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Facilities

Here in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, we provide a variety of educational spaces that students and faculty use for teaching, learning, research, collaboration and study. Our state-of-the-art facilities, many of which have been recently remodeled and updated, will allow you to have hands-on experience in your field of study so you can practice the skills you'll need in your future career.

Schedule your campus visit, and see in person where you'll spend your time learning!

Teaching, Learning and Research Spaces

Iowa Clinic Human Anatomy and Teaching Lab

Our anatomy lab uses state-of-the-art technology to help you dissect and explore the human body. Our 3D Z-Space technology allows you to control which systems you see, and acts like an online textbook, providing information about any bone, muscle, tissue, organ, or any other system you want to learn about. It's better than a cadaver - if you cut something wrong, you can put it back together! Plus, you don't smell like formaldehyde and you don't have to shower after every lab.

Porter Clinical Skills Center

The Porter Clinical Skills Center includes the Franson Simulation Lab and the Davidson Pharmacy Practice Lab.

Franson Simulation Lab

If you are looking for a safe place to practice life-saving skills without the stress of working on a real person, look no further! Our Franson Simulation Lab uses life-like, high-fidelity manikins to simulate real patients - literally. They do everything from run a fever to scream in pain. You'll practice your skills in evaluating and treating many acute conditions that you'll see in patients all the time: asthma, diabetes, broken bones, etc. But how often are you going to see a patient have a hypoglycemic episode get a spinal chord injury? As a student, it's tough to guarantee that you'll see these things in real patients. But, we can simulate them in our lab so you have experience handling them. And the best part - no negative consequences if you make a mistake. After you've practice in this lab, you'll have the confidence to treat a real patient in any situation!

Davidson Pharmacy Practice Lab

To the untrained eye, the Davidson Pharmacy Practice Lab looks like a normal classroom...but it's so much more! This versatile space doubles as a classroom setting for larger lab groups (about 25 students) where you and your classmates will learn new skills together, and also as a space where you can break off into partners or small teams to practice your skills. The furniture is moveable to accommodate the learning configuration that meets your needs that day. The Davidson Lab is where you'll strengthen your skills in patient education, prescription processing, administering immunizations and performing medication therapy management.

Interactive Healthcare Center

In our newly designed and remodeled Interactive Healthcare Center, you will be able to practice your skills as a healthcare professional before using them in practice. This space is divided into individual rooms, which can be set up to simulate exam rooms in hospitals and clinics so you can practice working one-on-one with patients. You will work with simulated patients and mid-fidelity simulator manikins to to sharpen your patient assessment skills and practice performing health screenings. The Interactive Healthcare Center also has video recording capabilities so you can record your sessions and reflect on your practice.

Mayhew Compounding Lab

Does your patient need a special medication that is allergen-free? What about a special dose or form of a medication? How do you help a patient who can't take a drug that is commercially manufactured? As a pharmacy student, you will learn how to meet the unique needs of your patients in our Mayhew Compounding Lab. You will have access to a variety of compounding equipment and learn appropriate techniques for creating both sterile and non-sterile products that pharmacists frequently work with. You will also have the opportunity to learn how to make customized medications and experience working under hoods in our simulated IV room.

Johansen Skills Assessment Lab

The moveable walls in the Johansen Skills Assessment Lab are a unique feature of this learning space. Removing the walls makes this an ideal space for larger group learning when introducing new skills and practices. When the walls are in place, the lab turns into a set of smaller rooms that can be used by individuals, partners and small groups for practice and assessment. This is one of several lab spaces used in our Pharmacy Skills and Applications course series, where you will learn important skills in nine areas of pharmacy education: professionalism, communication, clinical reasoning, cultural competence, drug information, calculations, distribution systems and processes, and health and wellness.

Occupational Therapy Building

Our Occupational Therapy building includes many teaching, learning and collaborative spaces to help you learn about your role as an OT. Check it out!

Independence Plaza

Yes...we have a car in the building! Independence Plaza is a flexible space that provides opportunities for you to learn about Occupational Therapy's role in community mobility. Our "OT Cruiser" is a unique part of this space, as it allows you to develop your skills in car transfers and transportation. Independence Plaza also provides space for our fleet of wheelchairs, including standard and electric wheelchairs, which you will use to navigate the tasks of providing appropriate community mobility options for your clients.

Hy Vee Grocery Store

Our simulated grocery store provides an excellent environment for you to gain confidence in working with a variety of OT interventions. As a future OT, you'll be able to assist your clients with important skills such as physical mobility in the community, engaging socially with others, and development of work skills as an employee. Not only will you practice with your classmates in this lab setting, you will also have the opportunity to polish your skills through a variety of community engagement events, where we bring actual clients, caregivers and other health professionals into our building and work with them to meet their needs.

Apartment

This fully functioning one-bedroom apartment is an ideal space for a variety of activities in our OTD program! You will find yourself in this space frequently, as we use it for class and lab activities, and host many community engagement events here. As an OTD student, you will learn how to help people participate in their activities of daily living, no matter what their needs are. This is a perfect space to practice your skills in helping your clients stay independent and live the life they want to live!

Pediatrics Lab

Ergonomics Office

As a student in our Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, you will study egonomics through your curriculum and hands-on practice. This lab provides a space for you to learn about and explore solutions to situational issues that affect office workers and allow people to engage in everyday occupations. You will have access to adaptive equipment in this space, including moveable screen mounts, specialized desk chairs and foot rests, adaptable keyboards, and a document reader for vision impairment. As part of your Ergonomics course, you will partner with members of the Drake community and other organizations in Des Moines to do various ergonomic office studies, which help real people adapt their working environment to fit their needs and prevent injury.

Athletic Training Lab

This is the home of our evaluation and management courses in the Master of Athletic Training program. It looks and feels like an athletic training room, so you can work with your instructors to develop the skills you'll need for athletic training. Among the many things you'll learn to do in this lab, our favorites include suturing, inserting IVs, and evaluating knee injuries.

Ellis Disease Prevention Lab

In our Wellness/Disease Prevention Lab, you will have the opportunity to use state-of-the-art laboratory fitness equipment and learn techniques for physiological fitness testing. Equipment is available to study the five major components of physical fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and power, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition. This lab is utilized for classroom instruction, research projects, investigating human performance and testing intercollegiate athletes.

Ellis Pharmacogenomics Lab

Harvey Ingham Classroom

If you are a student in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, you will likely find yourself in this classroom at least once during your time at Drake! Even as one of the largest classrooms at Drake, with a seating capacity of 195, you will still get the individual attention you need and deserve from your faculty. The tiered table seating and white boards along the outside walls allow faculty to vary their teaching styles, depending on the topic. We frequently use "team-based learning" strategies that allow you to work with your classmates on projects, case studies and other classroom activities. Each "seat" in the room is also equipped with individual outlets so you can charge your laptop or other device while you take notes.

Bruce Classroom (Science Connector Building)

With one of the best views on campus, this classroom is highly coveted among our programs. As one of the most technologically advanced classrooms on campus, there isn't a bad seat in the house! This mid-sized classroom is a good example of what you'll experience in class sizes at Drake - small enough to get the individual attention you crave, but not so small that you are cramped for space. And that view...oh that view! Imagine watching the Drake Relays or a football game from the indoor comforts of this space.

Slay Running Track

This is one of the most unique tracks you'll see. This biomechanics runway in our Science Connector Building is large enough to evaluate all types of movements, from throwing to sprinting and everything in between. You'll learn how to use the motion-capture software and force plates to evaluate movements and look for abnormalities that may cause injuries.

Bell Center Athletic Training Room

Collaboration and Study Spaces

Our students have many spaces throughout our buildings to collaborate and study. These areas provide ample space to meet with your study group or work on group projects, with access to collaboration technology so everyone can engage and contribute. You also have access to smaller, more private spaces that provide a quiet environment for individual study.