Assessing the Impact of an Early Clinical Experience on Student Learning about Ambulatory Care Practice

Objective. To determine if student confidence in their knowledge of ambulatory care pharmacy and ability to contribute to patient care in this setting increased after participating in an ambulatory care introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). To determine if an ambulatory care IPPE changed student interest in pursuing a career in ambulatory care pharmacy. Methods. Second-year pharmacy students (n=86) completed a required ambulatory care experience which included four hours of didactic work and 13.5 hours of clinic experience with an ambulatory care pharmacist. Students completed an eight-question survey rating their confidence in their knowledge of ambulatory care practice and providing patient care in this setting, as well as their interest in a career in ambulatory care before and after the experience. A 5-point Likert scale was used to assess student confidence (1=not at all confident, 5=very confident) and interest in ambulatory care (1=not at all interested, 5=extremely interested). Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre-post survey responses. Results. Eighty-five pharmacy students completed both the pre- and post-survey. Pre- vs post-median scores increased from 3 to 4 in seven domains assessed. Student interest in a career in ambulatory care remained unchanged. Conclusion. An ambulatory care IPPE increased student confidence in their understanding of ambulatory care pharmacy practice and caring for patients in this setting.