Contemporary Professional Skills Development for Pharmacists in the Middle East
Objective. To determine professional skills development and its utility among the “bridge” curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students in the Middle East. Methods. Qatar University College of Pharmacy offers a part-time Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program for licensed pharmacists, which includes pre-internship or “bridge” courses adapted from the undergraduate baccalaureate program. Assessments for all professional skills courses delivered in the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate part-time PharmD curriculums between 2011 and 2015 academic years were inventoried. The number and nature of assignments and exams administered to both student cohorts were identified and aggregate class scores recorded. Results were compared using Mann-Whitney tests for non-parametric continuous data with significance level (2-sided) set at α <.05. Results. Twenty-seven common assessments were conducted over a 5-year period. Overall, the performance between the undergraduate and graduate students was comparable except for specific assignments and in certain cohorts. Chart note documentation skills were poor among part-time PharmD students in both professional skills years and may be attributed to lack of prior instruction or current use in practice. Conclusion. Our comparison of graduate and undergraduate student performance in a professional skills course series has reinforced its legitimacy in our part-time PharmD bridge curriculum. Such quality assurance is relevant for programs offering advanced degree training for licensed professionals to ensure ongoing alignment of student abilities with desired educational outcomes and ultimately, delivery of patient care.