Perceived value and outcomes of residency projects

Abstract

Residency program directors' attitudes toward residency projects were studied. A questionnaire about the residency project experience was mailed in January 2000 to 446 pharmacy practice residency program and specialty residency program directors in the program database of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Recipients responded to opinion statements on a 5-point scale. Responses to the opinion statements were separated into seven categories for analysis. A total of 278 usable questionnaires were returned, for a raw response rate of 63.6%. During the preceding three years, residency directors had served as primary advisors on 917 projects; 171 had served as advisor on at least one of every type of project allowed in the accreditation standards. Of the 917 projects, 364 were presented at national professional meetings, 124 were published, and 484 were believed to have resulted in a positive change in pharmacy services. There were no significant differences in total response scores among any of the subgroups analyzed. There was strong agreement that residency projects were valuable and should continue to be part of the residency program experience. The directors' views of the importance of original research as a project option were more neutral. Overall residency program directors had positive perceptions of the value of residency projects to both residents and institutions and believed that they should continue to be a requirement of residency programs.