Traditional and Novel Predictors of Classroom and Clerkship Success of Pharmacy Students

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 2003 by Kidd, Robert S, Latif, David A

The on-campus interview is evaluated with a 10item instrument using a Likert scale with a 55-point maximum score. Its primary purpose is to assess candidates on interpersonal, motivational, and critical thinking characteristics. The on-campus, timed essay is a 30-minute exercise to evaluate a candidate's written communication skills. The timed essays are all evaluated by a single faculty member using a 4-parameter Likert-scale instrument that has a 35-point maximum score.

The CCTST is a standardized 34-item multiplechoice instrument that evaluates and reports scores on one's analysis skills, evaluation skills, inference ability, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and overall critical thinking. The CCTDI is a standardized 75-item instrument with all responses recorded using a 6-point Likert scale. It is designed to measure an individual's disposition toward using his or her critical thinking skills in any given situation. Other tests used to examine critical thinking skills include the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Skills Assessment, the Cornell Critical Thinking Skills Test, and the Collegiate Assessment of Didactic Proficiency Critical Thinking Test. However, the authors are not aware of any literature reports describing their use in pharmacy education.

The CCTST and CCTDI are being evaluated as possible admission criteria to assist in predicting an applicant's potential to become an effective professional and a life-long learner. A very important aspect of delivering pharmaceutical care is the practitioner's ability and inclination to critically analyze situations. Therefore, we are assessing the significance of evaluating an applicant's critical thinking skills and inclination. In addition, our curriculum includes several problem-based learning courses to assist our students in develop their critical thinking skills. The curriculum is also designed to transition students into independent practitioners and life-long learners by beginning with group assignments and transitioning to individual projects by the end of the third year of the professional curriculum. Therefore, based on the apparent importance of these skills, this study was designed and conducted to evaluate the relative ability of these variables to predict both academic and practice setting performance as recommended by ACPE accreditation standards. For purposes of this study, professional practice performance was operationalized as students' grade point average on their fourth professional year experiential rotations.

METHODS

Prior to beginning our research, this study was approved by the Human Subjects Review Board of Shenandoah University. This investigation used a convenience sample and was a blinded retrospective record review of the first 3 class years of Doctor of Pharmacy students at Shenandoah University's Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy (Classes of 2000, 2001, and 2002). A power analysis, based on an estimated modcrate effect size, used a 0.80 convention to determine the proper sample size. Based on this analysis, using a 0.01 significance level, 80 students were needed for this investigation. Complete records were obtained from 139 of the 187 students in 3 classes of students. A Student's t-test was used to determine if those students for which we had complete records were significantly different from those for which we did not have complete records. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine if the classes were systematically different from each other on the variables of interest.