Determination of predictors impacting performance on the third-year pharmacy curriculum outcomes assessment at a historically Black college of pharmacy

Abstract

IntroductionThe Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) is a standardized exam developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) in 2008 to measure the curriculum in relation to student progress. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of pre-admissions and pharmacy school variables on third-year student PCOA performance at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) College of Pharmacy. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted using data from three cohorts of students who took the PCOA in their third professional year from 2015 to 2017. An independent samples t-test, correlation analysis, and multivariate linear regression were conducted to determine the relationship between student characteristics and the PCOA score. ResultsThe mean PCOA scaled score for the third-year pharmacy students was 349.6 ± 46.20 while the mean Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) percentile was 62.7 ± 14.5. Most students (67%) self-identified as Black and the majority (54.9%) were female. The PCOA scores were correlated with the PCAT percentile (P < .001) and the cumulative grade point average (GPA) through the fall semester of the third professional year (P < .001). After adjusting for other factors, the cumulative GPA through the fall semester of the third professional year (P < .001) and PCAT percentiles (P < .001) remained predictive of students PCOA scores. ConclusionsThe cumulative GPA through the third-year fall semester and PCAT percentiles are important factors in helping to predict PCOA scores among third year pharmacy students at a HBCU.