Wong Elaine, Nguyen Timothy V
Division of Pharmacy Practice, Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Long Island University, 75 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States.
Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2019 May;11(5):528-532. doi: 10.1016/j.cptl.2019.02.015. Epub 2019 May 3.
Curricular integration has long been advocated in healthcare education as a strategy to enhance academic experiences, facilitate higher-order learning, and bridge various disciplines. The study's purpose was (1) to assess the early impact of a new integrated pharmacy curriculum on course evaluations and learning of the clinical sciences when compared to the traditional curriculum and (2) to describe logistical enhancers and challenges that should be considered before and during the rollout of similar curricula.
An integrated curriculum was designed to combine the clinical (therapeutics) and basic sciences (pharmacology, medicinal chemistry) using an organ-system approach within a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Beginning in the second professional year, the nine-course sequence was delivered in a modified block format. Study outcomes compared data (course evaluations and exam performance) from the traditional and integrated curriculums.
When comparing student course evaluations, there were no significant differences. Student commentary conveyed concerns on the ability to retain and apply material within a modular block course series. There was positive feedback regarding the integrated workshop cases in the new curriculum. The mean percentage difference in student performance for respective clinical science topics ranged from +0.8 to -3.9%.
Results provide insight on a transitional period between traditional and integrated curricular approaches in a United States accredited PharmD program. Future efforts will include evaluating its impact on college-specific outcomes, curricular satisfaction, and student performance on various assessment activities.
长期以来，课程整合在医疗保健教育中一直被倡导为一种增强学术体验、促进高阶学习以及衔接各学科的策略。本研究的目的是：（1）与传统课程相比，评估新的整合药学课程对课程评价和临床科学学习的早期影响；（2）描述在推出类似课程之前和期间应考虑的后勤促进因素和挑战。
设计了一门整合课程，在药学博士（PharmD）项目中采用器官系统方法将临床（治疗学）和基础科学（药理学、药物化学）相结合。从第二学年开始，九门课程序列以改良的模块形式授课。研究结果比较了传统课程和整合课程的数据（课程评价和考试成绩）。
在比较学生课程评价时，没有显著差异。学生评论表达了对在模块化课程系列中掌握和应用知识能力的担忧。对于新课程中的整合研讨案例有积极反馈。各临床科学主题的学生成绩平均百分比差异在+0.8%至-3.9%之间。
研究结果为美国认证的药学博士项目中传统课程与整合课程方法之间的过渡阶段提供了见解。未来的工作将包括评估其对学院特定成果、课程满意度以及学生在各种评估活动中的表现的影响。
