Perceived Value of Teaching and Learning Curriculum Programs Among Pharmacy Practice Department Chairs

Empowering early career pharmacists: Unleashing non-clinical competencies through pharmacy residency

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacy residency programs traditionally prioritize clinical skills development. However, non-clinical competencies, such as leadership, conducting education, and innovation, are now emerging as pivotal factors in propelling pharmacists toward excellence in practice. The extent to which these non-clinical skills are effectively fostered by residency programs remains unclear. This study aims to explore how residency programs propel the development of crucial non-clinical competencies such as leadership, conducting education, and innovation.

METHODS

Pharmacists who completed a pharmacy residency program and their preceptors from a tertiary teaching hospital took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, employing an inductive approach and aided by NVivo software, was used to identify recurrent themes in the interview responses.

RESULTS

Competency development was shaped by four key themes: system-dependent facilitators, system-dependent barriers, individual resident attitudes, and pharmacy department influences. The structure of the residency program was perceived to strongly support competency development in conducting education. The impact on the leadership and innovation competencies development was comparatively lesser.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacy residency is perceived as effective in supporting non-clinical competency development when there is a clear structured framework with objectives and guidance for pre-defined activities and tasks known to support competency development. Ambiguity and a lack of standardized guidance in developing specific competencies were identified as factors that diminish their relevance for both residents and preceptors. To enhance residency programs, it is essential to establish clear frameworks, with pre-defined objectives and activities known to support competency development and supplement them with the necessary skills-building courses where appropriate.

Residents' assessment of mentoring received on lecture performance in a teaching and learning curriculum program

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluated residents' assessment of the mentorship received and how it impacted lecture performance as part of a teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) program.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was emailed to residents completing the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy's TLC during 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The survey collected information about: the type of mentorship received, residents' self-perceived lecture performance, and residents' desire to be involved in academia post-residency. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fisher's exact tests investigated the association between residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship and: mentors' involvement, residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentors' affiliation with VCU, and semester when the lecture occurred. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Forty-two of 86 residents (48.8%) completed the survey. Residents who were part of the TLC but did not deliver a lecture (n = 7) or taught practitioners instead of students (n =  2) were excluded, resulting in 33 participants. The majority of residents (87.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that mentorship enhanced their lecture. Mentors' level of involvement was significantly associated with residents' perception that the mentorship they received enhanced their lecture (P < .008). Residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentor affiliation, and semester when the lecture occurred were not associated with residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship.

CONCLUSIONS

Active mentorship was associated with better self-perceived lecture performance. The best criteria for lecture mentorship should be established in the future to help prepare residents to give lectures.