharmacists also powered another prep tool: study groups. School leadership partnered with PharmD class presidents to organize study groups in the spring semester, encouraging peer collaboration.

“Between our seminars, our practice tests, the study groups, and the study materials, we’re able to create awareness for these learners that they need to study,” Kieser says. “And they did. They got in their groups and they did a good job.”

Ultimately, student commitment plays the biggest role in NAPLEX success, de Villiers says. He credits the outstanding caliber of PharmD students for driving these impressive results.

“All of this starts with the students,” he says. “The caliber of students we have is fantastic.”