Development of a Rubric for Assessing Essential “Basic Social Skills” Required at the Time of Employment and Its Evaluation in Clinical Training

In the Model Core Curriculum for Pharmacy Education, clinical practice training is expected to provide “opportunities for students to acquire fundamental knowledge, ways of thinking, skills, and attitudes required of pharmacists.” Universities are therefore responsible for instructing the participating students on desirable attitudes as members of society and healthcare professionals, including preparedness for training, appropriate manners, and health management. These foundational social skills, which form the basis of daily life, have generally been assumed to be acquired during the developmental process and mastered by the time of university admission. However, our previous surveys suggested that many students not have fully acquired them. This study aimed to support the acquisition of essential “basic social skills” required of pharmacy students by developing a rubric-style self-assessment sheet. We identified issues faced by pharmacists in teaching social skills to students and evaluated the usefulness of the assessment sheet in the context of clinical training. Questionnaire results indicated that the introduction of the assessment sheet enhanced trainees’ self-awareness and served as an effective instructional guide for supervising pharmacists. Furthermore, many pharmacists recognized the importance of social skills, suggesting that their systematic cultivation will be important in future educational settings.