Benefits of delivering research podium presentations by students enrolled in pharmacy programs: A descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: Objectives include (1) To create an opportunity for students enrolled in pharmacy programs to enhance their presentation skills by delivering research podium presentations at a regional conference; (2) To probe students' experience about podium presentations at the inaugural American Association for the Advancement of Science Pacific Division (AAAS PD) - American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Students' Symposium; and (3) To introduce student pharmacists to science-oriented research. METHODS: The student presenters were asked to anonymously answer 15 questions before and after the symposium. Question topics included factual information about students' background and favorability perceptions about symposia. Scores were compared between pharmacy students and non-pharmacy students, and favorability ratings were compared before and after the symposium. RESULTS: Thirteen students delivered their podium presentations at the symposium entitled "Pharmaceutical Research and Development: From Bench to Patient-Centered Care" that was held in Pomona, California at the 99th Annual Meeting of the AAAS PD in 2018. Pharmacy and non-pharmacy students provided similar responses on favorability perceptions. Post-symposium perceptions were more favorable towards symposia compared to pre-symposium scores. CONCLUSIONS: Favorability scores revealed a positive perception of the event and what it offered in terms of scientific benefits, networking opportunities, and enhancing soft skills. Participating students had the chance to (1) prepare and independently deliver a podium presentation on pharmacy-related research topics at a regional meeting; (2) network and learn from each other and professionals in the audience about pharmacy research; and (3) practice soft skills such as communication, time-management, teamwork, scientific writing, and presentation skills.

Applying multiple frameworks to establish effective virtual collaborative teams in academia: a review and recommendations.

Recently, academic health professionals have been increasing collaboration with peers at a distance for activities such as research, scholarship, and faculty development. Novel virtual technologies enable academic professional teams to overcome time and distance barriers to facilitate collaboration, but little research is available to guide academicians on how to effectively organize and manage virtual collaborative teams using these technologies. Based upon a literature review and six years of experience as a virtual collaborative team, the authors use Boyer's Scholarship of Integration paradigm to identify and critique four models for virtual collaboration. The literature search devised from the four identified models found references that had a theoretical foundation for peer virtual collaboration and have been adopted in some professional context. The authors present a review of this literature, describe the benefits for adapting these models to academic health profession contexts, and provide a reflective critique about the challenges for their adaptation in these contexts. They also provide a hypothetical scenario to exemplify the application of these models for health-care professionals along with important considerations and tips when forming new virtual peer collaborative teams or problem-solving teams who are not optimally functioning.

Perceptions of academic administrators of the effect of involvement in doctoral programs on faculty members' research and work-life balance.

BACKGROUND: Support for research strongly predicts doctoral program faculty members' research productivity. Although academic administrators affect such support, their views of faculty members' use of support are unknown. PURPOSE: We examined academic administrators' perceptions of institutional support and their perceptions of the effects of teaching doctoral students on faculty members' scholarship productivity and work-life balance. METHODS: An online survey was completed by a random sample of 180 deans/directors of schools of nursing and doctoral programs directors. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and analysis of variance. DISCUSSION: Deans and doctoral program directors viewed the level of productivity of program faculty as high to moderately high and unchanged since faculty started teaching doctoral students. Deans perceived better administrative research supports, productivity, and work-life balance of doctoral program faculty than did program directors. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate the need for greater administrative support for scholarship and mentoring given the changes in the composition of doctoral program faculty.