Perceptions of PharmD Students Towards a Cumulative Examination: The Milemarker Process

Abstract

Cumulative ExaminationsProfessional organizations in various fields currently make use of annual cumulative and comprehensive examinations to assess the quality and level of education imparted to students. A few pharmacy schools have also established their own annual cumulative examinations that cater to programmatic goals in order to gauge student learning, student knowledge, and student preparedness for progressing into different stages of the academic curricula. 3 In a study conducted in 1998, 9 out of the 46 responding pharmacy schools indicated that they administered cumulative examinations. Additionally, 5 schools did not administer cumulative assessments at that time, but were considering establishing them. 3 Cumulative examinations are used in medical and other health-related professions to assess clinical expertise and student knowledge. Studies have examined and reported significant relationships among scores on these examinations, academic competence, and clinical competence. 4,5 Milemarker ExaminationsThe University of Houston's College of Pharmacy instituted the Milemarker examination, a cumulative assessment tool, in the year 2000 to examine curricular outcomes with its PharmD students. The Milemarker process involves 3 examinations, each administered after the first, second, and third year of the didactic curriculum at the College of Pharmacy. These assessments are American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2004; 68 (4) Article 93. 1 RESEARCH ARTICLES Perceptions of PharmD Students Towards a Cumulative Examination: The Milemarker ProcessSujit S. Sansgiry, PhD, Anagha Nadkarni, BS, and Thomas Lemke, PhDCollege of Pharmacy, University of Houston Submitted December 3, 2003; accepted March 11, 2004; published October 20, 2004. Objectives. To examine the perceptions of third-year PharmD students towards a cumulative examination, the Milemarker, administered at the College of Pharmacy, University of Houston. Methods. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure student responses on attitudes toward the cumulative examination. Responses on academic competence, test competence, study strategies, time management, and general perceptions toward the Milemarker process were obtained using a 30-item, previously validated and reliable scale. Results. Participants (153 students, response rate 72.5%) had slightly negative attitudes towards the Milemarker process in general. Students were found to be competent with respect to course content, but were not confident regarding their preparation for the Milemarker. Conclusions. Adequate interventions need to be developed to improve student attitudes and behaviors towards comprehensive cumulative examinations. Student perceptions regarding the Milemarker examinations may improve with time and once students have accepted it as a norm.

Effect of Incentives on Student Performance onMilemarkerExaminations

“…The authors also emphasized the need for intervention strategies to create a positive feeling for students towards these assessments. 20 Our study provides evidence of a successful intervention to enhance student performance on cumulative examinations.…”

“…In a study conducted by Sansgiry et al 20 to determine the perceptions of PharmD students, the authors concluded that in spite of the increasing importance of cumulative examinations, students had a negative attitude about these assessments. The authors also emphasized the need for intervention strategies to create a positive feeling for students towards these assessments.…”

“…A detailed description of the Milemarker assessments process can be viewed in a previously published article. 19,20 Briefly, there are a total of 3 Milemarker examinations, each ''administered''? after completion of a professional year.…”

A Review of Remediation Programs in Pharmacy and Other Health Professions

“…Some examples are: benchmarking results of year-end examinations in comparison to other schools in the nation, determining progress, and (most relevant to the present manuscript) identifying students who would benefit from remediation. 36,37 In a year-end assessment examination, the questions are either tied to a school's outcomes or directly to a course. This can help identify weaknesses or a loss of knowledge over time by students.…”

“…(For more information on year-end examinations, consult one of the articles written by faculties from the Texas Tech University or University of Houston. 36,39 )…”