Student Personality Style and First-Year Academic Performance in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Objective. To evaluate whether the personality styles of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students as determined by the DiSC assessment are associated with students' cumulative grade point average (GPA) or with academic penalties imposed in the first year of a PharmD program. Methods. All incoming PharmD students that provided informed consent and completed the DiSC personality assessment were included in the study. Participants provided demographic data and forwarded their electronic DiSC assessment results to study investigators upon completion. Relevant academic data were collected at the end of each semester. Results. The overall response rate for the classes of 2019-2022 was 95.6%. No significant associations were found when comparing personality styles as defined by the DiSC assessment and cumulative GPA at the end of the first year. Additionally, no associations were noted when comparing students' personality style and semester GPA or academic penalties received. Conclusion. Understanding factors that contribute to students' academic success can aid in early identification of students who are likely to succeed and of students who may benefit from early academic intervention. While no significant associations were found in the first-year of the curriculum, continued evaluation will be conducted to determine the impact of personality style on students' overall academic performance beyond the first year of the PharmD curriculum.