Assessing student reflections of significant professional identity experiences.

INTRODUCTION: Professional identity formation (PIF) is an essential component of pharmacy education. A student-focused holistic approach can be introduced through exposure to a variety of curricular and co-curricular activities. It is essential for students to not only participate in these activities but also to reflect on their actions and thoughts about those activities. The objective of this study was to better understand the experiences students identify as significant in their PIF. METHODS: A mixed methods approach with qualitative thematic analysis was conducted for first-year (P1) and second-year (P2) student pharmacist end-of-year reflections to understand the types and impact of various experiences on PIF. Students identified which experience was most impactful; additional analysis based on this identification was conducted. RESULTS: A review of 151 student reflections led to coding and analysis of 453 experiences. Co-curricular experiences were identified most frequently in both P1 and P2 groups (59.8% and 56.4%, respectively). Curricular experiences were more likely to be mentioned by P1 students than P2 students (28.8% vs. 9.8%, P < .001). P2 students were more likely to identify experiential rotations (17.9% vs. 6.4%, P < .001) or work (13.7% vs. 9.1, P < .001). Other experiences were cited less frequently but were ranked as most impactful by students. Students often identified experiences that allowed them to apply skills and knowledge and opportunities to attend seminars and lectures. CONCLUSIONS: When reflecting on experiences and their impact on PIF, student pharmacists discussed a variety of experiences but identified co-curricular opportunities most frequently as impactful.

Status of personal health requirement for graduation at institutions of higher education in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of higher education institutions in the United States that require a personal health course (PHC) for graduation and to describe the nature of such requirements. Participants: This study included a random sample of public and private institutions of higher education (IHE) with undergraduate programs within the United States (N = 310). Data were collected between September 2014 and May 2015. METHODS: University catalogs were accessed from the institutions' public Web sites to determine whether a PHC was offered, and whether it was exclusively or optionally required for graduation. RESULTS: The majority (55.8%) of the sample offered at least 1 PHC, with only 10% exclusively requiring the course and an additional 10% optionally required the course. CONCLUSIONS: Although the utility of undergraduate students completing a PHC is clear, the majority of institutions do not require such a course for degree conferral.