Student Performance Outcomes and Perceptions in Two Content Areas in Conventional Versus Integrated Pharmacy Curricula.

To compare student performance measures and perceptions of learning in 2 content areas, conventional and integrated pharmacy curricula, at a single institution. Prospective cohort study of pharmacy students enrolled in either conventional (cohort C) or integrated (cohort I) curricula. Summative examination performance in the neuropsychiatric and infectious diseases courses, student self-rating of confidence and comfort in integrating and applying knowledge, and performance on a delayed knowledge assessment were compared between cohorts.

Changes in Pharmacy Students' Self-Reported Learning Strategies Across a Four-Year Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Few studies describe changes in students' class preparation, note-taking, and examination preparation over the course of professional school. This study aims to describe the use of these learning and study strategies by pharmacy students and to analyze changes during their education. We performed a prospective, observational cohort study of students at a single US pharmacy school from 2016-2019.

Impact of an auditory hallucination simulation coupled with a speaker diagnosed with schizophrenia on mental illness stigma in pharmacy students.

Introduction: Hallucination simulations improve student empathy but increase desired social distance from individuals with schizophrenia, while direct contact reduces social distance. This study describes the implementation of combining an auditory hallucination simulation with a speaker diagnosed with schizophrenia and its impact on mental illness stigma.

Methods: Pharmacy students in their last year of didactic instruction (N = 346) attended a presentation by a speaker diagnosed with schizophrenia then participated in a hallucination simulation.

Longitudinal study of grit among pharmacy students: Impact of cohort and professional year.

Introduction: Whether grit changes over a student's enrollment in health professions school is unknown. We aimed to measure grit across 13 cohort-years of students in a four-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program.

Methods: We administered the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) to first-year (P1), second-year (P2), third-year (P3), and fourth-year (P4) PharmD students between 2016 and 2019.

Should multiple-choice questions get the SAQ? Development of a short-answer question writing rubric.

Introduction: Short-answer questions (SAQs) are often used to assess pharmacy student competency. However, the literature lacks guidance on SAQ development strategies, resulting in varying practices between SAQ writers. Understanding student and faculty perceptions of what constitutes a high-quality SAQ can identify best practices for SAQ development.

Gaps in Patient Education on Safe Handling and Disposal of Oral Chemotherapy Drugs: A Pilot Prospective Cohort Survey Study.

Background: Oral anticancer chemotherapy (OC) has been misperceived as being safer than intravenous chemotherapy, leading to its increased risk of improper handling and disposal. This survey study assessed the knowledge, practices and attitudes of pharmacists and patients regarding OC handling and disposal, gaps in knowledge and barriers to patient education.

Methods: Surveys were developed based on literature review and pilot study validation results.

Examining participant perceptions of the UCSF school of pharmacy master preceptor program.

Introduction: The University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy faculty created the Master Preceptor Program (MPP) to instill best practices in clinical precepting, leadership and professional development, and interprofessional education (IPE). Graduates of the program are encouraged to mentor colleagues at affiliated sites. This study aimed to explore MPP participants' perceptions about the program and to collect general feedback.

Exploring Multiple Perspectives on Pharmacy Students' Readiness for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

This study aimed to enrich the Academy's understanding of pharmacy students' readiness for advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) by exploring the perspectives of three primary stakeholders: APPE students, APPE preceptors, and APPE faculty site directors. A descriptive qualitative study of APPE readiness was conducted using workplace learning as a guiding conceptual framework. Data were collected between March and September 2019 through semi-structured focus groups and interviews with students (five groups), preceptors (four groups), and faculty site directors (one group, two individual interviews).

A Randomized, Crossover Pilot Study of a Novel Web-Based/Mobile Platform for Collaborative Small Group Practice in Therapeutic Reasoning.

Background And Purpose: Therapeutic reasoning-the mental process of making judgments and decisions about treatment-is developed through acquisition of knowledge and application in actual or simulated experiences. Health professions education frequently uses collaborative small group work to practice therapeutic reasoning. This pilot study compared the impact of a web-based/mobile tool for collaborative case work and discussion to usual practice on student perceptions and performance on questions designed to test therapeutic knowledge and reasoning.

A Comprehensive Survey of Infectious Diseases Curriculum Among US Pharmacy Schools.

To describe what and how infectious diseases (ID) topics are taught in US schools of pharmacy and summarize pharmacy faculty members' and students' perceived successes and challenges in teaching and learning about ID. A 23-item survey instrument was distributed electronically to ID faculty members at 137 US pharmacy schools. Data collected included curricular hours and format, topics covered, active-learning strategies, and curricular successes and concerns.

A novel online platform promotes asynchronous class preparation and thought transparency.

Background And Purpose: Engaging all learners with self-directed class preparation materials can be challenging. The purpose of this study is to assess student perceptions of a novel app and web-based program, Practice Improvement using Virtual Online Training (PIVOT) as a preparatory tool in a pharmacy therapeutics course.

Educational Activity And Setting: PIVOT was designed to encourage self-directed information gathering, group collaboration, and problem-solving prior to classes.

Longitudinal Associations Between Grit, Academic Outcomes, and Residency Match Rates Among Pharmacy Students.

To characterize Grit-S scores in pharmacy students, determine whether Grit-S scores change within individual pharmacy students and cohorts over time, and investigate the relationship between Grit-S scores, academic outcomes, and professional outcomes. A survey was conducted in fall 2016 and again in fall 2017 to determine Grit-S scores in first- through fourth-year pharmacy students. Participant demographic variables, grade point average (GPA), advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) ratings, and residency match results were collected.

Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas Infections: Hard to Treat, But Hope on the Horizon?

Purpose Of Review: As the sixth most common nosocomial pathogen in the USA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa poses a significant threat to patients within the healthcare system. Its intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms also significantly limit the choices for antimicrobial therapy, prompting an increase in the research and development of antibacterial agents with enhanced activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa.

Sustainable Pharmacy: Piloting a Session on Pharmaceuticals, Climate Change, and Sustainability within a U.S. Pharmacy Curriculum.

Objective: To design and assess an innovative session for pharmacy students that addresses the role of pharmaceuticals with climate change and sustainability.

Innovation: One hundred and sixteen third-year students at the University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy participated during their required Health Policy course. This 3-hour session included guided pre-course activities, an interactive lecture, a panel of healthcare professionals discussing complex decision-making and small group case-based learning.

Cloud-Based Evaluation of Anatomical Structure Segmentation and Landmark Detection Algorithms: VISCERAL Anatomy Benchmarks.

Variations in the shape and appearance of anatomical structures in medical images are often relevant radiological signs of disease. Automatic tools can help automate parts of this manual process. A cloud-based evaluation framework is presented in this paper including results of benchmarking current state-of-the-art medical imaging algorithms for anatomical structure segmentation and landmark detection: the VISCERAL Anatomy benchmarks.

New approaches in primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has long been associated with an inferior prognosis compared to other aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs). However, during the past 10 years an accumulation of clinical experience has demonstrated that long-term progression-free survival (PFS) can be attained in a major proportion of PCNSL patients who receive dose-intensive consolidation chemotherapy and avoid whole brain radiotherapy. One recent approach that has reproducibly demonstrated efficacy for newly diagnosed PCNSL patients is an immunochemotherapy combination regimen used during induction that consists of methotrexate, temozolomide, and rituximab followed by consolidative infusional etoposide plus high-dose cytarabine (EA), administered in first complete remission (CR).

Acetaminophen inhibits cytochrome c redox cycling induced lipid peroxidation.

Cytochrome (cyt) c can uncouple from the respiratory chain following mitochondrial stress and catalyze lipid peroxidation. Accumulating evidence shows that this phenomenon impairs mitochondrial respiratory function and also initiates the apoptotic cascade. Therefore, under certain conditions a pharmacological approach that can inhibit cyt c catalyzed lipid peroxidation may be beneficial.