Evaluation of a murder mystery activity to teach patient communication interviewing skills.

INTRODUCTION: While gamification has been used in pharmacy education, more research is needed to establish that these methods are effective. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a murder mystery activity to teach patient communication and interviewing skills to first year pharmacy students in a pharmacy skills laboratory. METHODS: A non-medical murder mystery activity was used to introduce and provide practice on communication techniques needed for obtaining a medical history. These techniques included an introduction, confirmation of patient identity, nonverbal expression, self-expression, empathy, emotional response, question style, organization, and appropriate closure. In groups of three to five, students interviewed five different suspects and were assessed as a group on their second and fifth suspect interviews within one, three-hour laboratory session using a standardized rubric. Assessments were completed by students, standardized patients, and faculty. RESULTS: A total of 161 students completed the murder mystery exercise over three years. Total student scores all significantly improved from the second to fifth interview. In addition to total scores, each subtotal score significantly improved from the second to fifth interview, regardless of the evaluator. CONCLUSIONS: Within the murder mystery laboratory, students' communication scores improved on a standardized communication rubric. Use of a murder mystery is an effective, engaging way to introduce and practice communication skills that could be adapted by other institutions.

Design and implementation of a pilot student wellness program at a school of pharmacy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In response to concerns about student stress and well-being, a volunteer wellness task force was formed to promote a culture of wellness at the school of pharmacy (SOP). The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and implementation of this pilot wellness program. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: A task force was formed to design and implement a pilot wellness program for pharmacy students. Interventions included: orientation to wellness program, sessions on nutrition and mindfulness, in-class brain breaks, and promotion of on-campus resources. Student wellness was assessed at baseline with a questionnaire including sociodemographic data, perceived stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), wellness practices, and use of wellness resources. Program feedback was obtained using a post-questionnaire to identify student perceptions and preferences for wellness activities. FINDINGS: Pharmacy year one through three students (n = 166) were included in the pilot wellness program, with 92.2% and 88.8% completing the baseline and post-questionnaires, respectively. There were notable changes in wellness practices compared to baseline including an increase in weekly exercise and sleeping >4 hours a night. There was greatest use of and satisfaction with 5- to 10-min in-class wellness breaks. The mean student PSS-10 baseline score was 20.14 while the post-implementation mean score was 19.62. SUMMARY: This study demonstrates the potential for implementing a faculty-driven wellness program despite limited resources. The design, implementation, and lessons learned from this pilot program may serve as a practical framework for institutions seeking to promote student wellness.

National survey of schools of pharmacy on prevalence and description of wellness initiatives.

INTRODUCTION: Although the importance of student wellness has been emphasized across health professions including pharmacy, there is a lack of information on the prevalence of such wellness programs in pharmacy schools. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of student wellness programs in United States (US) schools of pharmacy and to describe their basic structure. METHODS: Deans from the 143 US schools of pharmacy were asked to participate in this study by completing an electronic survey. Institutions with wellness programs were prompted to answer questions related to their program, including who initiated the program, who participated, where wellness principles were taught and incorporated, and what dimensions of wellness were promoted. RESULTS: Forty-six responses were collected for a response rate of 32.2%. Thirty-four (73.9%) of respondents answered that they had a school wellness program. Similar numbers of private and public schools completed the survey at 24 (52.3%) and 22 (47.8%), respectively. The majority of programs targeted students (97.1%), faculty (79.4%), and staff (76.5%), were initiated by either the office of the dean (73.5%) and/or faculty (58.8%), and were comprised of faculty (88.2%), staff (82.4%), and office of the dean (67.6%). Wellness principles were most often taught and practiced during extracurricular events and didactic courses. CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive, survey-based study provides a snapshot on the current incorporation of wellness initiatives across US schools of pharmacy. Further studies are needed to elucidate best wellness practices within pharmacy academia.

Factors associated with mentor satisfaction among teaching and learning curriculum program participants.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate participants' satisfaction with their teaching mentor relationship in a teaching and learning curriculum (TLC) and determine characteristics that are associated with high mentee satisfaction. METHODS: A 31-item survey instrument was administered to all 2015-2016 participants of the Teaching Certificate Program. RESULTS: Seventy percent of program participants (n = 60/86) responded to the survey. Overall, 80% of program participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their mentor relationship. Characteristics associated with participants reporting that they were very satisfied with their teaching mentor relationship included mentor availability for face-to-face contact and affiliation with the same institution. Mentor actions associated with high mentee satisfaction included reviewing lecture slides, providing midpoint feedback, providing career advice, and attending mentee lectures. CONCLUSIONS: Teaching certificate program participants perceive increased mentor accessibility and frequent interaction as key factors to a satisfying mentor-mentee relationship. Optimizing and standardizing mentorship programs are essential to the success of postgraduate teaching curriculums.