Implementation of a Continuing Professional Development Course in a Longitudinal Didactic Curriculum for Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To implement a continuous professional development (CPD) program in the didactic curriculum of a three-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, and evaluate associated outcomes. Methods. The initial CPD program was implemented in the didactic curriculum of the PharmD program in 2014-2015. Barriers were identified and strategies adopted to overcome the barriers. A revised CPD curriculum was implemented in the 2015-2016 academic year. Student and faculty evaluations of the course were conducted, and students' perceived capabilities in the various skills related to professional development were measured. Results. The student ratings of the course were acceptable (ranging from 3.3 to 4.2 on a 5-point Likert scale). First-year students rated the course higher than second-year students did. The majority of faculty members found the CPD curriculum valuable for students. Students perceived that their skills in oral, written and interprofessional communication, leadership, and time management had significantly improved after completing the course. Conclusion. Implementation of a CPD process during the didactic curriculum for PharmD students is feasible and beneficial to students' professional development. This CPD model provided students with an opportunity to develop self-directed lifelong learning skills and prepared them to transition to practice-based learning in their final year of the program.

Preparing Lifelong Learners for Delivering Pharmaceutical Care in an Ever-Changing World: A Study of Pharmacy Students

“…CV development is an important ability closely linked to CPD, as also emphasized by Dyke JE et al's study. Students were made to comprehend how the CPD can contribute toward a unique CV for each student [17].…”

“…As a student expressed in the focus group session, that now they can improve themselves in all elds: "now we also might improve ourselves not only in a community pharmacy, we could work also in other sectors". CPD allows students to individualize aspects of their education [17] since being a self-directed lifelong learner requires skills for determining individual learning needs. The students re ected on how they liked that the course was based on individual learning needs: "in university things are not based on our weakness or need we are never asked this.…”

“…In the proposed model, students are introduced to CPD through CPD lectures and training in the early years and are then requested to submit a CPD plan and updated portfolio routinely until graduation [15]. Few studies reported implementing such a longitudinal program in pharmacy schools, namely, the Roseman University College of Pharmacy (RUCOP) longitudinal CPD program for a cohort of PharmD students in the US [17] and the tra c light report (TLR) program implemented within a Bachelor's of Science (BSc) in pharmacy curricula as an elective course in an Australian university [18].…”

“…The RUCOP program involved CPD as part of the didactic curriculum of their three year PharmD program and the experiential year. As a result, students' oral, written and interprofessional communication, leadership, and time management skills were reported to be improved over the course [17]. Other schools in the US evaluated implementation of CPD in either rst [14] or nal [16] didactic years only or within an experiential practice course [15,19].…”

Preparing Lifelong Learners for Delivering Pharmaceutical Care in an Ever-Changing World: A Study of Pharmacy Students

“…This model in line with the Kolb's Cycle in which an effective learning requires the learner to progress through the cycle of concrete learning, re ective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation [17]. Few studies reported implementing such a longitudinal program in pharmacy schools, namely, the Roseman University College of Pharmacy (RUCOP) longitudinal CPD program for a cohort of PharmD students in the US [18] and the tra c light report (TLR) program implemented within a Bachelor's of Science (BSc) in pharmacy curricula as an elective course in an Australian university [19].…”