We, the undersigned students, respectfully request that the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy eliminate the Progression Examination as a requirement for advancement in the PharmD program.

We understand and support the School's responsibility to ensure that students demonstrate the knowledge and competency necessary to become successful pharmacists. However, students are already continuously evaluated throughout the PharmD curriculum through course examinations, assignments, projects, practical assessments, and other academic requirements.

Students who successfully complete these requirements demonstrate their knowledge and competency across multiple subjects and over an extended period of time. We believe this comprehensive academic performance should serve as the primary measure of whether a student is prepared to progress.

Our concern is not with being assessed or held to high academic standards. Our concern is with allowing the result of a single additional examination to outweigh a student's successful completion of an entire year of required coursework.

Under the current requirement, a student may successfully pass their required coursework but still be prevented from advancing because of one Progression Examination score. This can lead to students repeating coursework they have already successfully completed, delaying graduation, and facing unnecessary significant additional financial and personal burdens.

We respectfully request that the School:

• Eliminate the Progression Examination as a requirement for advancement in the PharmD program.
• Allow successful completion of required coursework and established academic standards to determine student progression.
• Continue using the multiple assessments already incorporated throughout the PharmD curriculum to evaluate student knowledge and competency.
• Provide targeted remediation and academic support when specific areas of weakness are identified rather than dismissing students from the program or requiring them to repeat successfully completed coursework solely because of one Progression Examination result.

This petition is not a request to lower the academic or professional standards of the PharmD program. We support rigorous academic expectations and recognize the responsibility associated with becoming pharmacists.

We are asking that competency and readiness for advancement be evaluated comprehensively and consistently throughout the curriculum (course examinations) rather than determined by the outcome of a single additional examination.

By signing this petition, students respectfully ask the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy administration and faculty to consider these concerns and eliminate the Progression Examination as a requirement for advancement in the PharmD program.

Submitted on behalf of concerned PharmD students.