Minority Student Perceptions of the Impact of Financial Cost of Pharmacy School and Career Choice at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

OBJECTIVE: One of the barriers that might prevent an underrepresented minority (URM) individual from pursuing a professional career in the United States is finances. The high disproportionate burden of student debt among URM students further perpetuates the racial wealth gap. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the extent to which URM students' personal finance perceptions, and current and projected student loan indebtedness affect postgraduation career intentions. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from four cohorts of pharmacy students using a survey from November 2, 2022, to February 1, 2023. The financial perception survey included subscales namely personal finance self-efficacy, debt influence and pressure, and risk mitigation and retirement. Descriptive statistics, simple logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: In total, 93 students completed the survey and had a mean age of 28.1 ± 5.3 years. Seventy-one percent of the respondents were female, and 67.7 % had completed a 4-year bachelor's degree. There was a significant association between age and the intention to pursue postgraduate training as well as a significant association between risk mitigation and retirement perceptions and intention to pursue postgraduate training after adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSION: Among students from largely minority backgrounds, age, and confidence in their ability to make wise investment decisions for retirement are associated with a greater likelihood of pursuing postgraduate training opportunities.

Determination of predictors impacting performance on the third-year pharmacy curriculum outcomes assessment at a historically Black college of pharmacy.

INTRODUCTION: The Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) is a standardized exam developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) in 2008 to measure the curriculum in relation to student progress. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of pre-admissions and pharmacy school variables on third-year student PCOA performance at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) College of Pharmacy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted using data from three cohorts of students who took the PCOA in their third professional year from 2015 to 2017. An independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and multivariate linear regression were conducted to determine the relationship between student characteristics and the PCOA score. RESULTS: The mean PCOA scaled score for the third-year pharmacy students was 349.6 ± 46.20 while the mean Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) percentile was 62.7 ± 14.5. Most students (67%) self-identified as Black and the majority (54.9%) were female. The PCOA scores were correlated with the PCAT percentile (P < .001) and the cumulative grade point average (GPA) through the fall semester of the third professional year (P < .001). After adjusting for other factors, the cumulative GPA through the fall semester of the third professional year (P < .001) and PCAT percentiles (P < .001) remained predictive of students PCOA scores. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative GPA through the third-year fall semester and PCAT percentiles are important factors in helping to predict PCOA scores among third year pharmacy students at a HBCU.

An assessment of the relationship between pharmacy students' perceptions of their preparedness to contribute to emergency responses and their current work status.

INTRODUCTION: A study was conducted to assess if there is an association between pharmacy students' perceptions of their preparedness to contribute to emergency responses and their current work status. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from a student perception survey completed by third-year pharmacy students. The survey collected demographic information on age, gender, level of education, ethnicity, and pharmacy-related work experience. A series of Likert scale items were used to assess students' perceptions regarding their competency in specific skills areas essential for participation in emergency responses. An independent samples t-test was used to compare mean scores for Likert scale items between working and nonworking students. Multivariate linear regression models were developed to determine if work status was an independent predictor of students' self-reported competencies after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Sixty-six of 69 (95.7%) students completed the student perception survey. Students currently working in a pharmacy reported higher mean scores on several of the measured competencies. After covariates adjustment, current work status was associated with higher scores on self-reported competencies related to proficiency in evaluating information from patient assessment and collaborating with other individuals to develop processes related to the optimizing flow of care. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that students who are working tend to have more confidence in their ability to contribute to emergency responses as well as work better in a team setting. Incorporating cases related to emergency response readiness in pharmacy curriculum may be needed to enhance skills and confidence of non-working pharmacy students.