A first-year skills-based laboratory course at two pharmacy colleges incorporated specifications grading. Identifying essential skills and minimum performance levels for each grade (A, B, C, etc.) was a crucial task undertaken by the course instructors. Course learning objectives guided the evaluation of skills at each college.
Specifications grading methodology proved instrumental in improving the correspondence between assignments and assessments with course learning objectives. Instructors observed that the implementation of specifications-driven grading increased the rigor of the course. Implementing specifications grading led to four problems: (1) its poor integration into the online platform, (2) initial student misunderstanding, (3) unforeseen modifications necessary, and (4) difficulties with the logistical aspects of the token exchange. Instructor tracking of submitted assignments and accumulated tokens, combined with regular schema reinforcement for students, and implementing course flexibility, notably during its first implementation, are essential for overcoming many of these challenges.
Two skills-based courses successfully adopted specifications grading. Continuous efforts to address the challenges encountered during the implementation of specifications grading are in place. Specifications grading, when introduced into different instructional arrangements, like elective or didactic courses, may demand revisions and further analysis.
Successfully, two skill-focused courses utilized specifications grading. The challenges of implementing specifications grading are subject to continuous review and remediation. Implementing specifications-based grading in supplementary learning environments, like electives and didactic courses, potentially demands adjustments and further evaluation.
Examining the impact of a complete virtual transition of in-hospital clinical training on student academic outcomes, and assessing student viewpoints on the total experience, comprised the study's objectives.
Two consecutive weeks of in-hospital clinical training for 350 final-year pharmacy students were delivered remotely using synchronous videoconferences held daily. The Cairo University Virtual Faculty of Pharmacy platform (VFOPCU) facilitated trainees' interactive virtual browsing of patient files, mirroring a typical clinical rounding experience with their instructors. Evaluation of academic performance involved administering identical 20-question tests pre- and post-training. An online survey served to assess perceptions.
The pretest boasted a 79% response rate; however, the posttest response rate was only 64%. Participants receiving virtual training exhibited a notably higher median score on the posttest (18/20, 11-20) compared to the pretest (7/20, 6-9), a difference that is statistically significant (P<.001). Training evaluations revealed participants were extremely satisfied, with average ratings consistently above 3.5 on a 5-point scale. A noteworthy percentage of 27% of those surveyed reported complete satisfaction with their overall experience, while offering no suggestions for improvement. Among the most prominent drawbacks, participants reported the inappropriate timing of the training (274%) and the perception of the training as condensed and tiring (162%).
The COVID-19 pandemic fostered the adoption of a distance learning method for clinical experiences using the VFOPCU platform, proving both functional and advantageous in the absence of physical hospital presence. Future virtual clinical skill delivery, even after the pandemic, will be enhanced by incorporating student suggestions and effective resource utilization, leading to novel and improved approaches.
A distance learning approach leveraging the VFOPCU platform for clinical experiences, rather than in-person hospital rotations, was found to be a viable and beneficial solution during the COVID-19 crisis. To facilitate improved virtual clinical skill delivery, even in a post-pandemic world, a thoughtful approach to student ideas and optimal resource management is necessary.
A pharmacy management and skills lab initiative was undertaken to implement and assess a specialized pharmacy workshop in this study.
In the process of creating and applying a program, a specialty pharmacy workshop was developed. The fall 2019 lecture cohort involved a 90-minute presentation focusing on pharmacy management. The fall 2020 lecture/lab cohort comprised a lecture, a 30-minute pre-lab video assignment, and a two-hour laboratory session. Following the laboratory work, students presented their research findings virtually to the pharmacy specialists. Pre- and post-surveys quantified participants' knowledge base (10 questions), self-assurance (9 questions), and perspectives (11 questions).
Of the 123 students registered, 88 individuals finished both the pre- and post-surveys, achieving a substantial 715% completion. In the lecture cohort, knowledge scores on a 10-point scale improved from 56 (SD=15) to 65 (SD=20). In comparison, the lecture/lab cohort showed a more significant enhancement from 60 (SD=16) to 73 (SD=20), achieving a statistically significant advantage. The lecture group witnessed a rise in perceived confidence concerning five of the nine items, in contrast to the lecture/lab cohort, where all nine aspects showed a considerable improvement. A positive outlook on learning about specialty pharmacy was evident among both cohorts.
Through participation in the specialty pharmacy workshop, students gained valuable insights into the complexities of workflow management and medication access procedures. Students perceived the workshop to be profoundly relevant and meaningful, consequently building their confidence in acquiring knowledge and understanding of specialty pharmacy subjects. Expanding the workshop's reach to encompass a larger number of pharmacy schools is possible by integrating didactic and lab components.
By means of the specialty pharmacy workshop, students were instructed on medication access processes and workflow management. Baxdrostat purchase Students recognized the workshop's relevance and significance, empowering them to confidently develop their knowledge and comprehension of specialty pharmacy areas. Pharmacy schools can amplify the workshop's impact by adopting a larger-scale replication, merging didactic instruction and laboratory practicals.
Simulation in healthcare training is a well-established practice for providing practical experience before working directly with patients. Baxdrostat purchase Despite the educational benefits of simulations within academic settings, they can unfortunately serve as a platform to reveal and possibly amplify ingrained cultural stereotypes. Baxdrostat purchase The research sought to quantify the presence of gender stereotypes within the simulated counseling interactions of pharmacy students.
Simulated counseling sessions, encompassing multiple student cohorts, were subjected to a comprehensive review. The video database of these counseling sessions underwent a manual, retrospective review to detect whether students or trained actors, portraying pharmacists and patients, respectively, implicitly assigned a gender to the providers without any initial request. Timeliness of provider gender assignment and acknowledgment was evaluated in the secondary analysis.
An analysis of 73 distinct counseling sessions was performed. In the course of 65 sessions, gender was preferentially assigned. Male was the assigned provider gender in the 65 cases studied. Based on observations of 65 cases, in 45 of them, the gender was determined by the actors.
Gender-based stereotypes are inherent in the design of simulated counseling sessions. Promoting cultural stereotypes in simulations necessitates continuous oversight and intervention. Healthcare professionals' training in cultural competency benefits from simulated counseling scenarios, fostering adaptability in diverse work settings.
In simulated counseling settings, pre-established gender roles are observable. Monitoring simulations is a necessary step to avoid the unintentional promotion of cultural stereotypes. Healthcare professionals' ability to function effectively in diverse work environments can be enhanced by incorporating cultural competency into counseling simulation experiences.
This investigation into the prevalence of generalized anxiety (GA) amongst doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at an academic institution during the COVID-19 pandemic employed Alderfer's ERG theory to explore the relationship between unmet needs and the expression of higher levels of GA symptoms.
A cross-sectional survey at a single site was given to first- through fourth-year PharmD students over the period of October 2020 to January 2021. Demographic information, the validated Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-62, and nine additional questions designed to evaluate Alderfer's ERG theory of needs, were all components of the survey instrument. Employing descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, correlation analysis, and multivariable analysis, an investigation into the predictors of GA symptoms was undertaken.
Out of the 513 students surveyed, 214 successfully completed the survey, representing a 42% completion rate. From the student sample, 4901% presented with no clinical GA symptoms, 3131% presented with low-grade clinical GA symptoms, and 1963% presented with high-grade clinical GA symptoms. Feeling disliked, socially disconnected, and misunderstood, facets of the need for relatedness, displayed the most significant correlation (65%) with generalized anxiety symptoms, demonstrating the strongest association (r=0.56, p<.001). Students failing to engage in exercise reported a statistically significant increase in GA symptoms (P = .008).
Among PharmD students, a prevalence of over 50% in meeting the clinical thresholds for generalized anxiety symptoms was observed, with the importance of relatedness proving to be the most influential predictor. Future student-centered interventions should proactively create opportunities for social connections, build resilience, and supply psychosocial assistance.