A 3-YEAR SEQUENTIAL COURSE TO ENHANCE STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING OF PHARMACEUTICAL CARE

The pharmacy practicum is a six semester consecutive course sequence t hat was implemented as part of our four-year professional degree progr am. Each semester features the same overall design whereby groups of 1 0-12 students are assigned to a faculty mentor for three years. These students are engaged in a variety of experiential activities, with a s ubsequent discussion of the activity among their peer-group and facult y mentor. The experiential activities of each semester are commensurat e with the students' level of professional understanding and didactic instruction. Experiential activities for this course take place in the following settings: long-term care facilities, community pharmacies, university and community-based ambulatory care clinics, basic and clin ical research laboratories, hospitals, and a variety of community serv ice organizations. In addition, students make numerous oral and writte n presentations related to their experiences, perform physical examina tions, and conduct medical histories. This course is expected to enhan ce our ''generalist'' student education goal, facilitate student's tra nsition into the clerkship year, and ultimately into their chosen prof ession.