Bridging the Gap within Incoming Pharmacy Students

Bobbie Nguyen, PharmD

PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Baltimore Washington Medical Center

Prerequisites for admission to a Doctor of pharmacy program (PharmD) varies among United States schools. In general, students are required to complete at least two years of undergraduate studies in general chemistry, organic chemistry, general biology, calculus, microbiology, and other general education courses.1 Data examining the impact of these pre-professional courses on an individual student pharmacist or practitioner’s abilities remain unclear. Additionally, the level and quality of education provided among different colleges and universities may vary substantially. This results in variability of academic preparedness within incoming PharmD students.

In an effort to address these differences, some pharmacy schools have adopted a growing practice commonly utilized within medical education – bridging courses. The purpose of bridging courses is to provide an intensive, short review of foundational concepts from which to build upon in subsequent coursework. It can also serve as an introduction to students on the instructional methods that will be used throughout their didactic classwork. The exact composition and duration of these courses may vary, but they are generally provided to incoming pharmacy year 1 (PY1) students prior to the start of the usual curriculum.

One such bridging course was piloted in 2015 at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.2 Instructors held a three-week, 3.5-credit hour course comprised of five modules: applied math, biochemistry, biostatistics, organic chemistry, and physiology to their incoming first-year PharmD students. Each module was designed by their respective directors to best fit the content area, and students were required to earn 55 points (out of 100) within each module in order to pass. Students were also required to take a pre-test prior to the start of the bridging course as well as a post-test at the conclusion of the course in order to assess acquired knowledge. Those who did not pass were given remediation tasks.

Researchers found that a majority of students failed (90.2%) one or more of the module pre-tests. This number significantly improved across all five modules in the post-test assessment. Most notably, student performance on the bridging course modules correlated with the student’s PY1 GPA (rp=0.8, p<.001), PCAT (rp=0.5, p<.001), and undergraduate GPA (rp=0.4, p<.001). This finding opens another potential benefit to implementing a bridging course: It allows instructors to identify students who may struggle with pharmacy coursework early in the program and offer additional assistance.

Another study examining the utility of bridging courses was conducted at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Pharmacy in the form of an online, self-directed, 10-module assignment offered to incoming first-year students.3 The modules focused on physiology, biochemistry, math, and medical terminology. However, one key difference in this study was that students were only required to take the bridging course if they scored less than 70% on the pre-test. Those who scored 70% or higher were exempt from completing the modules. At the conclusion of the bridging course, those who originally failed the pre-test were given the same test again as a post-course assessment. Students who failed the assessment for the second time were offered additional help with an education specialist.

The main findings of the study revealed a majority of the incoming class failed the pre-test (76%), but were subsequently able to increase their scores significantly at the end of the bridging course (52% vs. 76%, p<0.001). Most notably, 26% of the students who failed both the pre- and post- assessment went on to fail a first-quarter course in addition to four students who originally passed the post-course assessment. Examining this finding through another lens, the bridging course was able to identify a majority of the students who struggled with pharmacy coursework early in the program.

Both of these studies shed light on the unique advantages with utilizing bridging courses. The best method with which to conduct these courses remains unclear and student performance in subsequent coursework may vary. However, it is evident these courses not only identify students who will require additional assistance, but also re-introduces foundational concepts to pharmaceutical education. It is important to recognize pharmacy students enter their respective programs with different educational backgrounds and there must be efforts in place to bridge these gaps.

References

1. Boyce EG, Lawson LA. Preprofessional Curriculum in Preparation for Doctor of Pharmacy Educational Programs. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009 Dec 17; 73(8): 155.

2. McLaughlin JE, Khanova J, Persky A, et al. Design, Implementation, and Outcomes of a Three-week Pharmacy Bridging Course. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2017; 81 (7) Article 6313.

3. Verdone M, Joshi MD, Bodenstine TM, et al. An Online, Self-directed Pharmacy Bridging Course for Incoming First-Year Students. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2020; 84 (7) Article 7684.