Creation of Experiential Education Honors to replace Dean's List in recognizing students for exemplary experiential achievement

Abstract

ObjectiveTo develop and implement an Experiential Education (EE) Honors policy designed to recognize excellence throughout introductory/advanced pharmacy practice experience (IPPE/APPE) sequences, as a replacement of Dean's List recognition of academic achievement during the Final Professional (P4) year. The created policy recognizes excellence in ≤10% of students during the APPE sequence predicated on preceptor APPE evaluation of communications, professionalism, and therapeutics knowledge inherent within the APPEs. The awardee selection criterion incorporates preceptor feedback/grades, faculty rubric‐graded work‐products, national poster presentation during P4, and previous IPPE distinctions. Disqualifications include academic integrity infractions, ≤B+ grades, and “Needs Improvement” student learning outcome/competency ratings.MethodsGrade point averages (GPAs) of EE Honors awardees were compared with an equal number of graduating students in the same cohort who earned the highest GPAs to test the hypothesis that EE Honors awardees would be a different subset of graduates than those solely with high GPAs.ResultsEE Honors have been implemented for 5 years. Over the 5‐year collective, students who received EE Honors earned an average GPA of 3.41, which was lower than top GPA earners (an average GPA of 3.82 for a similar size cohort), demonstrating that the EE Honors awardees were a different subset of students than solely the top GPA earners.ConclusionsThe EE Honors Policy has replaced Dean's List to recognize exemplary performance in 10% of students during the EE sequences. Not surprisingly, due to the comprehensive nature of APPE evaluation which includes professionalism and communications skills, EE award winners were not necessarily the students with the highest GPAs, revealing a different subset of the student population who rises to the top when recognizing exemplary experiential performance.