Abstract
In Year 3 of the MPharm degree at the University of Nottingham, many of the students undertake 20-credits of “broadening horizons” optional modules, chosen from a wide and diverse range from across the university. This study presents student views regarding their module choices and on their performances with such diverse module choices of varied levels. Follow-up surveys and focus group discussions with alumni will determine the contribution of this breadth to a student’s education, in providing them with a different perspective on life, to their chosen profession and future career paths.Keywords: Electives, optional modules, MPharm, pharmacy
Highlights
The undergraduate Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree is the first stage to registration for those wishing to become a pharmacist within the UK, designed to ensure students meet the required outcomes detailed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in the standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists
Other MPharm degrees in the UK provide the opportunity of optional modules, these are usually limited in range or provided in-school
The philosophy to the implementation of “broadening horizons” optional modules on the University of Nottingham (UoN) MPharm course is two-fold: for the most, it will provide some breadth to the students’ education that will serve them well as pharmacists in providing a different perspective on life from the detailed pharmacy curriculum they follow in the other phases of the course; whilst for a smaller group, this will stimulate new interests that will grow into careers in research, journalism or business
Summary
The undergraduate Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree is the first stage to registration for those wishing to become a pharmacist within the UK, designed to ensure students meet the required outcomes detailed by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in the standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists. In Year 3 of the course, many of the students undertake 20-credits of “broadening horizons” optional modules, chosen from a wide and diverse range from across the university, cross-faculty. “Interesting topic” (59%) and “try something new” (37%) were the two most popular reasons for module choices (Figure 1) Not surprisingly, for those students choosing languages, the most popular reason for their choice was “improving language skills (73%, 27/37 students), whilst “usefulness” was rated the highest at 68% (19/28 responders) by students who had chosen modules in business studies, this in context of their awareness that many will become involved in the management of community pharmacies, with areas of management such as managing people, finance, leadership, and strategy, critical to their early careers. The highest rating for the factor “interesting topic” was seen with those students who had chosen the advanced sciences modules, 77% (17/22 responders)
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