Using institutional track programs and block scheduling to help students prepare for postgraduate residency training

Abstract

Block scheduling and institutional track programs were offered to students at two colleges of pharmacy interested in pursuing postgraduate residency training. Most institutional track students and block scheduling students successfully matched to residency programs or hospital pharmacy positions after graduation.

Striving for excellence in experiential education

“…Site use can be enhanced through block or sequential scheduling and/or through institutional or clinical track programs. These options may enable students to complete most or all required and elective APPEs at one health system 73‐77 . The C/SOP and the experiential site can use an application and/or interview process to best match students to a site 73,74,76,77 .…”

“…These options may enable students to complete most or all required and elective APPEs at one health system 73‐77 . The C/SOP and the experiential site can use an application and/or interview process to best match students to a site 73,74,76,77 . Advantages of the experiential site include a more efficient onboarding procedure (eg, general orientation is needed only once), increased preceptor collaboration, scheduling of prerequisite rotations before more complex experiences (eg, inpatient internal general medicine before a critical care rotation), more efficient use of teaching resources, and increased preceptor satisfaction.…”

Entrustable Professional Activities as a Novel Framework for Pharmacy Education

“…Alternatively, programs may specify higher levels of entrustability for students enrolled in experiences to prepare APPE students specifically for postgraduate residency training. 27 Each PharmD program should evaluate the role of personalization for their student population to determine the needs for additional EPAs. Specialized EPAs would be in addition to the core curricular EPAs as a limited experience and only available to students who have successfully demonstrated competence at a level 3 for all of the core curricular EPAs.…”

Clinical Track Program Expansion Increases Rotation Capacity for Experiential Program

“…4 Another advantage is assisting students in preparation for postgraduate training. 5 Pharmacy education is aware of these benefits, yet this knowledge has not translated into a significant increase in APPE offerings.…”