Impact of a near-peer teaching program within a college of pharmacy on interest in mentoring roles.

Background And Purpose: Near-peer teaching within healthcare education has numerous benefits, but there is limited literature to assess the impact that these experiences have on skill development and future teaching roles. This study describes the impact of serving as a near-peer teaching assistant on both former and current pharmacy students.

Educational Activity And Setting: The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy implemented the Academic Assistant (AA) program in 2009 to provide an opportunity for students to participate as near-peer educators in a variety of courses.

Part 1: Assessment of a virtual vs. onsite interview experience from the interviewee perspective.

Introduction: The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy transitioned the prospective student interview process for the incoming Class of 2025 from an onsite to a virtual Zoom interview. Differences between the two processes were assessed to determine utility of virtual interviews in the future. The objective was to compare preference, impact, and barriers to onsite and virtual interview experiences for prospective students.

Part 2: Assessment of a virtual vs. onsite interview experience from the interviewer perspective.

Introduction: The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy transitioned from onsite interviews to virtual interviews in fall 2020. There is limited literature on whether the virtual format impacts an interviewer's assessment of a candidate. This study examined interviewer ability to assess candidates and barriers to participation.