Examination of the admissions process and admissions outcomes of a college of pharmacy in the United States of America
Keywords:
College Of Pharmacy, Admissions Process, Admissions Outcomes, Pharmacy Education, Pharmacy Admissions, Pharmacy SchoolAbstract
Objective: This study examined the admissions process used for candidate selection in a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) programme in Texas, United States and evaluated the process’s outcomes.
Methods: Two years of Pharm.D. admissions data (2015 and 2016) were used. Applicants were divided into three groups: (i) early decision (ED); (ii) auto selected for interview (auto-IV); and (iii) reviewed by committee prior to interview (to committee, RTC). These groups were compared based on their admission’s characteristics, the final outcome of their application, and first-year performance.
Results: From the combined data, a total of 968 complete applications were examined, out of which 160 were ED, 449 were auto-IV, and 408 were RTC. Among ED and auto-IV applicants, 110 (68.8%) and 273 (60.8%) were offered admission, respectively. Among the RTC applicants, 91 (22.3%) were interviewed and 30 (7.4%) were offered admission. Out of 18 RTC applicants that completed a full year of pharmacy school, first-year Grade Point Average mean (SD) was 2.99 (0.38) compared to all other applicants, 3.25 (0.49).
Conclusion: The auto-interview selection criteria used by the admission committee serves as an efficient screening tool for selecting well-performing applicants. Committee review and evaluation time did not lead to efficient outcomes and could be reviewed for optimisation.
References
Allen, D.D. & Bond, C.A. (2001). Prepharmacy Predictors of Success in Pharmacy School: Grade Point Averages, Pharmacy College
Admissions Test, Communication Abilities, and Critical Thinking Skills. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 21(7), 842-849. doi: 10.1592/phco.21.9.842.34566
Allen, R.E. & Diaz, C. (2013). Use of Preadmission Criteria and Performance in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program to Predict Success on the North American Pharmacists Licensure Examination. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 77(9), 193. doi:10.5688/ ajpe779193
AACP [American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy]. (2017). Academic Pharmacy's Vital Statistics. (online) Available at: https://www.aacp.org/ article/academic-pharmacys-vital-statistics. Accessed 27th January, 2018
Chisholm, M.A., Cobb III, H.H. & Kotzan, J.A. (1995). Significant Factors for Predicting Academic Success of First-Year Pharmacy Students. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 59(4), 364-370
Chisholm-Burns, M.A., Spivey, C.A., McDonough, S., Phelps, S. & Byrd, D. (2014). Evaluation of Student Factors Associated with Pre-NAPLEX Scores. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 78(10), 181. doi:10.5688/ajpe7810181
Giuliano, C.A., Gortney, J. & Binienda, J. (2016). Predictors of performance on the pharmacy curriculum outcomes assessment (PCOA). Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 8(2), 148-154. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2015.09.011
Kelsch, M.P. & Friesner, D.L. (2012). Evaluation of an Interview Process for Admission Into a School of Pharmacy. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 76(2), 22. doi:10.5688/ajpe76222
McCall, K.L., Allen, D.D. & Fike, D.S. (2006). Predictors of Academic Success in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70(5), 106
McCall, K.L., MacLaughlin, E.J., Fike, D.S. & Ruiz, B. (2007). Preadmission Predictors of PharmD Graduates' Performance on the NAPLEX. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 71(1), 5
Meagher, D.G., Lin, A. & Stellato, C.P. (2006). A Predictive Validity Study of the Pharmacy College Admission Test. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 70(3), 53
Meagher, D.G., Pan, T., & Perez, C.D. (2011). Predicting Performance in the First-Year of Pharmacy School. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(5), 81. doi:10.5688/ajpe75581
Pharm-CAS [Pharmacy College Application Service]. (2017a). Preparing to Apply. (online) Available at:
http://www.pharmcas.org/preparing-to-apply/what- youll-need-to-apply. Accessed 27th January, 2018
Pharm-CAS [Pharmacy College Application Service]. (2017b). Preparing to Apply - Early Decision. (online) Available at: http://www.pharmcas.org/preparing-to- apply/what-youll-need-to-apply/deadlines/early- decision/. Accessed 27th January, 2018
Wall, A.L., Aljets, A., Ellis, S.C., Hansen, D.J., Moore, W.M., Petrelli, H.M.W., Speedie, M.K., TenHoeve, T., Watchmaker, C., Winnike, J.S. & Wurth, S.D. (2015). White Paper on Pharmacy Admissions: Developing a Diverse Work Force to Meet the Health-Care Needs of an Increasingly Diverse Society: Recommendations of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Special Committee on Admissions. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 79(7), S7. doi:10.5688/ ajpe797S7
