Longitudinal analysis of PharmD program students' satisfaction and stress.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Higher Education Research
• Student Well-being

Background:

• The University of Utah College of Pharmacy annually surveys students to understand satisfaction and stress related to the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.
• This research explores the connection between student satisfaction, stress levels, and future career perceptions within a PharmD program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess student satisfaction with the PharmD curriculum across all four professional years.
• To evaluate the levels and impact of student stress throughout the PharmD program.
• To examine the relationship between student satisfaction, stress, and likelihood to recommend the PharmD program and pharmacy career.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to professional year one (P1) through professional year four (P4) students from 2015 to 2019.
• The study included 953 non-unique respondents with an 86.8% overall response rate.
• Data analyzed satisfaction, stress, and career recommendation likelihood, with demographic analysis including gender and age.

Main Results:

• Students reported moderate to high satisfaction with the PharmD curriculum and a high likelihood to recommend the program.
• Likelihood to recommend a pharmacy career declined from P1/P2 to P3/P4.
• Stress levels were moderate to neutral, peaking in P2/P3, with financial issues identified as the primary stressor. Women reported higher stress impacting health than men.

Conclusions:

• Student satisfaction is a crucial aspect of higher education, necessitating a focus on PharmD program quality.
• Academic pharmacy programs should implement pedagogical and social strategies to help students manage stress and enhance satisfaction.
• Addressing financial stressors and supporting student well-being are critical for maintaining program satisfaction and career enthusiasm.