Objectives. To survey pharmacy preceptors regarding experiential education and determine the implications of the findings on colleges and schools of pharmacy.Methods. An online survey was sent to 4,396 experiential sites. The survey instrument consisted of 41 questions regarding the experiential education environment from the preceptor's perspective (eg, experiential load, time-quality issues, compensation, etc). Results. One thousand one hundred sixty-three preceptors responded (26.5%) to the survey. Concerning experiential load, 73% took 2 or more students in the past year and almost half of the sites had to turn placements away. Nearly all preceptors felt that the more time they spent with students, the higher quality the experience, and 20% felt they didn't have enough time to provide a quality experience. Thirty-six percent of respondents chose monetary stipend as the form of compensation they valued most. Conclusions. This study provides insights into the issues that concern volunteer preceptors and the findings could be used to enhance the quality of experiential education in pharmacy.
Objectives. To compare the performance of campus-based students with that of distance students during the first 2 years of a doctor of pharmacy program to evaluate parity between the pathways. Methods. Twelve cases were created for each year of the program along with performance criteria. The cases were converted into computer-based simulations for programmatic assessment at the end of the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years. All first-professional year (P1) and second-professional year (P2) students participated in the assessments. Overall class means were calculated and used to compare student performances between campus and distance education pathways. Results. Overall scores for the 2003 P1 class were 56.4% for the campus-based students and 62.4% for the distance students, (p 5 0.002); overall scores for the 2003 P2 class were 48.8% and 55.5%, respectively (p , 0.0001). The 2004 overall scores for P1 campus and distance students were 59.0% and 65.7%, respectively, (p 5 0.001); and for 2004 P2 scores the results were51.8% and 56.5%, respectively (p 5 0.049). Conclusions. Students receiving their pharmacy education via a distance pathway scored higher on performance-based assessments compared with students receiving their pharmacy education via the traditional campus-based pathway. This indicates that distance students are receiving at least an equivalent curricular experience in the P1 and P2 years compared to that received by campus-based students.Keywords: performance-based assessment, distance education, abilities-based curriculum INTRODUCTIONThe aging population and corresponding increase in prescriptions has created a current and future demand for pharmacists.1 This workforce demand has in turn produced an unprecedented period of growth in pharmacy education. Universities are opening new schools of pharmacy, while existing schools and colleges are developing innovative ways to increase their class sizes. They are graduating more practitioners by developing satellite campuses, and employing distance education technology. 2Our school addressed this shortage of pharmacists through the development of a distance-based doctor of pharmacy degree pathway in which all didactic courses, with the exception of 2 laboratory-based courses and the clinical rotations, are delivered via the Internet. A more complete description of this pathway and its development is available in a previous publication. 3This increase in enrollment was not without challenges such as ensuring that we effectively increase class size without sacrificing quality. The courses are identical in content to the campus-based pathway, and when possible, are delivered at the same time via distance technology. But not all courses are taught simultaneously or by the same instructors. Some of the distance courses are taught out of sequence and by different instructors. Also, differences in examination administration exist with the differences in pathways. For example, the distance-based pathway may use QuestionMark to administer examinations electroni...
Objectives. To evaluate the success of an elective course in Native American culture, health, and service-learning in fostering interest in experiences and careers with the USPHS Indian Health Service (IHS), and in shaping reflective practitioners. Design. Students conducted readings, kept reflective journals, and engaged in discussions with Native American and non-Native American speakers. Students orally presented a Native American health issue and spent their fall break in Chinle, Ariz, providing social and healthcare services to the Diné under the supervision of IHS pharmacists. Opportunities for additional IHS experiences were discussed, as was discerning the Creator's call to a professional life of service. Assessment. Thirteen of 15 students who had completed the service-learning course by January 2007 responded to a brief survey indicating that not only were the course objectives met, but the experiences had a lasting impact on professional mindset and career plans. Conclusion. The course had a lasting impact on students' understanding of Native American social and health care issues, and on how they will practice their profession and live their lives.
Objectives. Our program adopted an abilities-based curriculum and established 12 terminal educational ability-based outcomes. We developed performance-based assessments to measure students' ability to accomplish the program's outcomes. Methods. Faculty teams defined expected outcomes and tasks for each of the 12 ability-based outcomes for the P1 and P2 years in the curriculum. These expected outcomes and tasks then became the basis for cases used in designing the performance-based assessments. Faculty members drafted 12 cases for each year and the corresponding performance criteria used in grading. All cases were validated by a national review panel. The cases were then converted into computer-based simulations for programmatic assessment at the end of the 2003 school year. All P1 and P2 students participated in the assessments. Two faculty members graded all cases. The interrater reliability between the 2 graders and the internal consistency of the assessment were measured. Results. The overall interrater reliabilities for the P1 and P2 years were 0.94 and 0.91, respectively. The overall internal consistency reliabilities for the P1 and P2 years were 0.86 and 0.80, respectively. Conclusions. Performance-based assessments produce reliable data that can be used to evaluate an abilities-based curriculum.
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