Mapping and assessment of personal and professional development skills in a pharmacy curriculum

摘要

Background: Health sciences programs are increasingly expanding their curricula to bridge foundational scientificknowledge with needed skills to practice and patient care. The primary objectives of this study are to 1) assesswhether the personal and professional development (PPD) subdomains (self-assessment, leadership, innovation andentrepreneurship, and professionalism) are integrated in a pharmacy curriculum; and 2) identify any gaps related tothe subdomains’ learning objectives.Methods: Four different mapping activities were completed to create a comprehensive mapping plan regardingthe integration of the PPD subdomains in the curriculum. The first mapping activity entailed matching the school’sprogram educational outcomes (PEOs) to these subdomains (Step 1). Mapping of the enacted curriculum by faculty(Step 2) and learned curriculum by students (Step 3) were also completed in order to evaluate the integration ofthese subdomains in the curriculum. Finally, Step 4 involved mapping of the assessed curriculum by analyzing theprogress of students on PPD-related competencies using standardized scoring rubrics and the correlation betweenstudents’ and facultys' assessments with regard to matching competencies. The Cochrane’s Q test and the Cohen’skappa coefficient were used in the statistical analysis of parametric data.Results: The subdomains were found to be woven across curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activitiesbased on the four different mapping activities. Faculty and students agreed that the PPD competencies areintegrated in the curriculum; provided example courses, experiences and activities; and identified areas of furtherimprovements. The completed mapping activities drove the development of action plans for remediation ofidentified gaps in the curriculum.Conclusion: Mapping activities showed the sequential integration of the PPD skills at different depths and breadthsin the curriculum. This study provides an example to health sciences schools on the incorporation of the PPD skillsin their curricular, co-curricular andextra-curricular activities as current accreditation standards have directed Pharmacy programs to integrate andenforce them in their curricula.