Objective

To determine dissemination outcomes and faculty perceptions of senior research projects conducted from 2008 to 2011 by PharmD students in a curricular pathway focused on direct patient care.

Methods

Preceptors' reported dissemination outcomes of research projects were surveyed and their perceptions of the precepting experience were rated using a web-based survey. Results were compared to those from an earlier pharmaceutical care cohort (2002-2007) and a combined cohort of 2, more research-intensive curricular pathways at the school.

Results

The overall response rate was 90.2%. Project dissemination included 61.3% at an institutional forum, 42.3% as a submitted publication, 37.8% as a poster, and 4.5% as an oral presentation. Projects completed from 2008-2011 were significantly more likely than those from 2002-2007 to be submitted for publication (42.3% vs 10.7%, p<0.001) and published (28.8% vs 5.3%, p<0.001). Most preceptors found their research projects valuable to them professionally (88.3%) and to their own or another institution (83.5% and 78.5%, respectively). Ninety-five percent of preceptors would precept again.

Conclusion

Dissemination rates for pharmaceutical care projects increased over time. Despite modest dissemination levels, the majority of preceptors agreed that required student research projects provide a valuable learning experience for students.

Objective. To characterize the educational background and academic rank of faculty members in US schools of pharmacy, estimate the extent to which they are employed by institutions where they received previous training, and determine whether differences in degree origin and rank exist between faculty members in established (≤1995) vs newer programs. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) faculty database and demographic information from the public domain. Results. Among 5516 faculty members, 50.3% held two or more types of degrees. Established schools had a higher median number of faculty members and a higher mean faculty rank than did newer schools. Conclusion. The difference in mean faculty rank highlights the shortage of experienced faculty members in newer schools. Future research efforts should investigate educational attainment in correlation to other faculty and school characteristics and prospectively track and report trends related to pharmacy faculty members composition.

Objective. To characterize the educational background and academic rank of faculty members in US schools of pharmacy, estimate the extent to which they are employed by institutions where they received previous training, and determine whether differences in degree origin and rank exist between faculty members in established (≤1995) vs newer programs. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) faculty database and demographic information from the public domain. Results. Among 5516 faculty members, 50.3% held two or more types of degrees. Established schools had a higher median number of faculty members and a higher mean faculty rank than did newer schools. Conclusion. The difference in mean faculty rank highlights the shortage of experienced faculty members in newer schools. Future research efforts should investigate educational attainment in correlation to other faculty and school characteristics and prospectively track and report trends related to pharmacy faculty members composition.

Objective. To characterize educational attainment and experiences of current US pharmacy school deans and chairs. Methods. A cross-sectional study using a publicly available listing of accredited schools and information. Results. Among 134 deans and 301 chairs, 79.9% and 65.5% held a professional degree (BSPharm and/or PharmD), 33.6% and 26.2% completed PGY-1 residencies, 12.7% and 15.6% completed post-PharmD fellowships, 23.1% and 33.9% completed post-doctoral fellowships, and 13.4% and 18.3% held BPS certification, respectively. Fewer than 1 in 5 were employed at an alma mater. Ninety (20.7%) deans and chairs completed AACP's Academic Leadership Fellows Program. Average current tenure was 5.7 and 5.1 years for deans and chairs, respectively. Conclusion. The majority of deans and chairs held a pharmacy professional degree and the prevalence of post-graduate educational and leadership training is increasing. Future research should apply mixed methods to investigate educational attainment and employment experience of deans and chairs, institutional hiring trends, and how these characteristics compare between newer and established programs.

Objective

To assess the outcomes from an 11-year nontraditional professional development activity implemented by female faculty members at several colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Design

Within the context of an online fantasy football league, faculty members practiced community-based faculty development strategies, including peer mentoring, skills development, constructive feedback and other supportive behaviors.

Assessment

Data were extracted from curriculum vitae to characterize the academic progress of participants and to quantify scholarly work collaborations among league members. Analyses were limited to members who had participated in the league for 10 or more consecutive years. Seventy-one collaborative scholarly works occurred among team managers, including presentation of 20 posters and 2 oral presentations at national or international meetings, publication of 29 peer-reviewed articles and 15 book chapters, and funding of 5 research projects.

Conclusion

Social media platforms can foster nontraditional faculty development and mentoring by enhancing connectivity between pharmacy educators who share similar interests.