Leadership Development of Student Pharmacists

Victoria Zhu, PharmD

PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident 

Safeway Pharmacy / University of Maryland 

Student pharmacists are well prepared to be great clinicians during their schooling with lectures and cases concerning therapeutics and pharmacology. When students graduate, they are the drug experts; however, when it comes to running and managing a pharmacy, this is where they may feel uncertain and unprepared. When students graduate and move into their new positions as pharmacists, they will be charged with managing and leading the entire team, whether it is in the community, inpatient, or ambulatory care setting. Pharmacy schools do very well with preparing students to be great clinicians, but they have a lot of room for improvement in preparing students for real-world work environments. Leadership and management training should be a mandatory part of the pharmacy curriculum, especially in experiential learning experiences. 

What is currently being done in pharmacy schools to prepare students to be future leaders? 

The current 2016 ACPE Accreditation Standards for Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy include leadership as one of the key elements for personal and professional development, along with self-awareness, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professionalism. The Standards define leadership as “…responsibility for creating and achieving shared goals, regardless of position.”3 Pharmacy schools acknowledge that leadership skills are important, so they encourage students to join pharmacy organizations and hold leadership roles. However, not all students will serve in a leadership position, and there are not enough leadership positions for each and every student. Many schools offer electives in leadership, which include courses such as “Pharmacist-In-Charge” or “Leading Change in Pharmacy.”4 Nonetheless, these courses are optional, so students are only able to benefit from these courses if they choose to enroll in them. During the last year of schooling, in a series of rotations termed advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs), students shadow licensed pharmacists in a variety of practice settings. A recent survey of colleges and schools of pharmacy found that 75% of APPEs included leadership and/or advocacy in their learning objectives. However, the time that was devoted to these objectives varied.6

What can pharmacy schools do to ensure their students are learning how to be effective leaders? 

There are many different ways that Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy can include leadership development. To start off, leadership skills can be included in each year of the curriculum. Students can learn what good leadership looks like in a classroom setting, then use the opportunity to observe and practice during their APPE rotations, and finally reflect upon their knowledge and experiences to learn and grow. In addition, during each APPE rotation, students can be encouraged to have a discussion with their preceptor on several leadership topics, such as leadership/management styles, how to handle workplace conflicts, finding mentors, and their role in professional pharmacy organizations. We can conclude these discussions at the end of the year by instructing students to write a self-reflection on leadership and management. Schools can also encourage leadership development by facilitating the development of more student pharmacist-led organizations, and formation of mentorship programs. Mentorship programs will give students in later years an opportunity to practice a variety of leadership skills, such as giving feedback, educating and teaching, and setting a good example for others. These are just a few suggestions for incorporating leadership development into the training of student pharmacists. No matter what, if we wish to create effective leaders in the workplace and the pharmacy profession, we must strive to make leadership development a priority in pharmacy curriculum. 

1. Bradley-Baker LR, Murphy NL. Leadership Development of Student Pharmacists. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2013 Dec 16;77(10). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872938/

2. Boyle CJ, Robinson ET. Leadership is Not a Soft Skill. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2013 Dec 16;77(10). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872928/ 

3. ACPE. Guidance for the accreditation standards and key elements for the professional program in pharmacy leading to the doctor of pharmacy degree. Guidance for Standards 2016. https://www.acpe-accredit.org/pdf/GuidanceforStandards2016FINAL.pdf. Accessed November 9, 2018.

4. Sorensen TD, Traynor AP, Janke KK. A Pharmacy Course on Leadership and Leading Change. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2009 Apr 7;73(2). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2690896/

5. Williams CR, McLaughlin J, Leadon K, Khanova J, Rodgers PT. Preceptor confidence and engagement in providing leadership activities to students in advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning. 2018 Jul 1;10(7):895–902.

6. Ross LA, Janke KK, Boyle CJ, Gianutsos G, Lindsey CC, Moczygemba LR, et al. Preparation of Faculty Members and Students to Be Citizen Leaders and Pharmacy Advocates. Am J Pharm Educ. 2013 Dec 1;77(10):220.

Practical Insights for Pharmacist Educator on Student Engagement

Katerina Jordan, PharmD

PGY1 Pharmacy Resident

Frederick Memorial Hospital

This article speaks to how engagement is consistently an issue that instructors struggle with when teaching. It is hard to tell when students are engaged and to see if they really understand the material that we are teaching them. There are several ways that student engagement can be improved that are spoken about in this article. They address these ways using 4 questions: how the student feels, whether the student is interested, whether the material is important and whether the student can complete the task.

To assess how the student feels they recommend using effective pacing strategies and incorporate personal stories within lectures. The effective pacing strategies allow for students to absorb the information being taught and not fall asleep if the pace is too slow or get lost if the pace is too quick. By incorporating personal stories within the lecture it allows for students to feel more comfortable and relate better to the material being taught.

The second question that is assessed is if the student is interested. There are multiple different ways to see if students are engaged which compose of games, friendly controversy, add in unusual facts and use Socratic questioning. Games such as, kahoot and jeopardy can increase student’s engagement in the classroom especially when it is a larger class size and students don’t feel as comfortable asking questions or participating. These games can create friendly controversy as well as debates amongst students with differing opinions. Adding in unusual facts can create a curiosity within students that also increase engagement. The Socratic questioning method can also be used which is when teachers show ignorance in a topic area in order for students to engage and say what they know. This allows for the differing points of view to be shown from the students.

The third question can be accomplished by identifying with the student personally. For example, when teaching in a certain topic area make references to personal experiences and experiences that the students might have when they are on clinical rotations.

The fourth and final question can be answered and achieved if teachers develop tasks that are appropriately challenging, consider subjective grading or conceptual agreements and using the flip classroom method. Many times students are just memorizing material to get the grade, but If the teacher can help students make goals to help them understand the material and not just memorize and regurgitate for exams the students will be more likely to do better both in their grades and careers.

Another method that can help with engagement is using the flipped classroom method in which the students become the teachers and the teachers are more of mediators or observers. This ensures that students need to know and truly understand the material in order to teach it to everyone else. If teachers can accomplish some of these tasks they will have a higher chance of engaging their students in a classroom however large it may be.


This article relates in many ways to our course. Throughout our presentations in this course we have had to incorporate many of these engagement techniques for the students and other teachers in the class. The flipped classroom method was incorporated in the teaching certificate course where the students taught through presentations and debates were used. The debates worked well to have the students learn the material and discuss the ideas with other students as well as see different viewpoints. Personal stories were also a huge part of this course both in discussion based participation and presentations. Almost all of these engagement methods were used and incorporated into the course.


1) Oyler, Douglas R et al. “Practical Insights for the Pharmacist Educator on Student Engagement” American journal of pharmaceutical education vol. 80,8 (2016): 143. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116795/

Ted Talk - The Puzzle of Motivation by Dan Pink

Dharti Patel, Pharm.D.

PGY1 - Pharmacy Resident

Kaiser Permanente

Mid-Atlantic States Region

In his Ted Talk “The Puzzle of Motivation”, Dan Pink discussed ideas surrounding motivation and negative impact of incentives on performance1. He briefly differentiated between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and its impact on functioning. Motivation as it relates to learning is very relevant to our course. Furthermore, Mr. Pink covered another important area, which was how commonly rewards are used as motivation to drive performance. Part of relating to our learners is understanding their personal purpose for choosing what they do and what drives them to achieve goals. I believe part of being a teacher is guiding our learners in the right path of accomplishing their goals and pushing them to exceed expectations. However, nowadays motivation is often times reinforced by rewards and appraisement.


The concept of positive reinforcement, “the process of recognizing and rewarding a desired behavior in an effort to encourage its continuance,” is constantly applied in various day-to-day activities2. While the reinforcement theory has its advantages, it also poses several disadvantages. It allows our learners to form a habit of inputting effort in exchange for a reward. Our learners should realize that their own effort will aid personal as well as professional growth. Now, there is where motivation and personal goals plays a role. While positive reinforcement relates to extrinsic motivation, our learners should be taught to depend on intrinsic motivation. In the TED talk, Dan Pink mentions a key point made by Dan Ariely – that higher incentives led to worse performance. In other words, rewards in workplace and education can negatively impact mindset. While that sounds surprising, it is actually logical.


In my opinion, motivation is a key factor in excelling in almost anything we do. Sure, there may be some external drivers, e.g. salary, credential, etc, that push us towards our goals. But, the internal drive should be largely responsible for our accomplishments. An individual should be striving to reach the end goal for personal satisfaction and growth. Relating it back to our learners or pharmacy students, many times they become too focused on grades. While I would agree that grades are very important to most learners, it is not an ideal marker of measuring performance. Some students have the capability of pulling all-nighters to cram all the information into their brain prior to the exam. However, those same students will not be able to retain or store that information for long-term use. Good grades may help to score an interview or look great on paper, but it will not necessarily enhance an individual’s performance or quality of work. On the other hand, if that same student was studying a little bit of information every day and applying it, they are more likely to think in-depth and be more successful in their practice.


Dan Pick mentioned three elements associated with motivation and performance – autonomy, mastery and purpose. Independence or ability to self-govern directly impacts learning because the individual carries the responsibility for guiding their own learning. Earlier in this course we discussed about whether or not pharmacy students were adult learners or not. In my opinion, placing that responsibility on our learners would allow them to have meaningful experiences, however a question that may be posed is whether or not we can expect our learners to be accountable? As teachers we play a pivotal role in providing a guided experience to aid in their learning and achieving independence in practice.


As today’s teachers and learners, our motivation is easily impacted by external factors rather than personal satisfaction. External factors may play a different role person to person, but it directly affects the quality of our learning and work in both good and bad ways. In some ways incentives may be helpful in achieving results faster but in other ways it may compromise the quality of work we do. In summary, as we move forward, we should focus on our intrinsic motivators to drive our personal and professional growth.



References:

1. Dan Pink at TEDGlobal 2009. The puzzle of motivation. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?referrer=playlist-the_most_popular_talks_of_all#t-779246
2. Joseph C. Why is positive reinforcement important in workplace? https://smallbusiness.chron.com/positive-reinforcement-important-workplace-11566.html
3. Benabou R and Tirole J. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. https://www.princeton.edu/~rbenabou/papers/RES2003.pdf

Self-Directed Learning in Pharmacy Schools

Rohini Choudhuri, PharmD

PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Suburban Hospital

The pharmacy profession is one where learning never ceases after graduating pharmacy school. It is vital for pharmacists to be consistently inquisitive and use critical thinking skills in order to stay up to date with new health care information and discoveries. This will allow for pharmacists to successfully practice evidence based medicine and provide the highest quality of care to patients.

The process of consistently learning while practicing is known as continuing professional development (CPD) and is a necessary skill all pharmacists should have. There are 4 stages to CPD: reflection, planning, learning/action, and evaluation. In the reflection stage, the learner identifies what topics he or she should learn about or become updated on, based on his or her practice setting. In this stage, the learner will also be aware of what his or her learning style is and identifying one’s learning style will allow him or her to study new knowledge in such a way that is maximally beneficial. In the planning stage, the learner will take his or her learning style in to account to plan out a way to learn and assimilate the information best. In this stage, the learner may also set certain learning objectives for him or her self better help break down and learn the new information. In the learning/action phase, the learner will encounter the new information and actively work to assimilate the new information with what he or she already knows in practice. In the evaluation phase, the learner will analyze how the newly learned information will and have changed practice and outcomes. Mastering these 4 stages of CPD are important in order for one to self-identify what his or her learning needs are and effectively create a plan to make sure he or she and self-learn new information successfully to meet those learning needs.

It is important that educators for future pharmacists prepare students for CPD throughout their pharmacy school career. An effective way to prepare students for life-long CPD when they become practicing pharmacists is by incorporating self-directed learning in to the pharmacy curriculum. In a traditional class set up, information is presented to students in a lecture format, where the flow of information is unidirectional: from the professor to the students. While this method of teaching is helpful in informing students what information they should learn and know for exam, it isn’t engaging students to actively look up information and self-teach and learn new topics that are coming out and being incorporated into practice. However, in self-directed learning, students are encouraged to actively search for information and literature to learn and better understand new theories and information that are used in practice. By constantly encouraging students to engage in self-directed learning, students will start building the tools to continually push themselves to actively learn new information even after graduating.

Successful mastery of self-directed learning during pharmacy school is the key stepping stone for mastering CPD upon graduating pharmacy school and practicing and caring for patients. Self-directed learning will push students to actively become well acquainted with the newest version of treatment guidelines. This is a valuable skill to have as it will give students the ability to analyze new information and understand how to apply it when approaching a patient case. With building this skill in pharmacy school, it will make the transition from student to practicing pharmacist much more seamless. It will make it easier for new pharmacists to understand how to effectively self reflect on their learning needs and how to search for the most up to date information that helps meet the identified learning needs.

Currently, pharmacy schools are encouraging faculty to incorporate self-directed learning into school curricula. It is important to do this in a step-wise fashion. As students progress year by year in pharmacy school, it is important to increase the amount of self-directed learning that the students are exposed to, prior to rotations. This will help prepare students for rotations and ultimately for post-graduate practice.

References

1. Tunney MM, Bell HM. Self-directed learning: preparing students for lifelong learning. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.885.5995&rep=rep1&type=pdf. Published 2011.

2. Baumgartner JL. Continuing professional development: 
What it means for student pharmacists
. https://www.pharmacist.com/continuing-professional-development-what-it-means-student-pharmacists. Published September 14, 2015.

Standardized Testing: The New Standard?

Sheriff Gbadamosi, PharmD 

PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Suburban Hospital

If there is one that unites all students across the United States and the world it is the requirement for each one to undergo some sort of standardized testing through their educational careers. Standardized testing is used all over the world for various purposes too, whether for entrance into a school or program, to test knowledge on certain class matter, or more recently for myself and colleagues for licensure. The drive for more standardized testing stems back to even the 1980s where there was a wave of political interest looking to establish national educational standards and tests. Experts say that the integration of standards and assessments really was completed in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002.1 This act tied funding from the federal government to state schools with the requirement that states administer certain standardized tests to students in grades 3 through 8 and also in high school; resulting in even more standardized testing than what was previously conducted in state schools. This law additionally allowed state schools to set their own bars for success but imposed consequences for any schools that failed to show yearly progress. Through this act and other advancements in standardized testing, it has become the mainstay of measuring a student’s aptitude through the advent of exams such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT). While standardized testing is definitely the mainstay of assessment for most academic indications the discussion as to the overall effectiveness and even fairness is one that needs to be had.


Just how effective is standardized testing? There are arguments both for and against it. On one hand standardized testing is perhaps the most objective and nonbiased means of measuring student achievement. This concept is very important as we certainly live in a society where the need for objective measurement of aptitude are needed with hundreds of candidates often vying for just a few spots for certain things. However, studies have shown that after the NCLB which resulted in an increase in standardized testing around the U.S, that the U.S had fallen from 18th place on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place by 2009 with a similar drop in science.2 Whether this effect was seen in part to a worsening state of learning and education in the U.S or other countries simply getting better is unclear. On the other hand a 100 year analysis of testing done by a testing scholar found that 93% of those studies showed standardized testing had a positive effect on student achievement.3

Another argument against standardized testing in the U.S is that exams are sometimes geared towards primarily English speakers and can be biased against students in whom English is not their primary language. This may result in otherwise completely capable student erroneously be classified as subpar. Overall, there are many arguments as to the positive and negative implications for standardized testing which educators should be aware of and take into account when considering student evaluations.


Standardized testing is highly applicable to the teaching certificate as we have had the opportunity to learn about various teaching styles and the different types of learners. Also, administration of tests is something that every teacher must do at some point in their class. Thankfully, most teachers that I feel I have dealt with understand that sometimes the test grade isn’t everything but is necessary to at least measure certain academic milestones and most certainly weed out students who are truly subpar. On the other hand, teachers mustn’t neglect the fact that a highs scoring student should be rewarded for their hard work as well. Although a lot of emphasis is often placed on the student when it comes to the results sometimes results can be an invaluable tool for an educator to adjust their style of teaching to one that is more applicable to students doing better on the test. This can be a double edged sword as then teachers run the risk of “teaching to the test” which teachers should be careful of as students at that point will simply be learning how to take an exam rather than actually learning the concepts for their own edification.


Perhaps more anecdotally I have come to realize that oftentimes standardized testing does not often tell the entire story of a person’s aptitude for a certain subject or practice. As a pharmacy resident and clinical pharmacist when I look at my fellow colleagues some of which achieved the highest test grades during our didactic schooling have not made out to be the best pharmacists. I think this notion can spread to all other areas of medicine and other careers. Despite this I am not saying that standardized testing should be done away with it as the necessity to assess a student (especially one in a high-stakes profession such as healthcare) is certainly required to assure understand of key concepts. However, I do believe society should make more space for assessment of other aspects of student education. One thing I do believe in is assessment of candidates through things such as community service, letters of recommendation, intent letters, and their involvement in organizations.

I think when evaluating one’s aptitude as a student that it requires a global assessment of the student as a whole. All things considered, as a future educator I realize that standardized testing while it is important for objectively measuring student aptitude sometimes it doesn’t always tell the full story. I look forward to being able to assess my students on both a personal but also academic level.


References
1. Standards & Testing [Internet]. Education Writers Association. 2013 [cited 2018Nov10]. Available from: https://www.ewa.org/standards-testing
2. Richard Phelps, PhD, "Estimating the Costs and Benefits of Educational Testing Programs,” www.education-consumers.com, Feb. 2002
3. Richard P. Phelps, "The Effect of Testing on Achievement: Meta-Analyses and Research Summary, 1910–2010,” Nonpartisan Education Review, Apr. 2011

Simulation-Based Instruction

Terra Landis, Pharm.D.

The most prominent goal in any educational setting is to produce an individual who is ready to handle the real-world situations they shall face in their profession. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and Guidelines states that colleges and schools of pharmacy are expected to graduate pharmacists who are competent to provide patient care.1,2,3 In order to produce confident and competent professionals, it makes a great deal of sense that those individuals shall have practiced using their clinical skills as a part of their school’s curriculum. Instructional design shall always involve analyzing the learning needs of a group of students and designing methods to meet those needs.4 For well over a decade, simulation-based instruction has become increasingly popular in pharmacy schools as a means of producing confident practitioners. Simulation-based learning provides an opportunity to apply previously acquired knowledge and skills in a realistic setting. It allow for control over the content of a learning situation while limiting the risk that may be associated with students making direct patient care decisions.1 In 2010, ACPE acknowledged this type of learning as valuable and now allows for simulation-based activities to account for up to 20% of the total required introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) time.1,2,3

The Literature
Literature suggests that simulation-based instruction enhances student learning while targeting a higher level of Bloom’s Taxonomy.1,2,3 In a recent review by Hasan, et al.1 of the literature surrounding simulation-based learning, it was noted that simulation in nursing school curriculum, when combined with experiential learning, was associated with the highest scores in knowledge retention and clinical skills. With that being said, it appears that neither direct patient care experience nor simulation-based learning is superior to the other, and the best results come from a combination of the two. In terms of pharmacy school education, the evidence points towards simulation-based learning as being associated with enhanced abilities for resolving medication-related problems, performing medication reviews, and performing physical examinations. It was also associated with improved psychomotor abilities such as taking a blood pressure. As well, the literature shows that, compared to pharmacy students who do not participate in simulation exercises, pharmacy students who participate in simulation exercises have significantly increased knowledge retention for disease states such as asthma, decompensated heart failure, and infective endocarditis.3 From an economical stand-point, simulation-based learning has been shown to be much more feasible given that standardized patients are readily available. The largest limiting factor in this type of learning environment is simply that these are not real patients or situations, which may affect student engagement. As long as students are engaged in the learning activity, positive outcomes can be expected and skills may be transferable to real patient care.1,2

Application
There is a clear benefit to introducing simulation-based learning activities throughout the pharmacy school curriculum. From the literature, as well as from personal experience, simulation-based learning models build confident practitioners and reduce the risk of mistakes when delivering actual patient care. As an educator, this type of learning should always be considered as an option in order to allow students the opportunity to apply new knowledge in ways that reflect real situations they will encounter on rotations and in practice. It is important to keep in mind that there are several manners through which simulation can be provided. Examples of simulation-based instruction include: standardized patients, virtual patients, computer-based simulations, objective structured clinical examination, and human patient simulation.2 In designing instruction to best fit the needs of soon-to-be pharmacists, one can use any and all of these delivery methods to ensure the
development of confident and competent practitioners. Another method that I have found to be of great benefit is the use of interprofessional simulation, which best reflects team dynamics and obstacles that are encountered in real-world practice.2



References:
1. Hasan S, Chong D, Se W, et al. Simulation-based instruction for pharmacy practice skill development: A review of the literature. Arch Pharma Pract [Internet]. 2017 [cited 4 Nov 2018];8(2):43. Available from: http://www.archivepp.com/article.asp?issn=2045-080X;year=2017;volume=8;issue=2;spage=43;epage=50;aulast=Hasan
2. Kane-Gill S, Smithburger P. Transitioning knowledge gained from simulation to pharmacy practice. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2011 [cited 4 Nov 2018];75(10):210. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279027/
3. Bray B, Schwartz C, Odegard P, et al. Assessment of human patient simulation-based learning. Am J Pharm Educ [Internet]. 2011 [cited 4 Nov 2018];75(10):208. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279041/
4. Khalil M, Elkhider I. Applying learning theories and instructional design models for effective instruction. Adv Physiol Educ. [Internet]. 2016 [cited 4 Nov 2018];40(2):147-156. Available from: https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00138.2015

Meeting Pharmacy Education Challenges with Use of Technology

Kar-Yue Alvin Yee, Pharm.D.

PGY1 - Pharmacy Resident

Kaiser Permanente

Mid-Atlantic States Region

Pharmacy education is changing at a rapid pace and this is influenced by a variety of education challenges, including the changing role of pharmacists, changing pharmacy environment, new medication advances, evolving technology, and diversity of teaching techniques.1 Additionally, there is now a new generation of learners, termed the “digital natives”.2 Students within this generation are young people born into the digital age and is fluent in the use and adaptation of new technology. This generation expects their education to mirror their expertise in various methods of technology and are used to learning environments that are supported by strong technological integration. Also, the world of pharmacy is growing in the use of different technologies, including bar code scanning and the electronic medical record systems.

In pharmacy education, our teaching objectives include facilitating clinical knowledge acquisition, refining patient counseling skills, and improving decision making; different technologies can help address these goals. The goal of educators is to effectively utilize new technologies to help the education process become a more personalized and collaborative experience.

The following are various technological methods which explores new instructional possibilities.

Education of pharmacy students can be enhanced using computer-assisted learning. An example would be implementing a “flipped classroom”, which students review the online lecture before the lecture session. Coming into the classroom, the student will be able to have a more interactive session with their professor. Instead of simply just lecturing, more time can be focused on working out complex questions and providing more personalized guidance to the students. A 5-year retrospective study of streaming video use found student response to be very positive, including having a positive impact on student involvement, satisfaction and knowledge acquisition.3

Digital games have also proved to be a training tool in the medical field. A study found that use of serious games for surgical training improves psychomotor skills and reactions of medical student.4 The investigators found that having a fun but structured experience had a significant impact on the student’s learning and understanding of the material. Pharmacist already employs a variety of applications on their mobile device such as Lexicomp and Micromedex for increased access to clinical and drug references. Mobile applications currently available include NAPLEX exam preparation and drug flashcards. Perhaps in the future, we may also see mobile game applications designed for students to help improve pharmacy knowledge as a fun and engaging learning method.

Simulation is a method of teaching which aims to imitate real patients and mirror real-life circumstances. A systematic review spanning 34 years and 670 peer-reviewed journal articles found that the best evidence suggests that high-fidelity stimulations can help facilitate learning.5 The education goals of simulation include providing feedback, repetitive practice, range of difficulty levels, multiple learnings strategies, clinical variation, and ability to define outcomes or benchmarks.

The use of simulation can range from simple reproduction of isolated body parts to complex human interactions as shown by simulated patients. An example would be Rescusi Anne, one of the first simulators developed 35 years ago for learning mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.6 Integrated stimulators can combine a mannequin with computer controls that can be manipulated to give various outputs such as pulse rate, respiratory movements, or monitor readouts.7 Ingrated stimulators are being used in various academic settings, including at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy Abilities Lab course, which a mannequin is used to assess a student’s understanding of taking a patient’s blood pressure reading and pulse rate. A well-developed simulation can help teach and assess a student’s learning.

The practice of pharmacy education is ever changing, and it is influenced by a variety of different factors. Use of technologies for undergraduate, graduated, and postgraduate students has become increasingly prevalent. The implementation of technology in the pharmacy field has many advantages, including providing a more personalized learning environment for the learner and therefore helping deliver quality health care for our patients.



References:
1. Using Technology to Meet the Challenges of Medical Education. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2015;126:260-70.
2. Prensky M. Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon (MCB University Press) 2001;9(5):1–6
3. Bridge PD, Jackson M, Robinson L. The effectiveness of streaming video on medical student learning: a case study. Med Educ Online. 2009 Aug 19; 14():11.
4. Graafland M, Schraagen JM, Schijven MP. Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Br J Surg. 2012 Oct; 99(10):1322-30.
5. Issenberg SB, McGaghie WC, Petrusa ER, Lee Gordon D, Scalese RJ. Features and uses of high-fidelity medical simulations that lead to effective learning: a BEME systematic review. Med Teach. 2005 Jan; 27(1):10-28.
6. Resusci A. Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training guides. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 1971.
7. Lane LJ, Slavin S, Ziv A. Simulation in medical education: a review. Simulation Gaming. 2001;32:297, 297–314. Available at: http://sag.sagepub.com/content/32/3/297.abstract