Pharmacy Students' Lived Experiences of Academic Difficulty and Tinto's Theory of Student Departure.

To understand students' lived experiences of academic difficulty in pharmacy school in relation to Tinto's conceptual schema of student departure. A descriptive, single case study design was chosen to explore academic difficulty in pharmacy school, and the unit of analysis (case) in this study was the experience of academic difficulty. Four students who had experienced academic difficulty in pharmacy school were recruited to participate in the study.

Becoming more holistic: A literature review of nonacademic factors in the admissions process of colleges and schools of pharmacy and other health professions.

Background: The expanding role of pharmacists has influenced admissions committees to consider nonacademic factors other than grade point average (GPA) and test scores and has focused more attention on holistic admissions.

Methods: Database searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, and PsychINFO using keywords, "holistic admissions", "holistic review", and "pharmacy admissions" plus "critical thinking skills", "extracurricular", "communication skills", "essay", or "interview". Overall, 64 studies were identified, 17 were excluded, and ultimately, 47 were reviewed.

APPE Evaluations are Positively Associated with MMI, Pre-pharmacy GPA and Pharmacy GPA.

To determine factors associated with advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) performance in the pre-pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum and establish whether performance on the multiple mini interview (MMI) independently predicts APPE evaluation scores. A multi-case MMI has been used in the admissions process since 2008. Students are scored anywhere from 1 to 7 (unsatisfactory to outstanding) on each interview.

Adapting Leadership Styles to Reflect Generational Differences in the Academy.

The topic of adapting one's leadership style is controversial and can generate great debate. When one considers adapting one's leadership style, the question of authenticity often bubbles to the surface. This is even more compelling in the context of generational differences in our society and workforce.

Multiple Mini-Interview Performance Predicts Academic Difficulty in the PharmD Curriculum.

Objective. To identify admissions variable prognostics for academic difficulty in the PharmD curriculum to use for admissions determinations and early identification of at-risk students. Methods.

Desirable Skills in New Pharmacists.

Objective: To compare survey responses between licensed pharmacists who work with or employ new graduates and graduating senior pharmacy students at a college of pharmacy.

Design: This was a retrospective analysis of surveys given to 2 groups of pharmacists and students. Responses to items regarding importance of desirable qualities in new pharmacists and level of preparation of new graduates were analyzed.

Factors associated with health-related quality of life of student pharmacists.

Objective: To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of student pharmacists and explore factors related to HRQoL outcomes of student pharmacists in a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program at a public university.

Methods: A survey instrument was administered to all student pharmacists in a PharmD program at a public university to evaluate differences and factors related to the HRQoL outcomes of first-year (P1), second-year (P2), third-year (P3), and fourth-year (P4) student pharmacists in the college. The survey instrument included attitudes and academic-related self-perception, a 12-item short form health survey, and personal information components.

Academic help-seeking behavior among student pharmacists.

Objectives. To identify factors associated with academic help-seeking behavior among student pharmacists at a public university.Methods.

Multi-institutional study of women and underrepresented minority faculty members in academic pharmacy.

Objectives: To examine trends in the numbers of women and underrepresented minority (URM) pharmacy faculty members over the last 20 years, and determine factors influencing women faculty members' pursuit and retention of an academic pharmacy career.

Methods: Twenty-year trends in women and URM pharmacy faculty representation were examined. Women faculty members from 9 public colleges and schools of pharmacy were surveyed regarding demographics, job satisfaction, and their academic pharmacy career, and relationships between demographics and satisfaction were analyzed.

Expanding experiential opportunities through patient care services: a focus on immunizations.

A new set of standards, ACPE Standards 2007, adopted by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), required all pharmacy programs to include introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) to represent 5% of the curriculum and advance pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) to represent 25% of the curriculum. This required many pharmacy programs to revise their curriculum to meet these requirements. The challenge of satisfying the increased accreditation requirements along with the increased number of new pharmacy programs in the United States has resulted in increased competition for experiential sites.

Arkansas community pharmacists' opinions on providing immunizations.

Objectives: To determine community pharmacists' attitudes and knowledge on providing immunizations including perceived barriers to immunizing. The study also examined the percentage of Arkansas pharmacists providing immunizations and the utilization of student pharmacists.

Design: Survey.

An Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE) in an advanced nonprescription medicines course.

Objective: To add an objective standardized clinical examination (OSCE) to a nonprescription medication elective and assess the impact on students' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction.

Design: A nonprescription medicine elective was altered to incorporate more active learning and skill-assessment measures. Small group recitation sessions were added to review didactic material from a prior required nonprescription medicine course, and an objective standardized clinical examination was used to assess skills.

Web-based multimedia vignettes in advanced community pharmacy practice experiences.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of Web-based multimedia vignettes on complex drug administration techniques to augment the training of pharmacy students in advanced community pharmacy practice experiences.

Design: During the orientation for a community APPE, students were randomly assigned to either a study group or control group After they began their APPE, students in the study group were given an Internet address to access multimedia vignettes which they were required to watch to augment their training and standardize their counseling of patients in the use of inhalers and ear and eye drops.

Assessment: A 12-item questionnaire was administered to students in both groups at the orientation and again on the last day of the APPE to evaluate their knowledge of counseling patients in the use of inhalers and ear and eye drops.

Integrating an elective self-care experience with a required advanced pharmacy practice community experience.

The development, planning, implementation, and integration of a nonprescription medication (self-care) experience into an existing community advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy is described. The APPE will provide enhanced self-care education and skill development for students in response to the new Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Standards and Guidelines for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree, which will take effect in July 2007. A description of the Advanced Community Pharmacy Over-The-Counter APPE is provided along with insights gleaned from the faculty involved.