Identifying and Mapping Skill Development Opportunities Through Pharmacy Student Organization Involvement

A Qualitative Exploration of ACPE Standard 4 Key Elements From the Perspective of Student Pharmacists

OBJECTIVE

Attitudes and skills reflecting the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standard 4 (ACPE-S4) remain an important component of pharmacy education. The objectives of this study were (1) explore student perspectives on the importance of ACPE-S4 key elements, and (2) identify experiences that students described as supporting ACPE-S4 attitude and skill development.

METHODS

This was a qualitative study using focus groups and dyadic interviews with student pharmacists to collect data on ACPE-S4 key element importance and skill acquisition. A general inductive qualitative approach was used to analyze data, with 2 study authors independently reviewing all transcripts and assigning codes to text segments. Authors then met to discuss coding, iteratively organize coded segments into categories and subcategories, and select representative quotes.

RESULTS

Overall, 3 focus groups and 3 dyadic interviews were conducted with a total of 20 students. Students ranked professionalism and self-awareness as the 2 most important key elements. From qualitative analysis, 4 categories and 10 subcategories of educational activities, programs, and experiences were identified as follows: Mentorship (Identifying a Mentor, Formal Mentorship Programs), Curriculum (Practice Lab, Professional Development Course, Interprofessional Education, Experiential Education), Cocurriculum (Organizational Involvement, Volunteer Hours), and Opportunities Outside Academic Setting (Work, Conferences, and Innovative Pharmacy Practices).

CONCLUSION

Participants articulated several opportunities for developing the skills and attitudes reflecting ACPE-S4 key elements. Incorporating student input into ACPE-S4 attitude and skill development may help pharmacy programs consider how to design, refine, and implement initiatives and experiences to help students develop skills across ACPE-S4 focus areas.

Activating the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials Through Competency-Based Leadership in Graduate Student Organizations

BACKGROUND

As nursing programs across the nation shift toward a competency-based education model, academic institutions are working to quantify student learning outcomes based on the new American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2021) Essentials, domains, competencies, and sub-competencies.

METHOD

Leveraging AACN Essentials, faculty and graduate nursing students engage in student organizations with the focus of Population Health, Professionalism, and Personal, Professional and Leadership Development (AACN, 2021).

RESULTS

Graduate student members are involved in practicum activities throughout the course of their education. Through collaboration with faculty, the student body, and other community partners, student leaders integrate experiences applicable to professional roles outside of academia (AACN, 2021). As a result, students gain skills in leadership and communication, while also gaining confidence and professional identity formation.

CONCLUSION

Other academic institutions may replicate this approach in promoting competency-based education, experiences and development in alignment with the AACN Essentials. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(10):580-583.].

A Scoping Review of the Hidden Curriculum in Pharmacy Education

Objective. The hidden curriculum has been defined as teaching and learning that occur outside the formal curriculum and includes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors, values, and beliefs that students consciously or subconsciously acquire and accept. It has been identified as an inherent part of learning in health professions education and may affect students' formation of professional identity. This scoping review investigated the definition and evidence of the hidden curriculum for pharmacy education.Findings. A comprehensive literature search was conducted for primary articles investigating the hidden curriculum in pharmacy education through August 2021. A total of five papers were included in the review: four papers from the United Kingdom and one from Sweden. The focus of each paper and the elements of the hidden curriculum, along with the study quality as assessed by the quality assessment tool, varied. Three papers focused on professionalism or professional socialization, and the other two focused on patient safety. All five studies used qualitative methods including focus groups and semistructured interviews of the students and faculty. Studies also identified approaches to addressing the hidden curriculum, such as integrating formal and informal learning activities, integrating work experiences, providing sustained exposure to pharmacy practice, and development of professionalism.Summary. The definition of the hidden curriculum varied across the five studies of varying quality. The evidence of the hidden curriculum was measured qualitatively in experiential and academic settings. Recognition of the impact of the hidden curriculum and strategies for addressing its negative effects are critical to the success of not only the students but also the pharmacy profession at large.

Implementation and evaluation of pharmaly houses as learning communities to promote community, wellness, and advising

INTRODUCTION

Although medical education has demonstrated learning communities promote wellness and community while supporting advising and mentoring, its application in pharmacy is limited. This study explored faculty and student perceptions of pharmacy learning communities (PLC), including structure, member interactions, and curriculum topics.

METHODS

PLCs involving first-year (PY1) student advisees, third-year (PY3) peer mentors, and faculty coaches were implemented. The PLC model included Pharmaly Houses, which were compromised of multiple Pharmalies, with each Pharmaly consisting of one faculty coach, two PY3 peer mentors, and approximately 10 PY1 advisees. PLC members were invited to participate in semi-structured focus groups, and transcripts were analyzed using inductive coding.

RESULTS

Three major themes and related subthemes emerged: strengths of the PLC structure (e.g., multiple perspectives, community, networking); interactions of Pharmaly members (i.e. faculty coaches, PY3 peer mentors, PY1 advisees); and feedback on PLC curriculum topics (e.g., topic consultation, continued learning). Participants indicated the multiple perspectives provided by Pharmaly members was a strength and highlighted the PLC structure facilitated a sense of community and belonging among Pharmaly members while promoting expanded networking within the House. While the PLC expanded networks, faculty and PY1 advisees desired more one-to-one interactions. Further, students reflected on how current PLC curriculum topics (e.g., wellness) prompted continued learning, reflection, and discussion outside the House or Pharmaly meeting.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants indicated PLCs can support student access to mentoring and advising, promote wellness, and foster a sense of community and belonging. The unique peer mentoring model further promoted community.

Assessment of the impact of co-curricular activities on achievement of Doctor of Pharmacy program outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Co-curricular activities are recognized as an increasingly important aspect of pharmacy education. However, the impact of these activities on student learning is not well understood compared to that of curricular learning. The purpose of this study was to assess student-perceived progress in achieving program outcomes through voluntary co-curricular activities compared with learning of the same outcomes through mandatory curricular activities.

METHODS

The study was performed over six semesters between fall 2017 and spring 2020 at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. Separate surveys were sent to all first- through third-year doctor of pharmacy students each semester to assess the impact of curricular and co-curricular activities on improvement in six program outcomes. Graduating student survey data were also mapped to learning outcomes to assess improvement of these outcomes upon graduation.

RESULTS

Three main results emerged from these data. First, there was greater variation in the impact of co-curricular activities on different learning outcomes compared to the effect of curricular activities on the same outcomes. Second, co-curricular activities had a greater impact on "soft skills," including leadership and professionalism, compared to concrete knowledge in areas such as therapeutic mechanisms. Finally, the impact of co-curricular activities on most learning outcomes diminished with progression through the curriculum while the impact of curricular activities remained relatively constant.

CONCLUSIONS

Student-perceived improvement in learning of program outcomes differs when based on co-curricular compared to curricular activities. These results show how these activities can complement each other in achievement of program outcomes.

Developing the Next Generation of Leaders in Health Policy and Management: Lessons From an Undergraduate Student-Led Organization

As health care continues to evolve, training the next generation of healthcare leaders is more important than ever. However, many university undergraduate students are not directly exposed to topics such as health policy and management within their coursework or co-curricular engagements. At Duke University, we developed the Student Collaborative on Health Policy (SCOHP) as an inter-disciplinary health policy hub that offers opportunities for learning, engagement, and leadership in the healthcare-related fields for students of all academic backgrounds. We see opportunity for similar student-led groups to be established by student leaders at other institutions, increasing interaction with experts, mentorship and the accessibility of experiential education, service, and leadership in the health care sector.

Challenges to Implementation of the Co-Curriculum in Accredited Pharmacy Programs

Objective. To determine areas of concern, and challenges to implementing and assessing the co-curriculum in accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs, along with how confident programs are in their ability to meet the co-curriculum requirement as mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).Methods. A survey was administered to all ACPE-accredited pharmacy programs to collect information regarding areas of concern, challenges, and confidence in their ability to meet the co-curriculum requirement. The frequency of responses to items are presented along with comparisons based on characteristics, including institution type, cohort size, most recent ACPE accreditation review, and supporting offices.Results. The most common concerns centered on the documentation and assessment process. The most commonly reported challenges were lack of enthusiasm or buy-in from faculty, staff, and students; lack of a clear definition of co-curriculum; and faculty time and insufficient staff. Overall, programs had a high level of confidence in their ability to meet the requirements for co-curriculum. The only differences found were related to supporting offices and cohort size.Conclusion. The results suggest that having supporting offices may reduce the co-curriculum burden. Similarly, student cohort size may have an impact on the challenges for some programs, particularly those with moderate-sized cohorts reporting challenges related to faculty and staff. Further research is needed to determine how programs address these critical issues, and to explore whether programs report differently on these areas after completing an accreditation review. The study results may be useful to members of the Academy when evaluating co-curriculum.

Student perceptions of co-curricular activities on pharmacy education: A review

BACKGROUND

The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards 2016 emphasize the incorporation of a co-curriculum in pharmacy education. However, how students perceive the value of these activities is still unclear. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe how students perceive co-curricular involvement, (2) identify barriers that impede student engagement in co-curricular activities, and (3) assess the influence of co-curricular activities on academic performance.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Academic Search Complete, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest Central databases. Search terms used within each database were "co-curricular" AND "pharmacy learning OR pharmacy education OR pharmacy student." Studies were included in the review if they addressed pharmacy student perceptions of or barriers to co-curricular activity.

RESULTS

Eleven studies met the criteria for inclusion. Student perceptions of co-curricular activities were consistently positive, reflecting perceived improvement in self-confidence and abilities. Barriers to student engagement included voluntary participation and student's limited scope of practice. Engagement in co-curricular activities also improved academic performance and clinical knowledge.

IMPLICATIONS

Co-curricular activities have a perceived positive impact on student confidence and abilities as practitioners. Participation in co-curricular activities provides benefits to students in their academic, professional, and personal development in ways that are not always supported in a didactic curriculum. Incorporating co-curricular activity is justified from the student perspective in the framework of pharmacy student development and maturation.

Aiming student pharmacist organizations toward professional success: Mapping student activities to a professional development program

INTRODUCTION

This project describes the mapping of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Accreditation Standards to activities of a student pharmacist organization and to assess student perceptions of the process' utility in completing a professional growth and development program (PGDP).

METHODS

A list of activities from the student pharmacist organization for academic year 2018-2019 was compiled at the start of each semester. ACPE Standards 3 and 4 were mapped to each chapter activity using a spreadsheet. Upon completion, activities matched with appropriate standards were advertised to the organization through email and online sign-up sheets. Students who were active chapter members and participated in the PGDP were recruited to participate in a survey. The survey included multiple choice questions and 5-point Likert type statements. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Of our activities for the academic year, 19 (86.3%) matched to at least one element of Standard 3. The majority of our activities matched to an element of Standard 4 (n = 22, 95.5%). A total of 37 participants completed the survey and 83.8% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the mapping process was helpful for completing the PGDP.

CONCLUSIONS

Student pharmacist organizations provide many opportunities for professional development. Mapping ACPE Standards 3 and 4 to these activities, along with promotion, was perceived as being very helpful to the membership of this study. This is a relatively easy process that any student pharmacist organization can complete to better help their membership complete professional development programs.

Identifying Priority Student Leadership and Professionalism Attributes Among Faculty, Preceptors, and Students via Modified Delphi

Objective. To identify and build consensus on priority leadership and professionalism attributes for pharmacy student development among faculty, preceptors, and students.Methods. One hundred individuals (27 faculty members, 30 preceptors, 43 students) were invited to participate in a three-round, modified Delphi. Published literature on leadership and professionalism informed the initial attribute list. In the first round, participants reviewed and provided feedback on this list. In the second round, participants prioritized attributes as highly important, important, or less important for pharmacy student development. Leadership and professionalism attributes that achieved an overall consensus (a priori set to ≥80.0%) of being highly important or important for pharmacy student development were retained. In the third round, participants rank ordered priorities for leadership and professionalism attributes.Results. Fifteen leadership and 20 professionalism attributes were included in round one while 21 leadership and 21 professionalism attributes were included in round two. Eleven leadership and 13 professionalism attributes advanced to round three. Consensus was reached on the top four leadership attributes (adaptability, collaboration, communication, integrity) and five professionalism attributes (accountability, communication, honor and integrity, respect for others, trust). Differences were observed for certain attributes between faculty members, preceptors, and/or students.Conclusion. The modified Delphi technique effectively identified and prioritized leadership and professionalism attributes for pharmacy student development. This process facilitated consensus building and identified gaps among stakeholders (ie, faculty, preceptors, students). Identified gaps may represent varying priorities among stakeholders and/or different opportunities for emphasis and development across classroom, experiential, and/or cocurricular settings.

Mapping Pharmacy Student Learning During Cocurricular Activities to National Standards and Institutional Outcomes

Objective. To assess pharmacy student learning from co-curricular activities and map this to Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) standards and the institution's curricular outcomes.Methods. Student representatives of professional organizations at one college of pharmacy were asked to complete a 16-item questionnaire on behalf of their members about each cocurricular activity their organization completed. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the results. Content analysis was conducted on open-ended questions, and resulting codes were mapped to ACPE Standards 2016 and curricular outcomes.Results. The majority (74%) of the 152 unique cocurricular activities reported were designated as community outreach events and an average of 15 (SD=43) student members participated in each activity. The most frequently selected domain by student representatives was "promoted professionalism" for 86% of activities. Upon distilling student representatives' open-ended responses regarding their members' learning, each response was assigned to one or more of 34 codes. The most frequently assigned codes to learning descriptions (36%) were for patient education and counseling.Conclusion. Representatives of student organizations characterized their members' participation in cocurricular activities as opportunities for learning. The results from the content analysis aligned with the quantitative data collected. Cocurricular activities provide opportunities for Doctor of Pharmacy students to enhance their skills, knowledge, and attitudes in both pharmacy practice and personal areas that map to ACPE Standards 2016 and the college's own curricular outcomes.

Design of a large-scale escape room for first-year pharmacy student orientation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In this article, we developed and implemented an escape room activity for first-year pharmacy student orientation. The purpose of the activity was to engage students in socialization with their classmates, to familiarize students with the key personnel of the program, to acquaint students with co-curricular programming in the academic calendar, and to peruse key policies in the student handbook.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

An escape room was developed for first professional year student orientationin a large classroom setting. The escape room featured several gameplay elements, including a personnel bingo game, a computerized student calendar scavenger hunt, and group assessments designed to acquaint students with policies within the student handbook. One hundred nineteen students participated simultaneously in the orientation escape room activity in break-out groups to accomplish the objectives of the escape room as measured by embedded assessments.

FINDINGS

All students successfully escaped the encounter. Students demonstrated proficiency in orientation learning objectives on group assessments. Students were queried about their attitudes towards the instructional design via a post-survey. The proof-of-concept for this work was evaluated via a log of estimated faculty time and monetary costs for implementation.

SUMMARY

A student orientation escape room was successfully designed and implemented. Students were assessed to evaluate the retention of knowledge obtained during orientation. Despite not having previously met their classmates, survey responses indicated that studentswere positively inclined toward the educational activity.This is the first report of a co-curricular escape room developed for pharmacy student orientation.

Evaluation of a Council Structure and Meeting Format for Pharmacy Student Government in the Co-Curriculum

Objective. To evaluate student perceptions of a transformed pharmacy student government structure and meeting format. Methods. The structure and general assembly meeting format of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy Student Senate (ie, student government) underwent a transformation from that of a forum to that of a council in an effort to address concerns regarding limited information exchange, minimal discussion, and unengaged meeting participants. To evaluate student perceptions of the new senate council format, members who attended at least one council meeting during the academic year were asked to complete a 12-item survey evaluating interorganizational relations, communication, collaboration, and efficiencies. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students' agreement with 10 survey items. Thematic analysis was employed to identify common themes in students' responses to the two open-ended survey items. Results. The majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that the senate council facilitated interorganizational relations (86%), communication (93%), and collaboration (86%). Ninety-three percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the senate council improved efficiencies, while 96% preferred the new senate council meeting format over the previous senate meeting format. Common qualitative themes included improved engagement during council meetings because of the "no laptop" policy and facilitation of open conversation by having a roundtable format and smaller number of members in attendance. Overall, 93% of students indicated they were satisfied or highly satisfied with the new meeting format. Conclusion. Student perceptions suggest that the new senate council structure and meeting format was effective at improving interorganizational relations, communication, collaboration, and efficiencies within student body government.

Co-Curriculum Implementation and Assessment in Accredited Doctor of Pharmacy Programs

Objective. To determine how accredited Doctor of Pharmacy programs implement and evaluate the co-curriculum requirement as mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Methods. A survey was administered to all ACPE-accredited pharmacy programs to collect information regarding how co-curriculum models were being implemented, including types of activities, structure, learning outcomes, oversight, and assessment. The frequency of responses to items were presented to describe the general features of co-curriculum models. Results. The types of co-curricular activities reported by programs were generally consistent, with the majority of programs categorizing these activities and allowing students to choose which they would engage in. Most respondents reported that the program mapped co-curricular activities to learning outcomes, primarily ACPE Standards 1-4. The structural oversight of the co-curriculum typically included a co-curriculum committee, subcommittee, or task force, and supporting offices. The most common offices/departments involved in the co-curriculum were assessment, student affairs/services, experiential education, and academic/curricular affairs. The most common assessments were reflections, self-assessment surveys, and checklists. Conclusion. In most programs, implementation of the co-curriculum was a joint effort among various individuals, committees, and offices. Given the developing nature of programs, descriptive studies should be repeated to identify how programs develop and enhance co-curriculum models. The study results may be useful to members of the Academy when evaluating the current state of co-curriculum implementation and potential areas for program development.

Assessing the Co-Curriculum by Mapping Student Organization Involvement to Curricular Outcomes Using Mixed Methods

Objective. To use institution-specific curricular outcomes as a framework to map skill development opportunities available through cocurricular involvement in pharmacy student organizations. Methods. Participants completed a modified Extracurricular Involvement Inventory individually to measure the intensity of their involvement in each student organization. Participants also completed the Co-Curriculum Outcomes Assessment Mapping Survey (COAMS) instrument as a group to indicate what skills (ie, curricular outcomes) they developed through involvement in a student organization and student organization activities, programs, and events, and to provide examples of these skills. Data sources were triangulated to map skill development opportunities in the co-curriculum to curricular outcomes. Results. The COAMS identified all curricular outcomes as skills students have the opportunity to develop through student organization involvement in the co-curriculum. Communication was the most common skill identified. Other common skills included professionalism and ethical behavior, collaboration and influence, and in-depth knowledge and proficient skills. A co-curriculum heat map was used to illustrate the degree to which students reported these skills were emphasized through student organization involvement in the co-curriculum. Conclusion. Evaluation of activities in the context of curricular outcomes can provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the co-curriculum complements the curriculum, thereby complying with accreditation expectations. Cocurricular mapping provides valuable information regarding student skill development opportunities to multiple stakeholders (eg, students, faculty, curriculum leadership). This process can be applied to diverse programs, adapted to measure institution-specific experiences, and measure various constructs of interest.