(393) Supporting All Students: Identifying Factors that Influence Well-Being in PhD Students at Pharmacy Programs

Trainee Category: Student Pharmacist

Objective : While well-being initiatives have become increasingly important in graduate education to prevent burnout, there is limited research in Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students in pharmacy programs. The purpose of this study is to explore factors influencing well-being, burnout and identify recommendations for pharmacy programs to improve PhD student well-being.

Methods: Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with PhD candidates in October 2022. Participants were stratified as All-But-Dissertation (ABD) or Pre-ABD status. Focus groups explored three primary areas: factors influencing burnout, factors influencing well-being, and participant recommendations to foster graduate student well-being. Thematic inductive coding of zoom transcripts was used to identify common themes from participant responses. Two researchers independently applied the codebook to each transcript. All codes were reviewed, and discrepancies discussed until consensus was reached.

Results: Six PhD candidates participated in three focus groups: three Pre-ABD candidates in one focus group and three ABD candidates in two focus groups (ie, 1-2 participants/focus group). Participants identified relationships and aspects of curriculum and research (ie, program design, completing milestones) as notable factors influencing their well-being. Participants indicated curriculum and research stressors, including working overtime and having unrealistic expectations, along with lack of work life balance and financial burden as factors influencing their burnout. Participant recommendations to foster graduate student well-being included reducing financial burden. Subgroup analyses will be conducted to explore experiences unique to Pre-ABD and ABD students.

Conclusions: This study is one of the first to identify curriculum and research factors as well as relationship dynamics that influence graduate student burnout and well-being. Findings can be used to inform actionable recommendations for pharmacy programs to improve the well-being of PhD students.