Student perceptions of a three-minute thesis presentation activity in undergraduate pharmacology education: a post-intervention evaluation

Communication skills are a core competency in pharmacy education; however, traditional presentation approaches often place limited emphasis on clarity, engagement, and meaningful integration of knowledge. This study evaluated student perceptions and immediate post-activity knowledge following implementation of a Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) group presentation task among third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) undergraduate students in a pharmacology course at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A single-group, post-intervention, cross-sectional evaluation design was used. Learning outcomes were assessed using a structured 20-item evaluation questionnaire measuring five domains (engagement, perceived learning, communication confidence, satisfaction, and peer perception) and a five-item knowledge quiz administered immediately after the activity. A total of 59 students participated (79.7% response rate). Perceptions were highly positive across all domains, with the highest mean scores observed for satisfaction ($M = 4.37$, $SD = 0.80$) and peer perception ($M = 4.32$, $SD = 0.79$), followed by engagement ($M = 4.21$, $SD = 0.74$), perceived learning ($M = 4.16$, $SD = 0.81$), and communication confidence ($M = 4.11$, $SD = 0.77$). Subscale reliability was strong (Cronbach's α = 0.79-0.92). Quiz performance reflected high immediate post-activity knowledge, with a mean score of 3.86 out of 5 ($SD = 1.18$), and 72.9% of participants achieving scores of 4 or 5. The 3MT-style format is a feasible and highly engaging active-learning strategy in undergraduate pharmacology. While the descriptive single-group design limits direct causal inferences, the strong student reception and solid immediate knowledge profiles demonstrate its pedagogical viability and educational value. Future controlled, multi-institutional studies are warranted to evaluate long-term impacts.