Reinforcing the Relevance of Chemistry to the Practice of Pharmacy Through theWho Wants to Be a Med Chem Millionaire?Learning Game

Abstract

The 2-semester medicinal chemistry course sequence required in the second-professional year of the pharmacy program at Creighton University, entitled, The Chemical Basis of Drug Action I and II, has always emphasized the importance of a thorough analysis of drug structure as an integral part of rational therapeutic decision-making. The instructors have routinely attempted to reinforce the professional relevance of drug chemistry by employing learning tools such as the medicinal chemistry case study (both paper-based and computerized) and the structurally-based therapeutic evaluation (SBTE). [1][2][3][4][5] There has also been a conscious effort to honor the School's ability-based outcomes on (1) drug therapy evaluation, (2) pharmacotherapeutic decisionmaking, (3) taking personal responsibility for learning, and (4) critical thinking by demanding a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge of drug chemistry and structure-activity relationships (SAR) to patient care, and through the integration of course content with material previously learned and yet to be learned. [5][6][7] Course evaluation data gathered over the past several years has provided evidence that the active-learning strategies employed in the Chemical Basis courses enhance both learning and an appreciation of the practical relevance of our discipline's concepts. However, the instructors remained concerned about students' longterm retention and utilization of medicinal chemistry principles in practice without reinforcement in subsequent years of the curriculum. When invited to coordinate a session in the third-year (spring 2003) Early Pharmacy Practice Experience (EPPE) course, we readily accepted. At the time of our participation, the EPPE course sequence was woven throughout the full 6 semesters of didactic coursework. First-year students received an introduction to the most common practice environments (eg, hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy), while those in the second-professional year explored alternative career options and gained insight on physical assessment and issues related to patient-specific pharmaceutical care. The third-year EPPE courses were designed to be a preparation for major life events, clinical practice, and the impending transition to the clerkship year. A component of these 2 courses was dedicated to a review of previous coursework so that students could better integrate the major concepts with the experiences and professional insight they had gained from working in pharmacies and their formal study of clinically-focused coursework (therapeutics, pharmacokinetics). Objectives. To reinforce the relevance of chemistry to therapeutic decision-making. Design. A team-based game entitled, Who Wants To Be A Med Chem Millionaire? was devised for P3 students using clinical cases from Pharmacotherapeutics courses. Questions were developed to demonstrate the value of applying chemistry to meet patient care goals. Teams of 6 students played for healthrelated charities, and correct answers to questions earned Med Chem Moolah. Faculty me...

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