The Biggest Myth About Online Pharmacy School (And the Truth I Tell Every Prospective Student)

Thursday, 25 June 2026

By Dr. Heather Jones, Assistant Dean, Distance Education Pathway, LECOM School of Pharmacy

Key Takeaways

• LECOM's distance education PharmD is not self-paced: students have required Zoom sessions, live proctored exams, and a set weekly schedule
• Flexibility in the distance pathway refers to when students watch pre-recorded lectures, not freedom from academic accountability
• Exams are live proctored via a secure platform with screen sharing and camera monitoring to ensure academic integrity
• Distance students come to campus twice: two weeks after their first year and one week after their third year for hands-on lab experience
• The distance pathway suits students who are self-motivated, organized, and have legitimate reasons for not relocating, such as family or geography

So the biggest myth I hear about the distance education pathway is that it is basically self-paced, that you can just log in whenever you feel like it and there is no real accountability. I understand where that comes from. The word distance sounds like it means independent. It does not, and I think the reality is actually more appealing once people understand it correctly.

Flexibility in our program refers specifically to the asynchronous portion of coursework, which is genuinely flexible. Lecture videos and materials are posted in advance, typically by Thursday for the following week, and students can watch them whenever their schedule allows. You can watch at two in the morning, at the gym, or after the kids are in bed. That flexibility is real, and for many of our students it is exactly the reason the distance pathway makes sense for their lives.

What is not flexible are our required synchronous sessions. We have live class sessions via Zoom on a set weekly schedule, typically Tuesday through Thursday afternoons from around noon to 5:30, and attendance is expected. Exams are also live proctored: students connect one-on-one with a proctor through our secure platform, share their screen, and an external camera monitors their environment throughout the exam. Academic integrity is taken seriously, and every student has the same fair experience regardless of where in the country they are sitting.

So when prospective students ask whether the distance pathway is easier because of the flexibility, my honest answer is that it actually requires more personal discipline than the in-person pathways, not less. No one is reminding you to watch your lectures or flagging that a major assignment is due in three weeks. You have to manage that yourself, and the students who succeed in this format are the ones who approach the asynchronous portion with the same seriousness they bring to their required sessions.

Campus time is another thing worth clarifying, because distance does not mean never on campus. After your first year, you come to LECOM for two weeks of hands-on wet labs, immunization training, CPR certification, and counseling and communication skills practice. After your third year, you return for one week to finalize your clinical readiness before the rotation year begins. And then there is graduation. Those campus visits become something students genuinely look forward to, because that is when the community they have been building online becomes real in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is LECOM's online pharmacy program self-paced?

No. The distance education PharmD at LECOM includes required synchronous Zoom sessions on a set weekly schedule, live proctored exams, and mandatory attendance expectations. Flexibility refers to when students watch pre-recorded lecture videos, not freedom from structured academic requirements.

Q: How are exams administered in LECOM's distance pharmacy program?

Exams are live proctored through a secure online platform. Students share their screens and are monitored by a proctor via external camera throughout the exam session to ensure academic integrity across all students.

Q: Do LECOM distance pharmacy students ever come to campus?

Yes. Distance students come to campus twice: for two weeks after their first year for hands-on labs and certifications, and for one week after their third year to prepare for clinical rotations. Students also attend graduation on campus.

Q: What type of student is most likely to succeed in LECOM's distance pharmacy program?

Students who are highly self-motivated, skilled at managing their own schedule, comfortable with online learning, and who have personal or geographic reasons that make relocating difficult tend to thrive in the distance pathway.

Q: What does the weekly schedule look like for LECOM distance pharmacy students?

Students typically have required synchronous sessions via Zoom Tuesday through Thursday afternoons. Asynchronous lecture materials are posted in advance and can be completed on the student's own schedule. Exams typically occur on Mondays, with dates communicated well in advance.