Supporting quality in experiential education through enhanced faculty engagement

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Experiential Learning
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Experiential education (EE) requires continuous quality improvement, particularly in complex, resource-intensive programs.
• A novel approach involves partnerships between clinical practice faculty and EE leadership to enhance EE program design and delivery.
• Volunteer preceptors are integral to current EE models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of utilizing clinical practice faculty as course directors for advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotations.
• To assess the feasibility of this model for enhancing curriculum and assessment in EE.
• To investigate how this strategy can improve consistency for students and preceptors.

Main Methods:

• This commentary proposes a model where clinical practice faculty, with expertise in practice settings, direct APPE rotations.
• Collaboration between clinical practice faculty, EE faculty, and staff is central to developing specific expectations, learning objectives, and assessment criteria.
• The proposed model is analogous to using content experts for didactic curriculum course direction.

Main Results:

• The model offers a structured approach to align APPE rotations with educational goals.
• It can lead to more consistent learning experiences and evaluation standards for students.
• Preceptors may benefit from clearer guidelines and expectations.

Conclusions:

• Utilizing clinical practice faculty as APPE rotation directors presents a viable strategy to enhance the quality and consistency of experiential education.
• This collaborative model can strengthen the link between academic learning and clinical practice.
• Further implementation and evaluation are warranted to validate these potential benefits.