New Idea for Pharmacy-related Mentor Thread

[All4MyDaughter]

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Check out this thread in the Mentor Forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=410273

I'd like to do something similar for pharmacy schools. I bet we have almost all of the schools represented on here. We'd need to modify the list of questions a bit and maybe shorten.

I'd put it in the Mentor Forum so it could be a moderated thread, but it could be linked from here.

Thoughts?
Volunteers?

 

[omnione]

20 Questions sound like a nice round number, as well as culturally recognizable.🙂

I would like to do this for Creighton campus-based.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

20 Questions sound like a nice round number, as well as culturally recognizable.🙂

I would like to do this for Creighton campus-based.

OK let's think about what the questions should be.

 

[Glowwyrm]

OK let's think about what the questions should be.

This is only from my point of view but I can tell you what I'd like to see.

Curriculum...block format or regular.
What is your schedule like?
How many hours do you spend in class?
How many hours do you spend studying?
How many hours do you spend at work as an intern?
Did the school help you find a job as an intern?
Was it difficult to get a job as an intern?
Is there a note taking service?
Do most profs use power point slides?
If so, are they available on their website?
How are students evaluated?
Is most of the work in teams or individual work?
Are most of the tests multiple choice or essay?
What do you like most about this school?
What do you like least?
What are somethings you wish previous classes would have told you before beginning your first year?
Is there a dress code?
Do the profs have an open door policy as far as meeting with students that have questions or need additional help?
Is there any sort of tutoring service provided?
How are the classrooms set up? (ie, small classrooms with overhead projectors etc)

What I would like to see are the nuts and bolts that aren't listed on school websites. I can look up tuition and fees. But, I can't look up to see how many hours their students spend studying or how hard it was for them to find their internship.

 

[DrugDealer]

I would be interested in representin' MCP-Worcester; there aren't many of us on here. Would it be possible for me to wait until August to do the brunt of my answers? Darn 3-year school keeps me really busy!

 

[Trancelucent1]

I would be willing to help out for UF...also I'm at a distance campus, not sure if there's anyone from the main campus but maybe they could add their 2 cents as well since it might differ.

 

[omnione]

Here are the questions, with necessary modifications, to the ones on the pre-med forum that sound good for this:

Curriculum
1. Are there any special programs for which this pharmacy school is noted?
2. Describe this school's curriculum in the pre-rotation and rotation years. Are there any innovations, like Problem-Based Learning?
3. Are there opportunities for students to design, conduct, and publish their own research?
4. Is there a note-taking service? If so, is it university-run or student-run?
5. Is there flexibility in the coursework (the number of electives) and the timing of the courses (accelerating, decelerating, and time off) during the pre-rotation and rotation years?
6. Has this pharmacy school been on probation or had its accreditation revoked?
7. How do students from this pharmacy school perform on the NAPLEX? How does the school assist students who do not pass?

Evaluations
8. How are students evaluated academically?


Counseling/Student Support
10. What kind of academic, personal, financial, and career counseling is available to students? Are these services also offered to their spouses and dependents/children?
11. Is there a mentor/advisor system? Who are the advisors—faculty members, other students, or both?
12. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?

Facilities
13. Tell me about the library and extracurricular facilities (i.e., housing and athletic/recreational facilities).
14. Are there computer facilities available to students? Are they integrated into the curriculum/learning?
15. What type of rotation sites—ambulatory, private preceptors, private hospitals, rural settings. Does this school allow for students to do rotations at other institutions or internationally?

Financial Aid
17. What is the current tuition and fees? Is this expected to increase yearly? If so, at what rate?
18. Are there stable levels of federal financial aid and substantial amounts of university/pharmacy school endowment aid available to students?
20. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
22. Does this school provide guidance to its students, and to its graduates/alumni, on debt management?

Student Involvement
23. What medical school committees (e.g., curriculum committee) have student representation?
24. Are students involved in (required or voluntary) community service?
25. How active is the Student Council/Government? Are there other student organizations?

Policies
26. Is there an established protocol for dealing with student exposure to infectious diseases? Is disability insurance provided to cover this exposure?
27. Does this school provide, or does the student pay for, vaccinations against Hepatitis B or prophylactic AZT treatment in case of a needle-stick or accident?
28. Is there a school Honor Code? Is there a grievance process/procedure? Are the students involved?
Residency
New: What are residency options for graduates wanting the clinical and/or academic route?

 

[omnione]

I'd also want to add questions about how the students interact with each other and any rapport that comes about.

As for choosing questions, perhaps we should have a poll that allows one to choose a number of favorite and most important questions. We post the poll on all the pre-pharmacy forums and then we could have a small idea about which questions are best.

 

[ForcedEntry]

For reasons painfully obvious to anyone here more than a week, it may be prudent to add the heavy hitters in the "application, PCAT, and/or Pharmcas" arena relative to each school.

 

[GatorRxGirl]

i think these are all good questions but i agree that there needs to be pcat/pharmcas/application type questions.

 

[GatorRxGirl]

I'd also want to add questions about how the students interact with each other and any rapport that comes about.

Also, what about the interactions with non-pharmacy students. We can't all have only pharmacy friends, after all.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I like the idea of a poll. Maybe find out what the top areas of interest are, in terms of information?

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Bump!

 

[oxeye]

bump 🙂

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I hope that this project will be a reality soon. Post here if you'd like to help out.

 

[PBandJ]

http://www.chathamgirlsgrammar.medway.sch.uk/pages/common/events/2003/Marathon/pictures/Mr%20Bump.jpg

SAYS...

Come to the Mentor Forum and post here if you want to help!