A progress assessment to evaluate pharmacy students' knowledge prior to beginning advanced pharmacy practice...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students require robust therapeutic decision-making skills for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs).
• Pharmacy practice residents can benefit from leadership and precepting skill development opportunities.
• Educational institutions need effective program-level assessment data for curriculum evaluation and enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create an interactive assessment tool for PharmD students to enhance therapeutic decision-making skills and confidence.
• To offer pharmacy practice residents a platform for leading small group discussions and developing leadership abilities.
• To generate program-level assessment data for pharmacy college assessment committees.

Main Methods:

• A case-based interactive assessment was designed and administered to PharmD students before their APPEs.
• An audience response system facilitated immediate feedback, followed by resident-led small group discussions.
• Students engaged in self-assessment of knowledge and confidence, setting personalized learning objectives.

Main Results:

• 89% of students reported the assessment was useful for their preparation.
• Pharmacy practice residents found the assessment beneficial for honing their precepting skills.
• The assessment data effectively supplemented the college's curricular mapping process.

Conclusions:

• An interactive assessment model successfully enhances student confidence for experiential training.
• The process provides a valuable learning experience for pharmacy residents and generates essential program data.
• Future enhancements include broadening content areas and incorporating communication skills assessments.