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Objective. To evaluate the structure and impact of student organizations on pharmacy school satellite campuses. Methods. Primary administrators from satellite campuses received a 20-question electronic survey. Quantitative data analysis was conducted on survey responses. Results. The most common student organizations on satellite campuses were the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) (93.1%), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) (89.7%), Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International (CPFI) (60.0%), state organizations (51.7%), and local organizations (58.6%). Perceived benefits of satellite campus organizations included opportunities for professional development, student engagement, and service. Barriers to success included small enrollment, communication between campuses, finances, and travel. Conclusion. Student organizations were an important component of the educational experience on pharmacy satellite campuses and allowed students to develop professionally and engage with communities. Challenges included campus size, distance between campuses, and communication.

Approximately 75% of the United States is rural. (1) While 20% of the US population lives outside of urban areas, only 9% of physicians and 12% of pharmacists practice in rural areas. (2,3) This lack of access to primary care is compounded by the significant need for primary care by citizens in rural areas. More than 1 in 3 adults living in rural America is in poor to fair health, with nearly half having at least 1 major chronic illness. (4) Individuals in rural areas have higher rates of smoking as well as obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. (5) In its 2005 report on rural health care, the Institute of Medicine asserted that many of the challenges faced by those living in rural areas can be attributed to the lack of access to basic health care services. Furthermore, this report described 5 strategies to address the lack of care in rural areas, and 1 strategy was to increase the supply of primary care health professionals in rural areas through improved education and training. (4) Although the report did not specify types of providers, specially trained pharmacists may be able to address the health care disparities found in rural areas. Although the shortage of primary care clinicians has persisted for decades, there is evidence that medical education has made progress in eliminating deficiencies in access to rural health care. (6-8) The following universities, in addition to Jefferson Medical College, all have histories of a strong curricular commitment to rural health care: Alabama, Arizona, Illinois-Rockford, Minnesota, and Washington. Much of the University of Washington's involvement in rural health care has been through a coalition of the University's School of Medicine and 5 states in the Northwest, entitled WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho). With regard to rural health, pharmacy education is in its infancy and can be described as trailing medical education in its efforts. Based on a survey of Web sites of accredited pharmacy colleges and schools, (9) 3 were found that promote programmatic and longitudinal curricular offerings in education and training in rural pharmacy health. (10-12) If less than 3% of accredited pharmacy colleges and schools are promoting and providing formal curricular programming in rural pharmacy health, pharmacy education is probably not meeting the need for qualified pharmacy practitioners in rural areas. RURAL-FOCUSED PHARMACY PROGRAMS When considering creation of a rural-focused pharmacy curriculum, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy first looked to local resources such as the statewide Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program. The AHEC system is designed to train and retain health care professionals across the state and has met this objective to an extent; therefore, AHEC could be a vital partner in a rural health-based pharmacy curriculum. Across the state of North Carolina, additional allies were identified who were willing to engage in the education of pharmacists with a rural health interest. The school also researched several programs throughout the country and surveyed prospective students. The information gathered suggested that the approach to fulfilling the rural health education need must be multi-faceted, including aspects of recruitment, admission processes, curricular innovation, and rural experiential training. Medical educators have found that a medical school applicant from a rural area is more likely to practice in a rural area. (6,7,13) This trend is juxtaposed with deficits in educational resources for rural areas that may place such applicants at a disadvantage compared to counterparts from metropolitan areas. Students with an interest in rural pharmacy practice may be encouraged to participate in rural health programs through tuition waivers, early admission, or the chance to obtain an additional designation or certification. Additionally, pharmacists are now included in the National Health ServiceCorps (NHSC) State Loan Repayment Program which gives grants to states to operate their own loan repayment programs for primary care providers in medically underserved areas. …

To determine prospective student pharmacists' interest in a rural pharmacy health curriculum.All applicants who were selected to interview for fall 2011 enrollment at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy were invited to participate in a Web-based survey. Questions addressed participants' willingness to participate in a rural health pharmacy curriculum, interest in practicing in a rural area, and beliefs regarding patient access to healthcare in rural areas.Of the 250 prospective student pharmacists invited to participate, 91% completed the survey instrument. Respondents agreed that populations living in rural areas may have different health needs, and students were generally interested in a rural pharmacy health curriculum.An online survey of prospective student pharmacists was an effective way to assess their interest in a rural pharmacy program being considered by the study institution. Location of the rural program at a satellite campus and availability of housing were identified as factors that could limit enrollment.

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act proposes strategies to address the workforce shortages of primary care practitioners in rural America. This review addresses the question, "What specialized education and training are colleges and schools of pharmacy providing for graduates who wish to enter pharmacy practice in rural health?" All colleges and schools accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education or those in precandidate status as of December 2011 were included in an Internet-based review of Web sites. A wide scope of curricular offerings were found, ranging from no description of courses or experiences in a rural setting to formally developed programs in rural pharmacy. Although the number of pharmacy colleges and schools providing either elective or required courses in rural health is encouraging, more education and training with this focus are needed to help overcome the unmet need for quality pharmacy care for rural populations.

The typical approach to course delivery in higher education, particularly for those courses that are considered “foundational” and are rich with factual content, has remained unchanged for decades. In the usual paradigm, reading or other activities intended to prepare students or provide background information, often in the form of textbooks authored by the lecturer, are provided prior to class. Educators generally believe that students who come to class with the requisite knowledge will be prepared to ask intelligent and informed questions, engage in dialog, or simply be in position to acquire additional information during the class session. This traditional educational strategy has focused largely on communication, retention, and repetition of factual information. While this approach is efficient in achieving a specific endpoint (graduating students who have been exposed to, and hopefully mastered, a well-defined body of knowledge), it does little to bolster perhaps the greatest asset of a bright and motivated student: the ability to critically assess information and utilize that assessment to solve complex problems. Instead, the end result often is students who have a multitude of facts at their fingertips, but are ill-prepared to bring those facts to bear on real-world problems.

Objectives. To determine the extent to which the structured interview is used in the PharmD admissions process in US colleges and schools of pharmacy, and the prevalence and content of interviewer training. Methods. A survey instrument consisting of 7 questions regarding interviews and interviewer training was sent to 92 colleges and schools of pharmacy in the United States that were accredited or seeking accreditation. Results. Sixty survey instruments (65% response rate) were returned. The majority of the schools that responded (80%) used interviews as part of the PharmD admissions process. Of the schools that used an interview as part of the admissions process, 86% provided some type of interviewer training and 13% used a set of predefined questions in admissions interviews. Conclusions. Most colleges and schools of pharmacy use some components of the structured interview in the PharmD admissions process; however, training for interviewers varies widely among colleges and schools of pharmacy.

Objectives. An emphasis on pharmaceutical care has made interdisciplinary teamwork increasingly important. However, required interdisciplinary education is rare in pharmacy education. The purpose of this paper is to discuss pharmacy student participation in a required interdisciplinary case conference designed and implemented for health professional students. Methods. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 439 health professional students, including 113 doctor of pharmacy students, participated in a required series of 2 simulated interdisciplinary case conferences. Evaluation focused on changes in knowledge and attitudes of both students and facilitators and included preconference and postconference surveys of students and postconference surveys of facilitators. Results. In general, students' knowledge of other health care professionals increased. With regard to pharmacy students' attitudes toward interdisciplinary care, students reported generally positive attitudes, with a greater improveme...