Students’ Perspectives about the American Pharmacists Association Career Pathway Evaluation Program for Pharmacy Professionals

Abstract

Objectives: The APhA Pathway Program provides Pharm.D. candidates with direction in refining their career choices. The purpose of this study was to collect data about pharmacy student perspectives regarding which year of pharmacy school is the optimal time for students to complete the APhA Career Pathways Briefing Document. Methods: The subjects of the study were Pharm.D. candidates currently enrolled in their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd year of didactic courses at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Students were provided a copy of the Pathway Program Briefing Document and asked to complete a 19-item questionnaire regarding their opinions about this information. The independent variable in the study was the class year. The dependent variable was the usefulness of the Pathway Program. Results: The overall response rate was 121 of 219 (55%) distributed questionnaires. Baseline characteristics of the three classes were similar. Statistically significant differences in responses existed between the 1st and 3rd year classes. The first year pharmacy students found the Pathway Program the most useful. Students with less work experience found the Pathway Program more useful than students with more work experience. Conclusions: First year pharmacy students had the strongest level of agreement that the Pathway Program was a useful tool. Students with less pharmacy work experience found the Pathway Program more useful than students with more extensive work experience. Based on these results, it appears that the first year of pharmacy school is the most appropriate time to utilize the program.