(327) Rx Games As A Recruitment Tool

Objective : Creation of Rx Games for undergraduate pre-pharmacy, biology, or chemistry majors from multiple universities to learn about pharmacy, meet faculty and visit the campus while enjoying a gaming atmosphere.

Methods: Rx Games is a 3-part pharmacy-themed competition. 15 students from 6 universities were divided into 3 teams based on Kingdomality® personal preference profiles. The teams were assigned a faculty advisor and student facilitator. Students were taught team values and function prior to attending the event. In the first competition, teams competed in “Pharmily Feud” by identifying answers to multiple pharmacy-based questions. In the second competition, actors were interrogated to determine the medical cause affecting an unconscious patient. Using on-line technology, teams recommended a care plan. In the last game, teams displayed professional skills by compounding lip balms. Each game was graded by a panel of faculty, preceptors, and students.

Results: Faculty and student facilitators guided teams but did not influence outcomes. The first game was highly competitive with 1 team excelling. All teams uncovered the medical mystery within the case and earned similar points in the second competition. 2 teams excelled in the compounding competition. Overall, 1 team separated itself from the others. Informal survey of participants indicated students learned more about their career choice, their personality, and the advantage of working within a team.

Conclusions: Feedback from the students revealed a highly successful recruiting event. Individuals were satisfied with Pharmacy as a career as well as the College being their choice to attend. Future plans for Rx Games are to increase student participation, increase number of participant colleges, and expansion into high school recruiting efforts.