PharmGrad Applicant Code of Conduct

Preamble

Once admitted to a graduate pharmaceutical science degree program, students are considered to be members of the pharmaceutical science community and, therefore, bear the responsibility to adhere to the professional, ethical, and legal standards prescribed for pharmaceutical science professionals and their graduate degree program. The ethical and legal responsibilities of graduate students may be reviewed during orientation to the program and throughout the time the student is enrolled.

Applicants to graduate pharmaceutical science degree programs must abide by a standard set of legal and ethical standards of behavior during the admission process. Graduate programs are encouraged to admit applicants with a high level of professionalism or professional potential.

The Applicant Code of Conduct code provides an explicit statement of applicant responsibilities and expected standards of performance and behavior. It is drawn from the ethical principles of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists as well as the Responsible Conduct of Research values. Misconduct in any of the principles defined in the code will not be tolerated. Any applicant found to have violated the principles of conduct risks losing the privilege of applying to or entering a career in the pharmaceutical sciences.

As an applicant to a graduate pharmaceutical science degree program, I pledge to:

• Act with honesty and integrity throughout the admission process when interacting with graduate program faculty and staff, admissions officers, admission committees, and PharmGrad staff.
• Respect the knowledge, skills and values of those involved in the admission process, including the faculty and staff in the graduate program and PharmGrad staff.
• Respect the autonomy and dignity of fellow applicants, admission staff, graduate program faculty, staff, and students, and anyone involved in the admissions process.
• Be responsible and accountable for my actions and personally manage and respond to all matters related to my application.

Conduct Code Principles

The following section describes the principles that are the foundation of the Applicant Code of Conduct. The discussion that accompanies each principle is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all possible situations or examples that may be considered to be violations of the Code.

As an applicant to a graduate pharmaceutical science degree program, I pledge to:

• Act with honesty and integrity throughout the admission process when interacting with graduate program faculty or staff, admissions officers, admission committees, and PharmGrad staff.
  
  Integrity is an obligation that requires each applicant to provide information honestly. Applicants must not falsify information (for example, make a false claim to be an officer in an organization, falsify work experience, plagiarize your personal essay or provide altered transcripts). Applicants must also reveal information about previous legal offenses pertinent to admission to a professional program (for example, previous felony convictions or drug or alcohol offenses). An applicant should accurately represent herself or himself to staff and others during the admission process. It is inappropriate to contact admission staff to inquire about an application claiming to be someone else.
   
• Respect the knowledge, skills and values of those involved in the admission process, including the faculty and staff at graduate programs and PharmGrad staff.
  
  It is unacceptable for an applicant to disparage the competence, knowledge, qualifications, or services of faculty and staff involved in the admission process. It is inappropriate to imply in word, gesture, or deed that an application has been poorly managed, or the applicant mistreated by a staff member without tangible evidence. Professional relations among all members of the admission committees at graduate programs, PharmGrad staff and applicants should be marked with civility. Thus, slanderous comments, uncivil language and abusive behavior should be avoided, and each person should recognize and facilitate civil behavior among all involved in the application process.
   
• Respect the autonomy and dignity of fellow applicants, graduate program faculty, staff, and students, and anyone involved in the admission process.
  
  The applicant should use the highest professional courtesy when interacting with fellow applicants, admission staff, faculty, staff, and students, and anyone involved in the admission process. Offensive or threatening comments via email or voice mail messages or any other form of verbal or nonverbal communication will not be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior includes the use of language, gestures, or remarks with sexual overtones. Applicants should maintain a neat and clean appearance, and dress in attire that is generally accepted as professional by faculty and staff during their interview and when meeting with anyone to discuss admission to a graduate pharmaceutical science degree program.
   
• Be responsible and accountable for my actions and personally manage and respond to all matters related to my application.
  
  Applicants to a graduate pharmaceutical science degree program must demonstrate responsibility by taking ownership of all aspects related to the application process. Applicants are expected to review application materials from PharmGrad and graduate pharmaceutical science programs to which they apply. It is the applicant’s responsibility to meet deadlines, provide information as requested, and follow the admission process for each program to which they apply. Applicants, not PharmGrad, are responsible for promptly correcting any errors or omissions identified in the applicant’s file.
  
  Applicants are expected to respond to constructive feedback from admission staff and faculty by appropriate modification of their behavior. If an applicant has a question about the graduate admissions process after exhausting all available online and printed resources, the applicant should contact the appropriate PharmGrad or graduate program directly for clarification. Staff will not discuss an application with an applicant’s parent, spouse, relative, friend, or employer regardless of who submits the fee payment. The PharmGrad fee payment does not relieve applicants of the obligation to properly submit all requested data and application materials by the deadline.
  
  Applicants who have not been accepted may consult admission staff to learn how they may correct deficiencies in their application or academic performance or seek to learn more about admission criteria for programs to which they may apply, but should remain respectful of decisions made by those involved in the admission process.

Applicant Code of Conduct Violations

The Applicant Code of Conduct sets forth the professional and ethical principles for individuals in the pharmaceutical sciences. AACP serves as a clearinghouse for reports of possible applicant misconduct. If you are suspected of not abiding by the Applicant Code of Code, AACP staff will email a report and evidence related to the case to your designated graduate degree programs. Additionally, PharmGrad staff will enter a related note in your record PharmGrad record that will be visible to all of your designated graduate degree programs. Your designated institutions will review the evidence to determine whether you may have violated the Applicant Code of Conduct and/or other local policy. If so, then the program will decide what action, if any, to take and whether to still consider your application for admission. Questions about the Applicant Code of Conduct should be directed to conduct@aacp.org.