At this writing, I’m attending “Pharmacy Education 2017,” the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. Pharmacy education is the cornerstone of my work and as July marks the completion of my third year as dean I’m reminded of the dynamic nature of this field, the benchmarks met, and the evolution necessary for the profession.
With a meeting theme of “Navigating the Ever-Changing Healthcare Landscape,” robust programming offered experts addressing the healthcare environment, patient care and counseling, the growing recognition of pharmacists as important members of the healthcare team, and the role of science and research in addressing the opioid crisis. Entitled, “Learning is NOT a Spectator Sport: Active Learning in Pharmacy,” the Teachers Seminar reinforced the significance of our students as the future of this profession. Beyond exploring the definition and development of active learning activities, attendees learned how to incorporate these strategies into all areas of pharmacy curricula, its impact on assessment, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
A direct correlation to our student success is the merits of our faculty. More than a dozen of our faculty are joining me in attending the conference. In addition to the Teachers Seminar, our faculty took in sessions highlighting grant writing, and publishing with an overview of the essentials of excellence when submitting manuscripts to AJPE. This was timely as I was honored to be at the dinner that formally recognized three of our Pharmacy Practice Division faculty, Associate Professors Andrea Porter, Susanne Barnette, and Casey Gallimore as recipients of the 2017 Rufus A. Lyman Award, recognizing the best paper published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (AJPE) in 2016.
Gallimore, Barnett, and Porter share a research focus in educational based scholarship. More specificially, Barnett’s interest is improving the health literacy of patients through adequate training and awareness of healthcare professionals. Porter’s interest is educational innovation and teaching methods, as well as clinical research involving anticoagulation.
Their manuscript presented a series of well-designed systematic qualitative and quantitative assessment methods (student and preceptor focus groups, electronic surveys and course evaluations) used to evaluate and redesign sequential skills-based courses within a PharmD curriculum with the goal of preparing students for their advanced pharmacy practice experiences. The significance of this approach was that it enabled the investigators to identify strengths and weaknesses in an original course design affecting student performance competency in critical skills, which could be addressed in designing new laboratory courses.
The bottom line is a legacy of our faculty and alumni pushing the envelope on the profession to better prepare the next generation of pharmacists and researchers.
Pharmacy On and On, Wisconsin!
Steven M. Swanson, Dean
