Pilot evaluation of a continuing professional development tool for developing leadership skills

Assessing Opportunities for Student Pharmacist Leadership Development at Schools of Pharmacy in the United States

“…Most opportunities consisted of multiple interactions or activities indicating that leadership development instructors and facilitators recognize that leadership development is a continuous process. 17,18 While most development activities focused solely on leadership, some opportunities incorporated topics such as professionalism, advocacy, and entrepreneurship, which lend themselves to experiential activities. Adoption of new topics to illustrate leadership development may lead to fulfillment of leadership development competencies not previously achieved.…”

“…Other measures of leadership development competencies have been developed and could be adapted for pharmacy education for future studies. 18,19 Key informants illustrated the important role of assessment and quality improvement processes in ensuring the growth and development of student leaders participating in their leadership development opportunities. Course evaluations and informal feedback acquired through multiple years of experience were commonly used to fuel important changes.…”

A Leadership Elective Course Developed and Taught by Graduate Students

“…Each student leadership portfolio consisted of selected contextrich assignments including a personal mission statement and philosophy of leadership, reflections on leadership topics discussed during the facilitated discussion and the leadership speaker series reflections, a curriculum vitae, and 2 continuing professional development (CPD) cycles. 32 The compilation of the leadership portfolio provided students with direct, practical, and meaningful opportunities to connect their learning in the leadership course with their own lives and visions of their professional futures through purposeful actions and experiences. Those student pharmacists enrolled in the 3-credit-hour option also included a summary and description of the required experiential/service project.…”

“…32 The CPD tool sought to enhance the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required for leadership growth by having student pharmacists fully engage in and document their leadership learning by identifying leadership opportunities and developmental needs, as well as developing and implementing a personal leadership development plan that could then be evaluated to assess whether their personal leadership learning needs were met, how they envisioned their leadership changing as a result, and whether any new leadership learning or development needs were identified for future growth. Each student personally identified various leadership growth opportunities that were then targeted during each of the 2 CPD cycles that were to be completed over the course of the semester by developing a plan and using SMART goalsetting methods to achieve intended leadership learning outcomes.…”

Deliberate Integration of Student Leadership Development in Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

“…A similar process was described in a pharmacy leadership course, using the continuing professional development process. 55 In order to gain experience with customizing LD to their own needs, schools are urged to consider methods to assist students in self-assessment, planning, action, and evaluation related to their own personal leadership development. Case-in-point (CIP) teaching, developed by Heifetz, Grashow, and Linksy, in collaboration with Harvard Kennedy School of Government, is discussed in Daloz-Parks's Leadership Can Be Taught.…”