Considerations for remediation policy and procedures in pharmacy education

INTRODUCTION

Despite the heterogeneous nature of remediation definitions, processes, and impact on learning, it is commonly understood as a process for identifying student deficiencies in knowledge, skills, and attitudes that need to be corrected prior to student progression in the program.

COMMENTARY

Current issues related to remediation in pharmacy education include inconsistencies in practices and types within and among institutions, a lack of correlation to student academic success, effects on attrition both positive (student staying on-time for graduation) and negative (students sitting back one year), increase in faculty workload, and negativity or stigma associated with the student.

IMPLICATIONS

Key considerations in developing and implementing remediation policies and procedures include being student-focused, providing a positive frame for remediation, implementing a clear process, and early identification of students who need help.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Emotional Intelligence of Student Pharmacist Leaders

Objective. To assess changes in Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA) scores following the COVID-19 pandemic for pharmacy students within a voluntary cocurricular leadership development program.Methods. Participants from the class of 2021 (pandemic group) completed an EIA self-assessment near the beginning of the leadership program in August 2019 (pre-pandemic) and at the end of the program in July 2020 (during peak first-wave COVID-19 activity) and wrote an accompanying self-reflection. To determine changes in students' emotional intelligence potentially attributable to COVID-19, differences in EIA scores from the pandemic group were compared to the pooled results of previous program cohorts (classes of 2017-2019). Prevalent themes in student self-reflections were also highlighted.Results. Thirty-five student leaders comprised the pandemic group, with 166 students included within the control group. The proportion of students with final EIA scores indicating high emotional intelligence was greater within the pandemic group (74.3% vs 50.6%). While both groups had increased final EIA scores compared to baseline values, score increases were significantly higher among students in the pandemic group with respect to overall emotional intelligence and relationship management. Students commented that the pandemic highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence during stressful situations, although the lack of in-person interaction was noted as a limitation for social development.Conclusion. Pharmacy students participating in a leadership development program during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced greater increases in emotional intelligence than did the program's pre-pandemic cohorts. This may support the ability of health professional students to maintain resiliency through the pandemic and develop both personal and interpersonal relationship-building skills.

Enhancing the Emotional Intelligence of Student Leaders Within an Accelerated Pharmacy Program

Objective. To determine student pharmacists' perceptions of a leadership development program for student organization officers and report the changes in their Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (EIA) scores.Methods. Between 2015-2018, three different cohorts of Doctor of Pharmacy students participated in a voluntary leadership development program that spanned six academic quarters. The program included a variety of self-assessments and large-group topic discussions, followed by quarterly individual written reflections with feedback from faculty mentors. These activities primarily addressed the topics of emotional intelligence, strengths-based leadership, and continuous leadership development. Participants' EIA scores near the beginning and end of the program were compared. An anonymous online survey of participant perceptions was administered at the end of the program.Results. One hundred sixty-six student pharmacists completed all program activities. Each cohort's final mean overall, self-awareness, self-management, and social awareness EIA scores were higher than their corresponding mean initial scores. The overall response rate for the online survey was 61%. All respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that participating in the program enhanced their leadership skills. The majority of respondents additionally rated each of the program's activities as being either beneficial or very beneficial. The emotional intelligence assessment and strengths-based leadership assessment were the activities that were most frequently cited as being very beneficial.Conclusion. The pilot implementation of this leadership development program appears to have been both impactful and well received. Programs structured like this one may provide an effective way of increasing the emotional intelligence of student pharmacists, particularly within accelerated pharmacy programs.