Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh (GEAR-UP): A Program to Educate Students about Pharmaceutical Research

Abstract

Objectives. To develop a program to inform and encourage students enrolled in pharmacy and related programs in the United States about research careers in the pharmaceutical sciences. Design. The Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh (GEAR-UP) Program was designed with 2 components: a mini-graduate school and a summer internship. The mini-graduate school provided information about research. Summer internships provided intensive peer-learning research experiences. Outcomes. Since 2002, students from 19 institutions have attended the program. Seventy-two students have participated in the mini-graduate school and 25 students have completed summer internships. Both programs received an average score of 4.76 out of 5 from participants asked to rate the overall quality of the program. Outcome assessments demonstrated that 31% of participants entered postgraduate research training. Conclusions. The peer-learning format and the multi-institutional design of the GEAR-UP Program have provi...