An innovative clerkship in pharmacy education

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Fall 2001 by Hammer, Dana P, Paulsen, Susan M

An Innovative Clerkship in Pharmacy Education'2

The objective was to offer a comprehensive, elective, six-week clerkship experience in pharmacy education for PharmD students to develop their skills and stimulate their interest in the teaching and service aspects of academic life. The methods used included students participating in this rotation to meet the following outcomes through a wide variety of activities. These were: (i) creating and delivering an instructional module; (ii) assessing the learning value of that module or other instructional activity; (iii) participating in school committees and describing the committees' impact on the educational process; (iv) analyzing a variety of instructional methodologies and assessments used by faculty members; (v) discussing changes in pharmaceutical education over the last three decades; (vi) identifing, evaluating and discussing references and resources for pharmacy faculty to aid in their teaching; (vii) evaluating and discussing specific education journal articles of interest to the student; (viii) analyzing the role of specific national associations that impact pharmacy education; (ix) completing and presenting an education-related project; and (x) creating a portfolio to demonstrate achievement of rotation outcomes. Participant feedback and evaluations of the rotation were very positive. Student portfolios reflected their understanding of pharmacy education and the challenges and rewards of faculty life. Undergraduate students value the instructional activities of and interaction with these clerkship students. With continued success of this model, the rotation may become required for all students, as well as stimulate more of them to pursue academic careers.

INTRODUCTION

The recruitment of pharmacy students into academic careers has been discussed at length in the last decade(1-8). Questions and concerns have been raised that with the advent of the PharmD degree as the sole entry-level practice degree, fewer students will opt to pursue post-graduate training to prepare for careers in academia(9,10). Additionally, while most clerkship rotations give students patient-centered practice experience in a variety of settings, very few focus on "academic practice." Recommendations have been made to involve students in experiences that may interest them in academic careers( 11). A number of schools offer clerkship and residency rotations in education/teaching/faculty life to help prepare graduates for academic careers(12-18).

At the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy, students in the "track-in" PharmD program (to be phased out as of May 2002) complete seven sixweek clerkship rotations in their final year of the program. Of these seven rotations, two are community-practice based, one is inpatient-based, one is in ambulatory care, one is in a specialty practice (e.g., psychiatry, oncology, geriatrics), and the two remaining are elective rotations. Students select two clerkships of interest from a list of elective rotations ranging from manufacturing to research to education.

The clerkship rotation described in this paper is an education-based elective rotation. It focuses on the service as well as teaching aspects of academic positions and provides students with numerous hands-on opportunities in both areas. The rotation culminates in students' completion of a timely educationrelated project and a comprehensive self-reflective portfolio of their experiences to demonstrate achievement of rotation outcomes. The two primary preceptors for this rotation allow one or two students per six-week rotation during the fall and spring semesters to participate. The specific student-focused outcomes for this rotation are:

1. discuss changes in pharmaceutical education over the last three decades;

2. analyze the role of specific national associations that impact pharmacy education;

3. identify, evaluate and discuss references and resources for pharmacy faculty to aid in their teaching;

4. evaluate and discuss specific education journal articles of interest to the student;

5. analyze a variety of instructional methodologies and assessments used by faculty members;

6. participate in school committees and describe the committees' impact on the school's educational process;

7. create and repeatedly deliver an instructional module;

8. assess the learning value of that module or other instructional activity;

9. complete and present an education-related project; and

10. create a comprehensive portfolio to demonstrate achievement of rotation outcomes.

The rotation employs a wide variety of activities to help students meet all of the specified outcomes. Weekly meetings help preceptors to determine students' progression toward meeting all outcomes. Students' schedule for the rotation mimics daily activities of the faculty preceptors. During unstructured, unscheduled time, students work independently toward achievement of outcomes. More specific details of the rotation follow.

METHODS