Objective. To determine how accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs implement and evaluate the cocurriculum requirement as mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Methods. A survey was administered to all ACPE-accredited pharmacy programs to collect information regarding how co-curriculum models were being implemented, including types of activities, structure, learning outcomes, oversight, and assessment. The frequency of responses to items were presented to describe the general features of co-curriculum models. Results. The types of co-curricular activities reported by programs were generally consistent, with the majority of programs categorizing these activities and allowing students to choose which they would engage in. Most respondents reported that the program mapped co-curricular activities to learning outcomes, primarily ACPE Standards 1-4. The structural oversight of the co-curriculum typically included a co-curriculum committee, subcommittee, or task force, and supporting offices. The most common offices/departments involved in the co-curriculum were assessment, student affairs/services, experiential education, and academic/curricular affairs. The most common assessments were reflections, selfassessment surveys, and checklists. Conclusion. In most programs, implementation of the co-curriculum was a joint effort among various individuals, committees, and offices. Given the developing nature of programs, descriptive studies should be repeated to identify how programs develop and enhance co-curriculum models. The study results may be useful to members of the Academy when evaluating the current state of co-curriculum implementation and potential areas for program development.

Objective. To evaluate the impact on pharmacy students of a communication course, which used roleplaying to develop active-learning skills. Design. Students role-playing pharmacists in patient care scenarios were critiqued by students and pharmacist faculty members. Grading was performed using the rubric inspired by Bruce Berger's Communication Skills for Pharmacists. Written skills were evaluated using student written critique questionnaires. Students completed precourse and postcourse self-assessment surveys. Preceptor evaluations were analyzed for course impact. Assessment. Students demonstrated improvement in oral skills based on role-play scores (45.87/50) after practice sessions. The average score based on the student questionnaire was 9.31/10. Gain was demonstrated in all defined course objectives. Impact on introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) communication objectives was insignificant. Student evaluations for course and teaching strategy reflected a high average. Conclusion. Study results demonstrated improvement in oral and written communication skills that may help improve interprofessional teamwork between pharmacists and other health care providers. INTRODUCTIONSuccess as a practitioner in any health care profession is partly based on effective communication and listening skills. One of the primary roles of a pharmacist is to serve as an active communicator with patients, other health professionals, and the public.1 For student pharmacists, developing competence in communication is as pivotal as developing their knowledge base and clinical skills in integrated therapeutics and pharmacy practice.2,3 Both the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and Guidelines Version 2.0 and the Center for Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) emphasize that student pharmacists must achieve the ability to provide patient care in cooperation with an interprofessional health care team.4,5 Specifically, ACPE Standard 12 states, "Pharmacy graduates must be able to communicate and collaborate with patients, care givers, physicians, nurses, other health care providers, policy makers, members of the community, and administrative and support personnel to engender a team approach to patient care."4 The literature also promotes that pharmacy education include enhancing student communication skills.1 Nevertheless, challenges remain in designing an effective course that provides students with the essential knowledge and skills for communication compentency.1 Student pharmacists may not recognize their verbal communication deficiencies and need to be taught skills to improve them. 6 Additionally, communication course content may lack national consistency.7 In order to overcome these challenges, a progressive curriculum that addresses developing communication skills would help programs comply with various industry standards. 7A literature review did yield useful techniques to improve student pharmacists' communication skills. Roleplaying or improvisational tasks as part of the curriculum to...

Objective. To compare second-and third-year pharmacy students' competence, attitudes, and selfconfidence in providing diabetes care before and after completing a hand-on diabetes training program and to determine if the program had an impact on students' attitude and self-confidence based on their year in the curriculum. Design. The program included classroom lectures and hands-on learning sessions in 5 facets of diabetes care. Pre-and post-test instruments measured students' competence, attitudes, and confidence in diabetes care. Assessment. Students' competence and the mean overall confidence score significantly improved after completing the program, while mean overall attitude score did not. Third-year students had significantly higher confidence scores than did second-year students on both pre-and post-program tests. No significant difference was found for attitude scores between second-and third-year students. Conclusion. The hands-on learning program was an effective approach to training pharmacy students in diabetes care, improving both their competence and confidence.

This review of literature examines the impact of globablization on the community college missions and the expected competencies that students should acquire from a community college education. In the late 1990s, many community colleges began incorporating an awareness of globalization into strategic planning and curriculum planning initiatives. The author presents a list of accepted competencies for the "globally competent learner," and suggests additional competencies, which include a focus on the importance of intersection of language and culture, an understanding of the interconnectedness of the economy and the environment, and the development of a critical approach to media and communications. Finally, the author explores the link between multiculturalism and globalization as concepts that have been considered for integration into the community college curriculum and mission during the past decade.

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