Rachel Kustera, 2024 Pre-Pharm.D. graduate and current Pharm.D. student at Fairleigh Dickinson University, participating in a publicity photoshoot at RCSJ following her receipt of a STEM scholarship in 2023.
Andre Castro, 2024 Pre-Pharm.D. graduate and current Pharm.D. student at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, returned to campus for RCSJ's fall Open House event, to speak with prospective students about the program.
Rowan College of South Jersey's (RCSJ) Pre-Pharm.D. program was launched over a decade ago, and recently expanded to include both campuses, to help students save time and money on their path to a rewarding career in pharmacy.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports salaries for New Jersey pharmacists range from $107,860 to $164,020 annually and job growth is expected to expand. And while many think of retail pharmacists when they consider the role, Pharmacy Ph.D.'s can be found in many settings, including hospital, industrial, poison control, ambulatory care, infectious disease, compounding, nuclear, veterinary, geriatric, pediatric, oncology, and more.
“The traditional pathway to a Pharm.D. is eight years; but pharmacy schools don't really care about what you get your bachelor's degree in, or if you even get one. They're looking for a core group of classes, and we built our program to satisfy those requirements," explained Dr. Christina Nase, RCSJ Chemistry professor and program contact.
“You can complete our program in two years. Depending on which of our partners you transfer to – University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is three years, Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) and Temple are four – you can cut it down to 5-6 years to earn your Ph.D. Those are our official partners, but it transfers into a lot of pharmacy programs with a little customization."
For 2024 Pre-Pharm.D. graduate, Rachel Kustera, helping others through a career in healthcare was always the plan. When a career exploration event at Kingsway Regional High School brought in pharmacists to discuss their work, her interest in pharmacy was sparked.
“My brother and sister went to RCSJ, and my aunt works there, so I was always going to start at RCSJ," shared Kustera. “But also, it's a community college; it's close by; I liked that it's affordable. It always made sense to get an associate degree first."
She registered as a Pre-Pharm.D. major and threw herself into a curriculum rich in hard sciences, including Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, and more. She joined the Science Club, earned a STEM scholarship, and embraced extra credit opportunities, even attending Zoom study sessions during slow periods at her part-time pizzeria job.
“Rachel was great. She's a natural leader, really motivated, and just very mature for her age," recollected Nase. “She was amazing to have in class; she always asked questions and was really involved. Any time I needed a volunteer, she would be there."
Kustera signed up for an
Honors Research experience in microbiology, which offered her first opportunity in a state-of-the-art working lab environment at Rowan University conducting research into antibiotic resistance under Dr. Gregory Caputo and his team.
“It's a little intimidating when it's your first time in a lab working with (infectious bacteria) . . . but by the last day I was walking in and knowing exactly what to do," recalled Kustera. “Research is so big at FDU, so I think being able to write that I've done research in my application was a huge deal. It really stands out and it's a great experience to build on."
Kustera was also selected as one of twenty N.J. community college students to participate in the pilot program for the
Princeton Transfer Scholars Initiative (TSI). In addition to receiving two free Princeton courses, she was taught how to evaluate university programs, apply, write a personal statement, and more. By the program's end, she had her sights set on FDU and two letters of recommendation from Princeton faculty members.
“It was an amazing experience and I'm really thankful, because it actually helped me get into FDU," said Kustera. “I felt much more prepared because of their help."
“The articulation agreement with FDU was put in place because of Rachel," Nase insists. “She was impressed by what an easy transfer it was. So, I called them, and after we talked about how amazing Rachel is, we started working on that articulation agreement! She did all the research through Princeton TSI, so she basically found the school for me."
And Kustera couldn't be happier with her choice. She is in the second of her four-year doctoral program, holds two leadership positions on campus, and is working as a pharmacy technician to build experience. She's looking forward to Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience placements in her final year to gain exposure to the roles pharmacists play outside of a community setting, which will help her choose between the two areas that interest her most: hospital pharmacy and industrial pharmacy.
“RCSJ's pre-pharmacy program was great for me. Some people say because it's a community college you'll have less of a shot, but I went to community college and I'm here," Kustera emphasized. “I have an associate's and I'm able to do as well, or sometime even better, than some people in class who have bachelor's degrees.
Pharmacy schools will accept an associate degree under certain circumstances. Why waste money going somewhere to get a bachelor's when you can get to the same place for less money and shave off two years? It's an 8-year program, but because I don't have a bachelor's, for me it'll be six."
Six years from beginning an associate degree program to earning a doctorate is remarkably fast; but for some students, fast just isn't fast enough.
When Andre Castro first learned about RCSJ's Pre-Pharm.D. program, he was a high school student at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology who had already earned an impressive number of credits through the
High School Option Program.
“I had about a year-and-a-half's worth of credits. A lot of them were electives . . . I was in the Health Sciences program at GCIT, so they had college classes already integrated into the curriculum," Castro explained. “They have a shuttle that runs from GCIT to RCSJ. So, there were classes I took online, classes that I took in person at GCIT, and classes that I took in person at RCSJ with RCSJ professors."
He wanted a career that allowed him to help people and was considering cancer research, but once he realized a pharmacy degree wouldn't limit him to a single discipline, the flexible nature of the major had him hooked. He attended an RCSJ Open House and met with Dr. Nase to find out how to accelerate an already accelerated program.
“I sat down with him, his mom, the program guide, and his transcript to figure out what he was missing and how we could piece it together. Andre told me that he wanted to get in and out fast, and I said, theoretically, it's possible," Nase recalls. “A lot of times when I throw out 'theoretically it's possible,' then map out the pathway, people are like: That's insane and I don't want to do it. But when I mapped it out for Andre, he said: Yes and, also, sign me up for some research because I'm going to do it all! He was not messing around."
Castro began his first research experience with RCSJ in May 2023, one month before his high school graduation. Through the
R2CAT program – offered in cooperation with Rowan University and local businesses in the chemical industry – he engaged in career exploration activities, industry tours, LinkedIn and net-etiquette guidance, and mock interviews events where he received feedback from industry partners on how to stand out.
“He was so great to work with because he was highly motivated, he knew exactly where he wanted to go, and he was always open to suggestions," reflected Nase. “Every time I told him to consider something, he just went for it. He was up for every challenge."
His next challenge began with the fall semester, as he was determined to finish his remaining degree requirements within one year. He gave up his high school passion for soccer and refrained from joining campus clubs so he could focus on his studies.
“(My time at RCSJ) was quick, but it was warm. It was definitely very welcoming," Castro recalled. “I loved the professors; they were always there to support you. There were times when I couldn't meet during their office hours and they would say: Okay, let's meet at nine at night. After I cook dinner for my kid, we'll meet for an hour to talk about Organic Chem, because I know you need the support."
Castro also signed up for a second research experience in organic chemistry synthesis though RCSJ's Honors Research program. He worked under Dr. Gustavo Moura-Letts and his team at Rowan University doing research into blood pressure medications and other pharmaceuticals.
“That experience transferred over to pretty much everything I did after. My mentors were Ph.D. students who were within the last year or two of their education, so they were very experienced; and they were showing me the ins and outs," he explained. “By the end of the year, I became the mentor for that project. They were still working on it, but I had other mentees that I was teaching basic lab skills. . . I loved it."
By May 2024, Castro met his goal of graduating within the year, with family members and faculty cheering him on.
“Andre really accelerated that pathway; most people don't do what he did. His path was fast, and it was wild; but that's what he wanted! That's what motivates him," noted Nase. “He's so dedicated and he's got such a great support system with his family. He would be successful no matter what he did."
The following month he started at UMES. He'd had his eye on their 3-year Doctor of Pharmacy program – one of only 18 accelerated Pharm D. programs in the country.
“When I walked on campus I knew within five minutes that this is where I was going to go. I love the farm setting; I love the open area, the air is so crisp; I love the manners that they have," enthused Castro. “It's been amazing, so far. 10 out of 10. It's a perfect fit for me. The campus, my professors, my peers – it's everything I could ask for, plus some more."
He's looking forward to community pharmacy clinicals in November, hospital clinicals the following semester, and he plans to use his third year to specialize in Industrial Operations and Regulations. He's been elected by his fellow students as president the of Student Pharmacist Class of 2028 and admits they've been calling him “Prez" since the first day of orientation.
“It's a mixed feeling," he shared. “It's definitely fulfilling, like this is what I'm meant to do. You need to remind yourself of that when you're surrounded by people who are older than you and have more education and experience . . . They have more experience and knowledge than me, but I'm still here for a reason and we're still taking the same classes. It's humbling, but it's also motivating because – hey, I did it at 19!"
Both Castro and Kustera emphasized how well RCSJ prepared them for the rigors of graduate school. They also echoed one another in their advice for success in a Pharm.D. program: Talk to people; never be afraid to ask for help; learn to manage your time well; be open to learning from mistakes; and seize every opportunity that comes your way – even the ones that feel intimidating.
From Nase's perspective, there are no better ambassadors for RCSJ's Pre-Pharm.D. program than its graduates. Kustera and Castro have both attended campus Open House events to speak with prospective students, and she frequently hosts in-person and virtual meet and greet sessions to allow current students to network with program alum.
“The options are almost limitless with this major. It's a hard pathway, but it's rewarding. And our graduates have some truly amazing stories," reflected Nase. “They transfer successfully into pharmacy school; they feel prepared when they get there; and they're excelling. That's the best feedback on this program I could possibly ask for."
To learn more about RCSJ's Pre-Pharm.D. program visit
RCSJ.edu/STEM.
