Reliability of Non-Cognitive Admissions Measures in Predicting Non-traditional Doctor of Pharmacy Student Performance Outcomes, The

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2003 by Stolte, Scott K, Scheer, Stephanie B, Robinson, Evan T

Objectives. This study evaluated the potential of non-cognitive admissions indicators as predictors of academic success for distance educated, non-traditional doctor of pharmacy students. The objective of this study is to determine whether non-cognitive admission indicators are predictive of academic success.

Methods. Preadmission candidate interview scores, essay scores, and total non-cognitive evaluation scores were compared via simple correlation with composite practice portfolio scores and grade point average (GPA) with (overall GPA) and without (didactic GPA) inclusion of portfolio scores.

Results. Portfolio scores and GPA scores were significantly correlated with preadmission candidate interview scores, essay scores, and total non-cognitive evaluation scores. In addition, portfolio scores were significantly correlated with didactic GPA.

Conclusions. All of the non-cognitive admissions parameters significantly correlated with the outcome measures; composite portfolio score, didactic GPA, and overall GPA. These correlations may assist schools of pharmacy in selecting applicants possessing skills required to succeed in a nontraditional, distance delivered PharmD program. The results of this study also pertain to other disciplines that use distance education.

Keywords: admissions, student performance, academic success, non-traditional PharmD

INTRODUCTION

The demand for non-traditional doctor of pharmacy programs was mainly stimulated by the 1989 decision of the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) to accredit only those colleges of pharmacy that offer the PharmD as their entry level degree and the subsequent vote by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) House of Delegates in 1992 to adopt the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) as the entry level degree. Non-traditional doctor of pharmacy programs are aimed at practicing pharmacists who earned pharmacy degrees from traditional Bachelor of Science programs.

Distance-based, non-traditional PharmD programs provide many pharmacists with the convenience of being able to remain in their current position and continue to practice pharmacy full time. According to a study by Zgarrick and MacKinnon in which they surveyed pharmacists to elicit motivations for wanting to pursue a non-traditional PharmD degree and to determine practice area preferences, approximately 32% of pharmacists indicated that they would or probably would enroll in a non-traditional PharmD program.' The pharmacists surveyed indicated that improving their clinical skills and improving the quality of their work were reasons for wanting to enroll. Half of the pharmacists indicated that their current practice area would be their preferred area after they completed a PharmD degree. Such findings support the need for distance-based, non-traditional PharmD programs. While these findings indicate significant interest in non-traditional program enrollment, the number of institutions offering such programming in pharmacy has decreased since the publication of this article. The reason for this decrease was not investigated as it did not directly impact this study's purpose.

The non-traditional PharmD program of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy at Shenandoah University is for registered and practicing pharmacists and normalIy requires 2 years to complete. Pharmacists are admitted twice a year (October and February). Each cohort of pharmacists who join the program at the same time progress through the program at the same rate. The format and delivery of this program allow the pharmacist to work full time while continuing his or her education. This is accomplished by delivering the program via the Internet and CD-ROM and is consistent with principles of distance education in that it eliminates the barriers of time and place. The program's experiential rotations are also completed at a distance from the school of pharmacy campus. Students, in cooperation with school of pharmacy faculty, select geographically viable rotation sites that meet the program's designated site criteria. The experiential phase is assessed by a portfolio, which is evaluated by pharmacy practice faculty members. In the traditional PharmD program, rotations are assigned by the experiential coordinator based on student input, but the final decision is made by the coordinator. In the non-traditional program, final rotation selection is made by the student.

The admissions process for the program has 2 components. First, the applying student completes a written application, which is comprised of demographic information, as well as cognitive admission parameters such as undergraduate or graduate course grade point average (GPA), and a copy of transcripts from previously attended educational institutions. In addition to these parameters, the applicant is also asked to submit a curriculum vitae and a career plan that includes a statement of goals and a description of research interests.

After the application packet is received, it is reviewed and applicants with a complete file are invited to the school for an onsite visit comprised mainly of an interview with a faculty member of the school and an essay. The interview format, the essay, and the evaluation process are discussed in detail within the Methods section of this paper. These components, defined as non-cognitive components, are included in the admissions process to assess desirable qualities of an applicant that may not be apparent in evaluating the cognitive components. Most would agree that the ideal health professions student should be intelligent, compassionate, highly motivated, and aware of social issues. The student should also possess exceptional interpersonal skills, problem-exploration skills, leadership ability, and personal integrity.' However, as Kulatunga-Moruzi and Norman state, the question is not whether these qualities should be considered in selecting candidates, but whether admissions committees can adequately measure such attributes.2 The interview and essay are intended to measure these attributes. Further, they are intended to help predict success in the program as well as increased probability of professional success after completion of the program.