Learning Across the Curriculum: Connecting the Pharmaceutical Sciences to Practice in the First Professional Year

Objective. To determine whether and how pharmacy students used knowledge learned in the classroom during their introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) in community and hospital settings. Design. To reinforce course concepts and make connections between coursework and practice, students documented examples of how knowledge from first-year courses was used in IPPEs. Assessment. Data submitted were categorized by classroom-based pharmacy course, including the frequency with which each course was cited. For community practice experiences, most student examples of knowledge application related to the self-care therapeutics course, pharmacy practice laboratory course, and dose form/compounding laboratory courses. Hospital IPPE examples were most frequently based on the pharmaceutical calculations course, physiology/pathophysiology course, medicinal chemistry course, and pharmacy practice laboratory course. Conclusion. All prior classroom-based pharmacy courses were cited by students as being useful during IPPEs, although some were more frequently cited than others. This activity provided useful programmatic assessment data.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmacy Students' Application of Knowledge From the Classroom to Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Krueger

2013

“…The basic science curriculum provides a solid foundation on which to build the skills necessary for patient-centered care. 10 This paper focuses on the development of this course sequence and the assessment of its effectiveness in imparting the foundational basic science knowledge required for students to successfully progress through the pharmacy curriculum and become competent graduates. The 2013 Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education (CAPE) Outcomes released in July 2013 accelerated the drive toward an outcomes-based educational system and defined 4 broad domains to guide the academy in the education of pharmacists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Assessment of a Horizontally Integrated Biological Sciences Course Sequence for Pharmacy Education

Dirks‐Naylor

Wright

Alston

2015

Objective. To design and assess a horizontally integrated biological sciences course sequence and to determine its effectiveness in imparting the foundational science knowledge necessary to successfully progress through the pharmacy school curriculum and produce competent pharmacy school graduates. Design. A 2-semester course sequence integrated principles from several basic science disciplines: biochemistry, molecular biology, cellular biology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. Each is a 5-credit course taught 5 days per week, with 50-minute class periods. Assessment. Achievement of outcomes was determined with course examinations, student lecture, and an annual skills mastery assessment. The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) results were used as an indicator of competency to practice pharmacy. Conclusion. Students achieved course objectives and program level outcomes. The biological sciences integrated course sequence was successful in providing students with foundational basic science knowledge required to progress through the pharmacy program and to pass the NAPLEX. The percentage of the school's students who passed the NAPLEX was not statistically different from the national percentage.

“…1,2 Rigorous summative assessment of students' knowledge in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences is essential to the training of students in professional pharmacy programs. Early identification of poor-performing and at-risk students and effective intervention are integral to student academic success and self-directed learning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of an Individualized Post-Examination Instructor Remediation on Pharmacy Student Performance in a Biochemistry Course

Wang

Cruthirds

Kendrach

2018

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of a post-examination, one-on-one instructor remediation process on student performance in a pharmacy biochemistry course by measuring the degree of score improvement on a subsequent examination. Methods. Students who scored below 70% on any examination were encouraged to meet with the course coordinator. A typical remediation session lasts about 30 minutes, and covers academic preparation, study habits, concept understanding, application, critical thinking, time management, and stress control. Scores in two consecutive examinations were compared between students who underwent remediation and those who did not. All scores were adjusted for level of difficulty. Results. At-risk students with relatively lower scores are more likely to seek remediation. After receiving a score below 70%, students perform better on the next examination regardless of remediation. However, the remediation process results in a statistically significant 43% increase in the degree of improvement in student performance on the next examination. Conclusion. A post-examination, one-on-one remediation is effective in enhancing student performance in the biochemistry course. As this course is one of the two with the highest failure rates in the PharmD program, current intervention might improve student retention.