How do pharmacy students learn professionalism?

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Professionalism Studies
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Defining and cultivating professionalism in pharmacy students presents challenges.
• Understanding student and educator perspectives on professionalism is crucial for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how professionalism is learned, developed, and supported within UK pharmacy education.
• To identify effective pedagogical strategies for fostering professionalism in future pharmacists.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative methodology employed across three UK pharmacy schools.
• Included documentary analysis, staff interviews, student focus groups, and practice class observations.
• Utilized curriculum mapping, thematic analysis, and triangulation for robust data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Both students and educators found defining professionalism difficult, yet identified key attitudinal and behavioral traits.
• Work experience and role models significantly influenced students' understanding of professionalism.
• Longitudinal, integrated learning with practical application (role-plays, real-life examples) proved effective.
• Teacher practitioners were highly valued for their dual practice and academic roles.

Conclusions:

• This study provides unique insights into professionalism learning in undergraduate pharmacy programs.
• Effective strategies involve grounding learning in practice, using varied teaching methods, and reinforcing explicit professional standards.
• Highlights valuable approaches for enhancing professionalism within academic settings.