Assessment of curricular competency outcomes

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Fall 2001 by Kirkpatrick, Mary Ann F, Pugh, Carol B

The results of the student self-assessment surveys administered at matriculation can be found in Figure 2. The baseline values for the four classes enrolled in the new first profession al degree Doctor of Pharmacy program were remarkably similar. The data from the student self-assessment surveys for each year of the didactic portion of the curriculum are presented in Figures 3 through 5 (columns). Cumulative coverage data (lines), derived from the faculty surveys, are also included in the graphs. It was interesting to note the great similarities among the classes at the end of each year of the didactic curriculum. This occurred despite the constant tweaking of the new curriculum over time. Curricular adjustments included an overall reduction in the number of credit hours (which affected nearly every course), the relocation of content from one course to another, and changes in the manner in which material was presented. We would like to think that, despite these curricular alterations, the lack of change in the student assessments over the study years showed the robust nature of our instrument. We realize, however, that this lack of change might actually indicate a lack of sensitivity.

At the time the analysis was done, only one set of data was available for the final administration of the student survey. These data were combined with the values for the previous four administration times for the class of 1999 and are depicted in a single graph (see Figure 6). It appears that repetition and/or reinforcement of some competency areas led to higher levels of self-assessments of competence, especially during the first two years of the curriculum.

DISCUSSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published comparison of faculty reports of curricular content coverage with students' perception of content mastery. In assessing content in an entry level doctor of pharmacy curriculum, Mort, Houglum and Kaatz (2) had faculty report competency coverage in their courses using a five-point scale to indicate the extent of coverage. At the time of their study, student assessments were under development.

The similar results for the four entering classes (Figure 2) is particularly interesting because the School changed the admissions procedure in the middle of this assessment. The first two classes were admitted under a process where no interviews were performed. The new admissions procedure, which includes faculty and practitioner/student interviews, began with the class of 2001. We had thought students accepted under the new procedure would assess some competencies, especially the ones concerned with communication skills, higher than students accepted under the previous admissions procedure had. This was not the case for the classes of 2001 and 2002. We were pleased by the high level of professionalism professed by all students at matriculation (competency 12). This finding was not expected, but it is not surprising. Students entering Pharmacy School often cite a desire to help others as a motivating factor in their career choice. The students make progress in this area during the first year of the curriculum, despite its heavy basic science content, and maintain their commitment to professionalism throughout the didactic curriculum.