Student Pharmacists' Professional Identity Perceptions and Identification with the Pharmacy Profession: An...

This study explored the identification of second-year professional student pharmacists with the pharmacy profession while enrolled in an elective course on career opportunities.

Two validated instruments were used: the professional identity (PI) constructs of pharmacists and the 9 items from the Macleod-Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9). Students completed the questionnaire at the beginning and end of the course during the fall and spring semesters of the 2023-2024 academic year. Data regarding students' perceptions of PI and their identification with the pharmacy profession were analyzed and compared for the 2 cohorts combined between the start and end of the course.

Student pharmacists selected multiple PIs. At the end of the course, students primarily identified with the PIs of entrepreneur (60%), business person (46%), medicines adviser (40%), and clinical practitioner (40%). By the end of the course, students felt more positive about their professional connections, sense of belonging, and identification with the profession than at the beginning. This was reflected in a significant increase in the overall MCPIS-9 score averages from 3.08 to 3.23 from the start to the end of the course.

An early elective course that guides student pharmacists in personal and professional development strengthens students' identification with the pharmacy profession. Students identified with multiple PIs, and their predominant choices were primarily related to their familiarity with the pharmacists' identities.