Credit University of Florida College of Pharmacy- photo credit
Anderson and Associates (2008) sought to determine what influenced pharmacy students to pursue a career in pharmacy and how those influences varied among different racial groups. They issued a 30-question survey instrument that was developed and administered to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at the University of Georgia and Florida A&M University. The data collected was analyzed to identify differences between students at different institutions and of other racial groups. They found that most students were encouraged by someone to pursue pharmacy. Students cited encouragement by family members, pharmacists, and students as important influences. Work and volunteer experiences were also important influences. Few students were influenced by “career day” events.
The collaboration of pharmacy schools with college advisors, local pharmacy associations, and community pharmacies can also increase interest in the pharmacy profession. Minority health professionals are more likely to serve minority and medically underserved communities, and minority patients are more likely to select healthcare professionals of their own racial or ethnic background. Additionally, students from diverse backgrounds who train together develop improved cultural competency. According to the IOM report, diversity in health professions is associated with improved access to care for minority patients, increased patient choice, increased patient satisfaction, improved communication between patient and provider, and better educational experiences for all students during training.
Pruitt and Associates (2023) state that “the number of students applying to PharmD programs in the United States has decreased yearly since 2013, experiencing nearly a 20% drop in applications between 2017 and 2020. However, pharmacy schools are not the first to experience a professional student enrollment crisis. Dental school applications plummeted 48% between 1975 and 1982, and law schools saw applications to juris doctorate programs decrease almost 37% between 2010 and 2014. The current stabilization of dental and law school enrollment could be a direct result of earlier proactive measures taken by professional organizations advocating for an elevation of the academic advisor role to one as a gatekeeper of and recruiter for the profession.
While no single solution can be introduced to increase pharmacy career awareness and enrollment, implementing innovative pre-pharmacy academic advising may be an advantageous intervention for many PharmD programs to consider. A low level of awareness regarding novel careers in pharmacy has been cited as a critical factor for waning interest in attending pharmacy school. Advocates of the pharmacy field serving in an advising capacity are likely more apt to aid students in structuring an educational journey leading to a career in pharmacy. A 2019 study by Hickey and colleagues mentions pre-pharmacy advisors as a critical group responding to misperceptions possibly held by prospective health professions students.
The Narrative Matters! See part 2
References:
Anderson Jr, D. C., Sheffield, M. C., Hill, A. M., & Cobb, H. H. (2008). Influences on pharmacy students’ decision to pursue a doctor of pharmacy degree. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 72(2). Influences on Pharmacy Students’ Decision to Pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree – PMC (nih.gov)
HBCU. (2022). HBCU Schools Offering Pharmacy Doctoral Degrees.HBCU Schools Offering Pharmacy Doctoral Degrees (hbcu-colleges.com)
Pavuluri, N., Aparasu, R. R., Boje, K. M., Danielson, J., El-Ibiary, S. Y., Iyer, A. K. V., … & Wargo, K. A. (2019). Consideration of aggressive and strategic approaches to address declining enrollment in US pharmacy schools. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 83(6), 6959. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000294592301536X
Pruitt, S., Darley, A., & Dennison, E. (2023). Increasing the PharmD Pipeline, Encouraging Student Success, and Supporting the Underserved Through Pre-Pharmacy Advising. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 87(2), ajpe8854. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002945923013797
