Utilizing an Innovative Preceptor Video Mini-Series to Prepare Students for Experiential Rotations: Does it Work?

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether an innovative Mini-Series training model originally developed for preceptors could be beneficial to pharmacy students prior to and/or after beginning their introductory or advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Methods: This program consists of twelve incremental video episodes, each ranging from five to eight minutes in length. It tells the story of a young pharmacy preceptor as she guides a third and fourth year student through a challenging six-week clinical hospital rotation. Two to three reflection questions were written for each individual episode, focusing on student issues portrayed in the videos. Two-hour viewing sessions, consisting of all (12) video episodes and facilitated student reflection were held for 2nd – 4th year professional students on two campuses. At conclusion of each session, students completed a short evaluation to gauge the effectiveness and potential application of the Mini-Series program. Results: Fifty-six (56) students (22 fourth-year, 6 third-ear, and 28 second-year) participated in the voluntary viewing sessions. All students either agreed or strongly agreed that the Mini-Series program was entertaining and educational. In addition, 82% of students strongly agreed this program would be beneficial for students prior to taking their first experiential rotation, while only 47% strongly agreed it would be beneficial after they had started rotations. On a 5-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree), participants reported a mean of 4.6 that this medium is more effective than traditional lecture orientations held by the Office of Experiential Programs. On three open-ended questions, students provided a diversity of suggestions for enhancing the Mini-Series to make it more effective for students. Implications: The “Mini-Series” model was well received by students as a training medium to deliver educational content. As a result, more programs are being developed utilizing this innovative teaching method to help prepare students for future experiential rotations. Conflict of Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest or financial incentives to disclose related to this project. Dr. Craig D. Cox conceptualized, developed, and directed the Mini-Seriesprogram described in the manuscript. All funding for and all income generated by the program studied is the property of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy. Type: Original Research

Keywords

• pharmacy student, experiential learning, pharmacy education, orientation