SDSU pharmacy students earn perfect pass rate on licensing exam

Tara Gilk moved across the country to join the pharmacy program at South Dakota State University — and every mile was worth it.

“I loved the program and what they have to offer,” said Gilk, who graduated high school in Augusta, Maine. “After I visited campus, I found myself comparing all the other schools to SDSU, and it was an easy decision.”

She spent her early education in Pierre and was eager to return to the Midwest, beginning a six-year program at SDSU in fall 2018.

“I liked that the class size was big enough — about 60 or 65 kids — but it was small enough that you could have one-on-one time with professors and they knew you by name,” she said. “And I just loved the campus. It’s a beautiful campus with enough activities and opportunities to be outside of the academic environment but also support inside for the academic environment as well.”

After earning her undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences in 2022, she earned her Pharm.D. in 2024.

“We’re kind of the COVID class. There were times half the class was on Zoom and half was in person, and we had to sit so far away from each other, but you truly get to know your classmates because of the class size,” she said. “I think we all studied hard and wanted to be professionals and continue into the profession of pharmacy.”

It paid off.

Within her graduating class of SDSU pharmacy students, 56 of 59 chose to take the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, which is the final step before being licensed to practice.

Impressively, all 56 passed on their first attempt, giving SDSU a 100 percent pass rate.

“This is a huge accomplishment and would not be possible without the work of a dedicated staff and talented and hardworking students,” said Dan Hansen, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.

“It extends a long tradition of success and underscores the importance of the college’s commitment to student success, our world-class facilities and strong community partnerships with pharmacies and health systems.”

The NAPLEX is a 250-question, multiple-choice, computerized examination designed to determine whether candidates have the knowledge, judgment and skill necessary to practice pharmacy at entry-level competence.

“You have six hours to complete it,” Gilk added. “So it can be a stressful exam because it’s the last thing you have to do before practicing.”

The 100 percent mark improves on the college’s consistently strong first-time pass rates: 92.3 percent in 2023, 93.2 percent in 2022 and 97.3 percent in 2021.

“It’s very impressive,” Gilk said. “I think it’s truly a testament to the knowledge we gained, working really hard to pass the test, and it’s a testament to who SDSU is and what the program provides through the mentors and professors who teach within the college.”

The national average was 77.5 percent in 2024, up from 75.7 percent in 2023. The individual college statistics have not been released by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

The pass rate also puts SDSU as the No. 1 pharmacy program in the U.S., according to Becker Hospital Review.

“After graduation, a lot of us in our class had to decide if we wanted to go into the workforce right away or if we wanted to do a residency. Historically, there have been a lot of opportunities available, so I toggled myself in between what I wanted to do,” Gilk said.

She decided to do a postgraduate residency as part of a partnership between SDSU and Lewis Drug.

The community-based residency allows her to be at a Sioux Falls pharmacy within Lewis Drug, counseling patients about new medications or talking through disease states, as well as helping them look for opportunities for cost savings. Additionally, she’s able to teach all levels of pharmacy students.

“I absolutely love it,” Gilk said. “I love the teaching and passing of knowledge aspect of pharmacy, and not only do I get the opportunity to teach students, but I get to teach patients every single day I come to work.”

She plans to take a full-time role with Lewis when the residency is done in June and hopes to continue teaching at SDSU.

“I’m so thankful I got to spend another year at SDSU being a resident,” she said. “I have a big heart for SDSU and what the program does for me, and all my mentors and professors. I think my classmates would say the same thing.”

To learn more about the pharmacy program at SDSU, visit the university’s website.