The Pharmacology Knowledge Objectives (KOs)-Current Status

Abstract

<b>Abstract ID 26669</b> <b>Poster Board 395</b> The Pharmacology Knowledge Objectives (KOs) are a compilation of concepts and content originally developed to guide faculty members in the education of medical students in the mid-1980s by the Association of Medical School Pharmacology Chairs (AMSPC), and to guide the development of core pharmacology content and suggested contact hours for undergraduate medical student education. They provided guidance towards a standardized knowledge base for content decisions. The KOs were maintained by AMSPC, with the last iteration occurring in 2012. The need for such guidance seems apparent when one considers the variety of curricula in medical education today. To provide some consistency in content and concepts for undergraduate medical students, and perhaps other healthcare students, seems an important goal. To bring the KOs up to date, AMSPC and ASPET’s Division for Pharmacology Education (DPE) combined to update them, with the DPE providing oversight of updates and future maintenance. AMSPC and DPE formed working groups chaired by content experts with committee members from numerous institutions. Peer review was minimal since each committee was comprised of content experts who currently teach in each area. Co-editors reviewed the documents for formatting, grammar, and spelling, plus any clarification needed. Important drugs in each class were listed along with content recommendations for faculty consideration with suggestions of relevant physiology and pathophysiology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenomics. Faculty can modify suggestions to meet the needs of their individual students and/or the culture of their institution. The final document contains over 170 pages of guidance in fifteen major areas of pharmacology for undergraduate medical education. It has been compiled and reviewed by content experts who are pharmacology educators in universities and medical schools around the country, providing their expertise to help all faculty who request assistance. The current edition of the Knowledge Objectives in Pharmacology, 2022, is maintained on the ASPET/DPE and the AMSPC websites and is available to all. The KOs may also benefit international medical education faculty and curriculum development. In conclusion, this document is a concept and content document that contains prototypical and representative drugs in each drug class. The Knowledge Objectives have served the discipline of pharmacology well for almost 4 decades. They provide a guide for consistency in pharmacology education of undergraduate medical students. The update, and the relationship between AMSPC and ASPET/DPE will allow a timely maintenance of the KOs to the benefit of medical students, faculty, and the public, enhancing the consistency and quality of undergraduate medical education, and hopefully, clinical practice. They may find use in the international educational community.