Revising senior pharmacy grand rounds to incorporate longitudinal board review to prepare students for licensing examination

Abstract

Little is known about the content of senior grand rounds (GR) or senior seminars frequently taught as a component of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. Colleges and schools of pharmacy use GR to educate senior pharmacy students, showcase role models, and promote collegiality. In the past, GR at the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences were designed similarly and had vague overall objectives. We redesigned our GR with a focused goal to guide and prepare our graduates for licensing examination (the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)). To assist with reaching this goal, we incorporated disease state reviews, case-based discussions, and questions designed similarly to the NAPLEX format. During the senior year, five GR sessions were conducted with our graduating class of 182 students. Each session focused on major disease state reviews, with an active-learning discussion incorporating profile-based cases and questions that students answered using audience response systems (ARS). A cumulative examination was administered during the last GR session. A survey examining student perceptions of their learning and value of GR was also conducted. Majority of students enjoyed the new pedagogical approach used in GR, and 65% felt that GR contributed to their confidence in being prepared for pharmacy licensing examination. Conclusion: we describe a new approach to senior GR in a large College of Pharmacy with a focus on preparing students for licensing examination. Student survey revealed that the students had favorable views on this revised approach to conducting GR.