As an educator, I strive to develop pharmacy practitioners who will be leaders in providing patient-centered care and in advancing the profession, regardless of their chosen field of practicewithin pharmacy. A pharmacy leader is a critical thinker and problem solver who is committed to personal and professional development and who understands their role as a team member working with others to improve patient outcomes. The vital skills and mindset needed to be a pharmacy leader begin during didactic and experiential education.
I value critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills above knowledge accumulation. In all course sessions, I use “real-life scenarios” to encourage student pharmacists to apply foundational knowledge to challenging cases using critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. The Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process (PPCP) serves as a roadmap as student pharmacists collect and assess data to make patient-centered and evidence-based plans. There is high value in modeling this process in the didactic setting and I prioritize discussion of my own reasoning strategies and skills in navigating complex patient-based and non-patient based scenarios. In the experiential setting, I transition from modeling my skills to serving as a facilitator and coach to encourage student pharmacists to perform these skills with increasing competence and independence. Regular feedback from faculty and intentional self-reflection from student pharmacists is vital in the development of critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills.
I value communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills necessary for interdisciplinary team collaboration. I include group activities such as team-based learning and group breakout sessions in all courses to emphasize these skills. Experiential education provides a continuation of skill development as student pharmacists transition from didactic group work to collaborating with other practitioners to provide patient care. I believe working with others in the didactic and experiential education setting can help student pharmacists identify their own strengths, develop a foundational understanding of the role of the pharmacist in the provision of patient care, and cultivate appreciation for the skills and abilities of others.
I value a student pharmacist’s commitment to personal and professional development. This begins with reflective practices such as self-assessment and metacognition to help studentpharmacists identify their own strengths, weaknesses, biases, perceptions, and passions related to pharmacy practice. In the didactic setting, I utilize peer evaluation and self-reflection to encourage independent self-assessment. In experiential education, I ask student pharmacists after patient encounters to identify “what went well and what didn’t go well?” or “what was easy and what was challenging?” to coach them through reflection and assessment of their own knowledge and skills.Self-awareness is an important first step in student pharmacists’ identification of their skills and abilities, their role as a professional, the impact they have on the lives of others, and their responsibility to lifelong learning and professional growth.
I believe high expectations of academic and professional engagement and performance should be supported by high levels of teaching, facilitation, coaching, and mentorship. When faculty value and model critical thinking and patient caring skills, a commitment to personal and professional development, and collaborative, team-based care, we will develop competent, skilled, and professional student pharmacists ready to impact patients and the profession.
Education