Please forward this announcement to your current P1 and P2 classes
Students,
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will be hosting the upcoming session of the NCPA Foundation-UAMS Pharmacy Ownership and Leadership Academy (POLA) on June 15 – 19, 2026. POLA is open to students nationwide, but our maximum enrollment for this session is 40 students. The POLA application portal will close February 28th.
What is POLA?
POLA is a week-long academy focused on the fundamentals of pharmacy ownership and the importance leadership in our profession. The curriculum is specifically designed to help prepare students and equip them with the tools they need to be successful independent pharmacy owners. While the POLA curriculum focuses on pharmacy ownership, leadership, and self-awareness, some of the POLA curriculum is focused towards current P1 and P2 students (rising P2s and P3s in June) that are interested in competing in the NCPA business plan competition. UAMS has won this competition six times and we share all of our best practices with POLA attendees. POLA teams have placed in the top 3 of the competition since 2021 and have won the competition in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
POLA 2026 will be in-person at the main UAMS campus in Little Rock, Arkansas. In June 2025 we hosted 35 students from 21 colleges/schools of pharmacy.
Registration and tuition for POLA are free. All student meals, supplies, transportation and events during the academy are provided (free) by the POLA endowment. However, students are responsible for their travel to and from Little Rock, along with housing during their 5-day stay (Sunday – Thursday night). POLA lodging is at the Wyndham Riverfront, a nearby UAMS affiliated hotel with rates of $104 per night. Students are encouraged to opt-in to sharing rooms to reduce the housing expense for the week. Students may book alternative lodging if they choose, but will have to travel to the Wyndham Riverfront daily to catch the shuttle to all POLA events.
We encourage all students to talk with your NCPA Advisor or Dean to see if your college/school can support your lodging/travel with a stipend to offset your expenses. In 2025, almost 85% of POLA attendees received travel/lodging support from their schools.
Click here to apply for POLA 2026
For more information visit the POLA website and follow us on Facebook. We hope to see you in June!
Thank you,
Seth Heldenbrand, Pharm.D.
Professor and Associate Dean of Experiential Education
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
College of Pharmacy
Work 501.686.6392; Fax 501.686.8104
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