Sought to develop a reliable and valid instrument to measure pharmacy students' self-confidence and to determine the effect of selected demographic variables as independent predictors of self-confidence. Found that the instrument had content validity, high internal consistency reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Several…

Defines the various forms of scholarship espoused by Ernest Boyer and the Commission to Implement Change in Pharmaceutical Education, and provides a historical perspective of postsecondary education and how it has influenced current thinking regarding promotion and tenure decisions. Provides recommendations to promote cultural change to recognize…

A national survey of graduate-program chairs (n=28) and graduate students (n=131) in social and administrative sciences gathered information on research-methods courses and other curricular data, including core/required courses; subject area emphasis; where and how students gain knowledge in specific areas; importance of level of preparation in…

A study investigated use of homework assignments in lieu of course examinations in a pharmacy course on over-the-counter drugs. Teachers read homework and commented on it without grading, and students predicted their grades based on the comments; an overall feedback sheet was also provided to students. Students felt this a good alternative to…

The performance of first-professional-year pharmacy students was compared to their PCAT performance of prepharmacy students. The value of the PCAT was found to lie in those portions of it that are directly related to the coursework in which a student is enrolled, especially when there is a performance level within a class that is directly…

The mastery approach toward learning drug product information seems to be a useful method to improve a student's knowledge, but the approach requires more faculty time since it is geared toward the individual student. (LBH)

Research demonstrated that competency development of senior pharmacy students could be quantified by a series of examinations, which showed that in the last professional year student performance and ability with pharmacy information and knowledge approached and eventually equalled that of registered pharmacists. (JT)

Purdue University's Department of Pharmacy has designed a program to help prepare graduate students for academic careers, beginning with a seminar program in teaching techniques and instructional methods. (MSE)

A graduate survey of 17 Doctor of Pharmacy programs collected data on the importance to the practice and the amount of time spent on each of 33 activities, and the resulting information was used to construct a profile of the average graduate's functions according to demographic variables and practice patterns. (MSE)

While faculty scholarship should be meaningful and of high quality, it must also be shared in writing. Writing about one's scholarly activity helps to order and interpret it and encourages the scholar to do his/her best work. (MSE)

The report of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's Professional Affairs Committee addresses three issues: continuing education programs for practitioners, experiential education and training, and investigation of the status of pharmacy manpower and support personnel. (MSE)

Test development included designing, screening, and field testing of test items; compilation into an examination administered to a target group; and norm development for score comparison with a national sample. (MSE)

A study to determine student knowledge and confidence in that knowledge when answering multiple-choice examination questions in a nonprescription drug course is described. An alternate approach to methods of confidence testing was investigated. The knowledge and experience survey is appended. (Author/MLW)

A discussion of whether the pharmaceutical externship/clerkship experience fulfills all or part of the required internship distinguishes between the two program types, looks at what has been learned from the externship/clerkship, and outlines what still is needed if the externship/clerkship is to be accepted by pharmacy boards as fulfilling…

Key shortcomings in current mainstream strategies of pharmaceutical education include (1) poor integration of basic sciences and clinical curriculum components; (2) curricular information overload and resulting problems; and (3) emphasis on research over teaching and service. Students need to learn teamwork, accountability, positive practice…