The Medical Student Guide to Pharmacy: Piloting an Interactive Textbook on Basic Pharmacology Principles and Clinical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pharmacology
• Digital Learning

Background:

• Graduating medical students often lack confidence in prescribing medications.
• Educational initiatives are exploring new learning modalities.
• There is a need for supplemental resources in basic pharmacology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot an interactive textbook on basic pharmacology principles.
• To assess the subjective impact on students' knowledge and confidence.
• To supplement first-year medical lectures.

Main Methods:

• First-year medical students completed voluntary, anonymous online surveys (pre- and post-intervention).
• Surveys included Likert scale and free-text response questions.
• The study served as a pilot for future research.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention surveys showed significant improvements in perceived knowledge and confidence (P < .001).
• Low response rates were observed, particularly for the post-intervention survey.
• Free-text responses indicated limited prior exposure to pharmacy and pharmacists.

Conclusions:

• The interactive textbook provided valuable insights as a supplemental resource.
• Future challenges include better integration into lectures and developing validated assessments.
• The resource aims to enhance clinical orientation in pharmacology education.