Outcomes of a Multi-campus, Multi-semester Applied Critical Care Research Elective

Objective The Research in Critical Care Pharmacotherapy elective implemented a novel approach that promoted collaborative research across four campuses for up to four semesters of credit. The impact of a multi-semester research elective on pharmacy student confidence and experience are unknown. Methods Retrospective evaluation over five years of a multi-campus, multi-semester research elective course in a traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program. A survey was developed to assess confidence in research skills and was distributed at the start of the elective and after the final semester of course completion. Confidence was measured using the Dreyfus model. The primary outcome was median student confidence of overall research and secondary outcomes included median confidence and frequency of research experience encountered in the elective course in 20 specific areas of research. Results 47 students were assessed over 5 years of the course offering. 45 of the 47 students responded to the pre-course survey and 43 students responded to the post-course survey. There was a statistically significant improvement in confidence in 17 of the 19 research categories assessed. More than 40% of students gained experience in 12 of the 20 total research areas offered. Conclusion A multi-semester research elective improves confidence in most research skills and gives students a breadth of experiences across the research process.