When first-year pharmacy student Maddie Stacey was struggling to get comfortable giving vaccines, she turned to her professor for help.  

“I was afraid of hurting somebody, which I think is reasonable when you’re first learning that skill,” said Stacey. “I would shake really badly because I was so afraid of hurting people, and it made me really disappointed in myself.”  

Dr. Jessica Robinson, an assistant professor in East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacy Practice, stepped in to help.  

Stacey said Robinson invited her to her office to talk through her concerns. Talking, however, wasn’t all they would be doing.  

“I thought we were just going to be talking about it, but she brought syringes, she brought saline, and she said, ‘We can get better today, and I will let you give me a shot in both my arms,’” recalled Stacey. “I think it’s a testament to how great the faculty is here that they would be willing to offer up their arm for me to learn.”  

Robinson wasn’t the only one who rolled up her sleeves.  

“On top of letting me give her shots, she said, ‘Down the hall is Dr. (KariLynn) Dowling-McClay, and you can give her two shots, too,’” Stacey said. “At what other school are you going to get that from your faculty?”  

Her interaction that day is just one of many experiences at ETSU that have shown Stacey she made the right decision to enroll through the Early Admissions Pathway (EAP) at ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy.  

Open to high school seniors and first-year ETSU students, the EAP enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in just six years. EAP students also join the college’s Pre-Pharmacy Student Organization, designed to introduce them to different specialties in pharmacy and foster connections with their classmates.

Stacey, a native of Kingsport, learned about the college’s EAP program while in high school. For her, the program has made adjusting to pharmacy school much easier.  

“It’s a very smooth transition,” Stacey said. “The Early Admissions Pathway gives you everything in one place, and as long as you’re on track, you have a seat reserved at the pharmacy school – there are no second essays or second interviews.”  

She’s one of a number of students who have chosen to join the college through the EAP program, which has seen enrollment grow eightfold since its introduction in 2020.  

ETSU Gatton College of Pharmacy also offers a number of flexible admissions pathways for traditional and non-traditional students and will work with students to determine the best fit for them.  

“When the college chose me, they didn’t just give me one opportunity,” said Stacey, who hopes to specialize in pediatrics after graduation. “They have continuously given me opportunities, and I have loved how supported I feel here.”  

The application deadline for the Early Admission Pathway is March 31, 2026. For more information, or to apply, visit etsu.edu/rxearlyadmit.  

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