ASSESSMENT OF GRADUATE OUTCOMES - FOCUS ON PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITYACTIVITIES

The University of Kansas School of Pharmacy is in the process of conve rting to the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) as the sole professional degr ee and implementing a new curriculum. In anticipation of these changes and in preparation for an upcoming ACPE accreditation visit, the scho ol conducted an alumni survey of graduates from 1986-1994. The survey focused on four major outcomes: (i) practice sites; (ii) clinical acti vities; (ii) postgraduate and continuing education; and (iv) service t o the profession and community. The survey also asked graduates to ass ess the school's contribution toward the development of several key pr ofessional skills. Of 617 mailed surveys, 437 were returned for a resp onse rate of 71 percent. Approximately 94 percent of respondents held the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The majority of respondents were practicing pharmacy in chain pharmacies with a primary focus on patien t care. Overall, a relatively small percentage of graduates had comple ted postgraduate education. Graduates are involved in a number of prof essional pharmacy organizations. Active participation is greatest at t he local and state levels, however a few graduates have obtained natio nal recognition. Separate analysis of the PharmD graduates suggest tre nds toward several important differences in outcomes. The survey provi des valuable baseline data on graduate outcomes which can be used for future comparison studies.