Launched in 2023, the Early Assurance program helps students from across Wisconsin get a head start on their pharmacy school journey

By Archer Parquette

Katie Grunske (PharmD ’29) arrived at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an undergrad ready to pursue a career in pharmacy. Both of her parents are graduates of the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, and when she was in high school, a presentation from the School confirmed that it was the field for her.

“I’ve always been interested in the science aspect of pharmacy, the chemistry,” says Grunske. “But I was also drawn to the fact that pharmacists are one of the most accessible health care professions for patients — especially ones who might not have easy access to health care otherwise. Those patients can still go to a community pharmacy and have that access.”

When Grunske started freshman year in the fall of 2023, she joined the first-year interest group for pharmacy, where she learned about the School of Pharmacy’s new Early Assurance program, which grants assured admission if program requirements are met. She quickly realized that the program could provide her a streamlined, structured, simplified path to her Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

“Our goal was to try to help students have a more direct pathway to their PharmD degree, with structured support,” says Amy Zwaska, the Early Assurance program director who helped launch the effort.

The Early Assurance program offers qualified students from across Wisconsin the chance to lock in assured admission to the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy — one of the top pharmacy schools in the nation.

This fall, Grunske is one of 34 students from around Wisconsin to be joining the School of Pharmacy’s PharmD program in the first Early Assurance cohort.

“I knew Madison was where I wanted to be, and I knew that pharmacy was what I wanted to do, so the Early Assurance program made total sense,” Grunske says.

A streamlined path to pharmacy school

Launched in 2023, the Early Assurance program is available to first-semester college students attending one of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin schools with a minimum 3.5 high school GPA, as well as high school seniors admitted to one of those 13 schools with a 3.5 GPA. The openness of the program to other UW schools is a unique feature, as most schools across the country require students to attend the same university for both undergrad and pharmacy school.

“Knowing that my spot was held for me, if I met academic requirements, gave me a lot of peace of mind.”
—Kate Grunske

Students are eligible to apply for Early Assurance when they receive an admission offer from a UW university. Those who complete their undergrad course requirements or choose to earn a bachelor’s degree, maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA, and demonstrate a clear goal to become a pharmacist in their application essay are granted assured admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program. They also have access to extra support from academic advisors, personalized career advice, networking opportunities, and more during their undergrad years. Early Assurance students can complete their undergrad requirements in two to four years before moving on to the four-year professional PharmD program.

“Knowing that my spot was held for me, if I met academic requirements, gave me a lot of peace of mind,” says Grunske.

Reaching exceptional students across Wisconsin

While Grunske was a Madison undergrad, many of her fellow pharmacy students come from other UW schools, including UW–Green Bay, UW–Milwaukee, and UW–Oshkosh.

“We also wanted to help students across the state at other Universities of Wisconsin schools who want to eventually study at Madison’s top-ranked pharmacy program,” says Zwaska. “Creating this pipeline also allows undergraduates to find mentorship, make connections, and network with current students and pharmacist alumni so that when they do start pharmacy school, they’re already connected to the community here.”

With the first cohort soon to enter the School of Pharmacy, Zwaska is excited that the program is exceeding its goals. The first cohort boasts an average cumulative GPA of 3.69, well above the 3.2 minimum requirement.

“We’re impressed by the diversity of the students in this cohort  who bring a wide variety of backgrounds, skills, and interests and are excited to now have the opportunity to get trained at a top PharmD program,” she says.

Zwaska also notes that 16% of admitted students to the School of Pharmacy this year are coming from other UW campuses.

“Part of the goal of the Early Assurance program is to increase the visibility of our School of Pharmacy and opportunities for students to feel more connected with our PharmD students, faculty, and staff. I believe we’re achieving that goal because the percentage of our students from other UW schools is rising, and I hope to continue to see that number increase,” Zwaska says. “Students from around the state train here to become pharmacists and then return to serve the needs of Wisconsin residents where they’re from.”

The future of pharmacy

Currently, with more than 100 students participating in the Early Assurance program, nearly 20% are enrolled at UW schools other than Madison.  

Now that Grunske has completed her undergrad studies, she’s looking forward to pursuing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in the fall. Her primary interests are ambulatory and hospital pharmacy.

“I’m interested in those fields because they give pharmacists so many opportunities to interact directly with patients and with other health care professionals,” she says.

“We wanted to help students across the state at other Universities of Wisconsin schools who want to eventually study at Madison’s top-ranked pharmacy program.”
—Amy Zwaska

She recommends the Early Assurance program to any students who know that they want to pursue pharmacy. The academic support, mentoring, and peace of mind made the application process smooth, and she feels like she’ll hit the ground running the first day of class.

“The pharmacy school application seemed a little complex at first, but Early Assurance made it less daunting,” she says. “The whole experience has been seamless.”