Revision of a pharmacy teaching and learning curriculum to address resident, programmatic, and accreditation demands

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

Without externally validated tools to assess teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) programs, our program has undertaken continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods to make revisions in response to resident, programmatic, and accreditation demands.

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODS

Key stakeholders, including the college of pharmacy, the residents, and the executive committee, were engaged in discussion and feedback was solicited.

RESULTS OF CQI INQUIRY

The demands identified prompted revision of the TLC teaching component, programming, and timeline. Major changes have included adding an application for the teaching track, limiting teaching track participation, altering the seminar format (to a mix of in person, virtual, and asynchronous), and starting the program earlier in the calendar year. Key stakeholders supported the proposed revisions.

INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION

The CQI method summarized here worked well for the TLC. Although simplistic in nature, it met the needs of the TLC and engaged several stakeholders. No major challenges were encountered during the process and stakeholders were amenable to the process and proposed revisions. Given the lack of externally validated tools for assessing TLC programs, any TLC program could perform a similar CQI method to assist with revisions.

CONCLUSION

Continuous quality improvement of the TLC to address resident, programmatic, and accreditation demands has been vital to optimize and sustain the program. Assessment will be ongoing as future revisions are made.

Residents' assessment of mentoring received on lecture performance in a teaching and learning curriculum program

INTRODUCTION

This study evaluated residents' assessment of the mentorship received and how it impacted lecture performance as part of a teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) program.

METHODS

An anonymous survey was emailed to residents completing the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy's TLC during 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The survey collected information about: the type of mentorship received, residents' self-perceived lecture performance, and residents' desire to be involved in academia post-residency. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Fisher's exact tests investigated the association between residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship and: mentors' involvement, residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentors' affiliation with VCU, and semester when the lecture occurred. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Forty-two of 86 residents (48.8%) completed the survey. Residents who were part of the TLC but did not deliver a lecture (n = 7) or taught practitioners instead of students (n =  2) were excluded, resulting in 33 participants. The majority of residents (87.9%) agreed or strongly agreed that mentorship enhanced their lecture. Mentors' level of involvement was significantly associated with residents' perception that the mentorship they received enhanced their lecture (P < .008). Residents' confidence in understanding the lecture topic, mentor affiliation, and semester when the lecture occurred were not associated with residents' self-perceived lecture enhancement due to mentorship.

CONCLUSIONS

Active mentorship was associated with better self-perceived lecture performance. The best criteria for lecture mentorship should be established in the future to help prepare residents to give lectures.

Development of a Pharmacy Residency Research Certificate Program

Background: Similar to teaching certificate programs, which have been incorporated in many pharmacy residencies to improve teaching skills, resident research certificate programs could provide residents with more exposure to biostatistics and research design. However, few research certificate programs have been described. Objective: To assess the impact of a research certificate program on residents' attitude toward, confidence in, and knowledge of research. Methods: A resident research certificate program was created for the 2018-2019 residency class at our institution, which included 33 pharmacy residents (15 postgraduate year-1 [PGY1] and 18 PGY2 residents). The program consisted of 7 sessions aimed at providing residents with research training. To earn a certificate, participants were required to attend 6 or more sessions and achieve a score greater than or equal to 70% on a postassessment. An optional questionnaire assessing attitude, confidence, and knowledge was also administered at baseline and following the certificate program. Results: Of the 33 residents participating in the research certificate program, 21 (9 PGY1 and 12 PGY2) residents completed both the baseline and follow-up questionnaire and were included in the analysis. All items assessing attitude and 3 of 6 items assessing confidence improved significantly following the certificate program when compared to baseline (P < .05 for all). Median knowledge scores were no different on the baseline versus follow-up questionnaire (P = .54). Conclusions: After completing a research certificate program, resident knowledge scores did not differ from baseline, but attitudes toward research and confidence appeared to improve. Research certificate programs could be an avenue for providing pharmacy residents with increased exposure to and comfort with biostatistics and research design.

Program evaluation of a pharmacy run resident teaching and learning curriculum

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

The questions evaluated are: To what extent does the program meet the needs and expectations of the participants?; To what extent are the program outcomes being met?; In what ways does the program need to be modified to better meet the expectations and needs of the target audience?; In what ways does the program need to be modified to better fulfill its intended outcomes?; How accepting are the current residency programs of the modifications proposed for the 2018-2019 year?

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODS

The new teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) program coordinator and Assistant Dean conducted a practical participatory evaluation. The plan was: complete initial data collection and review, create a new syllabus, and review new syllabus with all residency program directors.

RESULTS OF CQI INQUIRY

All stakeholders felt the program was meeting their needs and expectations and the program was meeting its outcomes.

INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION

Problems found included: all assessments for the program outcomes were perception and completion data, no data were collected to show improvement across the participants' time in the program, and residency program directors did not complete an end-of-year survey to determine their perceptions of the program. Based on the results several changes and a new syllabus were done for the program.

CONCLUSION

Overall this project answered the five key questions in its objectives. This work provides one example of a quality assurance project that can occur for a TLC program. This process could be adapted for any TLC program.