Pharmacy students’ confidence, perceived importance, and skills application in Management, Innovation, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship (MILE): A single-institution study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2026.261.444455Keywords:
Confidence, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Leadership, Management, PharmacyAbstract
Background: As pharmacists assume increasingly complex roles within healthcare systems, competencies in management, innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship (MILE) have become increasingly important. However, evidence informing the effective integration of these domains into pharmacy education remains limited. This study evaluated the impact of a MILE capstone course on pharmacy students’ confidence, perceived importance, and anticipated application of MILE-related skills.
Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest educational evaluation was conducted among fourth-year pharmacy students enrolled in a required MILE capstone course. Anonymous pre-course and post-course surveys assessed confidence in MILE knowledge, perceived importance of MILE competencies, anticipated future skill use, and course expectations. Descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyse the data.
Results: Of 70 eligible students, 54 completed the pre-course survey, and 50 completed the post-course survey. Post-course respondents reported significantly greater confidence in management, innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship knowledge and a higher likelihood of applying these skills in future practice. The largest improvements were observed in innovation and entrepreneurship. Perceived importance remained high and unchanged. Most respondents (78%) reported that the course met their expectations.
Conclusion: The MILE course was associated with increased confidence and perceived applicability of key professional competencies, supporting the integration of MILE-focused learning experiences within pharmacy curricula.
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