(75) Evaluation of Student Success through a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Course Thread Intervention System

Objective : Evaluate the impact on student success of integrating a Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course thread through didactic semesters of a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.

Methods: PharmD students (n=225) were enrolled in the PPD longitudinal, integrated course thread. On-time progression status and course remediation interventions were tracked. Success rate was defined as passing courses and maintaining on-time progression. Interventions included Early Intervention Outreach (EIO), deadline leniency, mid-semester academic warnings, individualized remediation, and repeat courses.

Results: In total, 43% (n=97) of students passed all PPD courses with zero interventions, and 24% (n=55) passed all courses with a single EIO provided by coordinators within the first 2 months of the fall professional-year 1 (PY1) course. Students with EIO had 90% success rate for Fall PY1, 79% success rate in Spring PY1, and 73% in Fall PY2. Students (n=12) who received deadline leniency Fall PY1 successfully passed the semester’s course; 93% succeeded in Spring PY1 and Fall PY2.

Individualized remediation with overlapping coursework while progressing (n=12) yielded 42% success rate and 25% on-time retention. Remediation offered without overlapping coursework (n=11) yielded 92% success rate and 82% on-time retention. Students repeating Fall PY1 (n=6) yielded 50% success rate and 33% on-time retention. Thirty-seven students did not progress on-time to PY2 but passed PY1.

Conclusions: Strengths: EIO, deadline leniency, and offering remediation that does not overlap with coursework are directly controlled by course coordinators and yielded high success and retention rates. The non-overlapping remediation also included adult education intervention support; something to explore for at-risk students.

Limitations: Identifying factors contributing to attrition for the 37 students who passed PY1 successfully but did not progress to PY2 is needed.