An elective course in women's health

To design, implement, and assess a women's health elective course for second- and third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students.

A women's health course was developed, focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment throughout a woman's lifespan. Course format included didactic lectures, in-class activities, peer teaching, case studies, and reading assignments.

Student performance and learning were assessed based on class participation, (graded 3 times during the semester), activities and assignments, (graded weekly), and 2 formal written assessments. Student survey results indicated perceptions of women's health had changed in 3 ways: a realization that many diseases manifest differently in women than men, an increased awareness of numerous diseases not addressed in the required curriculum that affect women, and a greater appreciation of the physiological and pharmacokinetic differences that increase the potential for adverse drug reactions in women.

An elective course in women's health was well received by PharmD students. Excellent student performance in weekly active-learning activities and class participation, however, did not translate into excellent performance on subsequent formal assessments.