Cultivating ‘Habits of Mind’ in the Scholarly Pharmacy Clinician: Report of the 2011-12 Argus Commission

Objective. To examine the relationship between students' prepharmacy repeat course history and their academic difficulties early in a professional pharmacy program in conjunction with other prerequisite success variables known to predict academic difficulty. Methods. For students admitted to a pharmacy program in 2010 and 2011 (n5160), admission variables [eg, prepharmacy coursework, grade point average (GPA)] and pharmacy program academic difficulty data (ie, academic difficulty defined as a pharmacy GPA in the bottom quartile of the class after 3 semesters of pharmacy course work) were extracted. Regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between admission variables and academic difficulty. Results. Twenty-six percent of the students (n542) repeated a course, and 50% of these students (n521) repeated more than one course. All of the admissions variables studied were found to individually increase the odds of a student having academic difficulty early in the pharmacy program. Specifically, repeat of a prepharmacy course increased the odds of academic difficulty threefold. Conclusion.Repeating prepharmacy coursework appears to be a strong indicator of future academic difficulties early in a professional pharmacy program.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of Prepharmacy Repeat Course History to Students’ Early Academic Difficulty in a Pharmacy Curriculum

Hansen¹,

Mort²,

Brandenburger³

et al. 2015

“…However, the trend toward greater preprofessional requirements revealed by our study seems to contradict the AACP Argus Commission, which, in its 2011-2012 report, recommends that, "specification of pre-pharmacy prerequisites be minimized in favor of the use of better assessment tools and that preference in admissions be given to prepharmacy experiences that develop an inquisitive mind in our entering students." 21 Likewise, ACPE accreditation standards and guidelines suggest that admission criteria, policies, and procedures consider qualities such as intellectual curiosity, emotional maturity, motivation, and communication skills, which support the student's potential to become a self-directed lifelong learner and an effective professional. 1 Caution should be exercised in concluding, based solely on this study, that the best practice is to require 3 years of coursework or a bachelor's degree.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Preprofessional Pharmacy Curricula

Gleason

Siracuse

Moniri

et al. 2013

Objectives. To examine changes in preprofessional pharmacy curricular requirements and trends, and determine rationales for and implications of modifications. Methods. Prerequisite curricular requirements compiled between 2006 and 2011 from all doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs approved by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education were reviewed to ascertain trends over the past 5 years. An online survey was conducted of 20 programs that required either 3 years of prerequisite courses or a bachelor's degree, and a random sample of 20 programs that required 2 years of prerequisites. Standardized telephone interviews were then conducted with representatives of 9 programs. Results. In 2006, 4 programs required 3 years of prerequisite courses and none required a bachelor's degree; by 2011, these increased to 18 programs and 7 programs, respectively. Of 40 programs surveyed, responses were received from 28 (70%), 9 (32%) of which reported having increased the number of prerequisite courses since 2006. Reasons given for changes included desire to raise the level of academic achievement of students entering the PharmD program, desire to increase incoming student maturity, and desire to add clinical sciences and experiential coursework to the pharmacy curriculum. Some colleges and schools experienced a temporary decrease in applicants. Conclusions. The preprofessional curriculum continues to evolve, with many programs increasing the number of course prerequisites. The implications of increasing prerequisites were variable and included a perceived increase in maturity and quality of applicants and, for some schools, a temporary decrease in the number of applicants.

“…Calls for reform within health professions and pharmacy education highlight ongoing concerns about the ability of current curricula to prepare students for the evolving healthcare needs of society. [1][2][3][4] Reform proposals have highlighted the need to rethink various aspects of the educational system, including curriculum content, pedagogical approaches, and student learning outcomes. 7,58 While numerous colleges and schools of pharmacy are taking action to revise their curricula, 7 pharmacy educators should look beyond the classroom and beyond isolated components of the existing curricula and rethink the entire educational process.…”

Section: The Value Of Educational Research In Guiding Curricular Tranmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…59 Key articles in pharmacy education emphasize the importance of evaluating the impact of new learning environments on all aspects of the educational environment, including professional socialization of the students as they progress across the curriculum. 1,60,61 Efforts should focus on rethinking the competencies and abilities of pharmacists, promoting active learning in the classroom, challenging students to think critically and synthesize broadly to solve problems, engaging students earlier in patient care, and developing curricula in a more evidence-based manner. 1,60,61 Rethinking pharmacy curricula as complex systems with core components that require thoughtful integration and evaluation is likely to yield tremendous impact on student learning and the education and training of future health professions leaders.…”

Section: The Value Of Educational Research In Guiding Curricular Tranmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,60,61 Efforts should focus on rethinking the competencies and abilities of pharmacists, promoting active learning in the classroom, challenging students to think critically and synthesize broadly to solve problems, engaging students earlier in patient care, and developing curricula in a more evidence-based manner. 1,60,61 Rethinking pharmacy curricula as complex systems with core components that require thoughtful integration and evaluation is likely to yield tremendous impact on student learning and the education and training of future health professions leaders. 62 This, in turn, creates an opportunity to thoughtfully design educational research studies and use the findings to inform and guide curricular transformation.…”

Section: The Value Of Educational Research In Guiding Curricular Tranmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Roadmap for Educational Research in Pharmacy

McLaughlin

Dean

Mumper

et al. 2013

Educational research must play a critical role in informing practice and policy within pharmacy education. Understanding the educational environment and its impact on students, faculty members, and other stakeholders is imperative for improving outcomes and preparing pharmacy students to meet the needs of 21st century health care. To aid in the design and implementation of meaningful educational research within colleges and schools of pharmacy, this roadmap addresses philosophy and educational language; guidelines for the conduct of educational research; research design, including 4 approaches to defining, collecting, and analyzing educational data; measurement issues; ethical considerations; resources and tools; and the value of educational research in guiding curricular transformation.