Oncology boot camp: A preparatory curriculum for advanced pharmacy practice experience students

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Oncology Therapeutics
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of novel educational interventions in pharmacy is crucial.
• Assessing student knowledge and perception of specialized training is essential for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of an autonomous oncology boot camp on Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) student knowledge.
• To evaluate student perceptions of a virtual oncology learning experience and their comfort with the material.

Main Methods:

• Voluntary enrollment of APPE students in a 4-hour oncology boot camp with interactive video lectures and a web-based case simulation.
• Pre- and post-intervention exams measured knowledge acquisition.
• Web surveys assessed student perceptions of learning and comfort.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement in post-intervention exam scores (78.6%) compared to pre-intervention scores (55.4%) was observed (p < 0.001).
• Students demonstrated improved performance across all exam questions, with 6 showing significant gains (p < 0.05).
• 93% of students found the boot camp effective, 91% supported its autonomous design, and 82% recommended it.

Conclusions:

• The autonomous oncology boot camp is an effective educational tool for enhancing student knowledge and confidence in oncology.
• The virtual, self-paced format was well-received by students, who supported its continued use.
• This intervention positively impacts pharmacy student preparedness for oncology practice.