Assessment of a structured longitudinal professional identity development curriculum for pharmacy students.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To describe and assess a longitudinal Professional Identity Development (PID) curriculum at Northeast Ohio Medical Universities (NEOMED) College of Pharmacy.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Northeast Ohio Medical University, a four-year professional program, has assimilated its career development and advising program into the curriculum as a primary element of the Pharmacist Patient Care Experience (PPCE) course. The concept of PID focuses on student pharmacist career development. The goals for the PID module include guided self-assessment and goal-setting related to career choice with attention to work-life balance, community engagement and leadership. Students also work in small groups, called Professional Development Advising Teams (PDAT), led by a PDAT clinical advisor who is a practicing pharmacist. These meetings provide a forum to debrief self-assessment work and clinical experiences and make connections between the two.

FINDINGS: A voluntary survey was administered to six classes of NEOMED alumni (2011-2016) to evaluate the longitudinal PID curriculum. Respondents found many aspects of the PID curriculum to be beneficial in the development of their professional identity and career planning journey. Most felt that PID sessions enabled them to effectively prepare for a career in pharmacy, with goal setting, Curriculum Vitae (CV) review, and career exploration most helpful in planning for their future careers.

DISCUSSION: PID curricula are resource-intensive and require a firm commitment from administration and the faculty. Elements of the program can be adapted and utilized in a variety of different ways, making this model accessible to all pharmacy schools.