(353) Using Pharmacy “Families” to Improve a Faculty Advising Program

Objective : Encouraging professional identity formation and overall well-being for students is important to faculty advising programs. Barriers to engagement including confusion about the purpose of the program; lack of orientation for new faculty; time commitment to arrange meetings; and costs associated for social events. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Pharmacy (COP) sought to overcome those barriers by moving from a traditional one-on-one advising model to a group “Pharmacy Family” model consisting of a faculty advisor and student representatives from each of the 4 classes. The objective is to describe the UNMC Pharmacy Family program.

Methods: The UNMC COP conducted a review of its advising process. Interviews with student leadership and faculty revealed barriers to engagement and routine meetings. Based upon this feedback, the following guidance, structure, and training was implemented. Student coordinators (P2 or P3 students) within each family were appointed to facilitate family meetings.  A food stipend of $100 per semester/family was implemented.  A program overview at a COP Faculty meeting, included:  Purpose and structure of the family;  Faculty expectations and responsibilities; and Talking points for faculty at family “gatherings”. This was followed by the UNMC Director of Counseling and Psychological Services discussing signs associated with student wellness and psychological concerns.   Families were free to be creative in how they interacted. Meeting frequency and student perceptions are collected each semester.

Results: As of March 2023, all but two of 20 families had met at least once. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the interactions deemed beneficial.

Conclusions: Developing a structured advising program with students from all classes, clear expectations, and financial support from the College, has improved student sense of community and well-being.