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All Rio Grande College of Pharmacy non-traditional PharmD students must complete the Clinic (Ph701) and the Externship (Ph705) as part of the curriculum. These courses require experiential learning.
Admission to the Rio Grande College of Pharmacy requires students to have either been licensed two years or have a minimum ten-months work experience. Most pharmacists enrolling in the program will have significantly more experience. Therefore, all students will have gained experience in the workplace, in continuing education settings, or in other environments.
The Rio Grande College of Pharmacy recognizes this fact, and acknowledges that students have learned from many past experiences. Full credit for the experiential component of the curriculum can be earned by students submitting a portfolio describing prior learning experiences in the following areas:
- communicating drug use to patients
- consulting with patients
- providing drug information verbally and in writing
- demonstrating professional skills, attitude, motivation, and ethics
- demonstrating the ability to collaborate with other health care professionals
- gathering data and assessing patients' drug-related problems
- developing pharmaceutical care plans for patients
- recommending therapeutic drug monitoring plans
- assessing and modifying drug therapy regimens
- monitoring medication outcomes
Each student must design a portfolio that evaluates prior learning experience. Many prior experiences can contribute to learning that will satisfy the criteria listed above. Thus, the portfolio can include learning based on the following:
- All pharmacy positions held in various employment settings, including various job duties undertaken at each position
- All continuing education or other courses taken that relate to pharmaceuticals and/or pharmacy practice
- All pharmacist specialty certifications acheived since becoming licensed
- All industry periodicals, as well as other sources, read in order to remain informed about pharmaceuticals and/or pharmacy practice
- All papers, videotapes, audiotapes, computer programs, or other items created which are related to pharmaceuticals and/or pharmacy practice
- All speeches, lectures, or other presentations given or attended which are related to pharmaceuticals and/or pharmacy practice
- Any other activities in which professional learning is acheived
Of course, a curriculum vitae should be included in any portfolio. But the portfolio is not just a list of past experiences and accomplishments. Instead, it is a demonstration of skills or knowledge learned through those experiences and accomplishments. It must relate how knowledge gained has been applied. It should be a narrative written by the student and supported by relevant documents.
The Rio Grande College of Pharmacy will assist students in identifying, evaluating, articulating, and documenting learning experiences that could satisfy one or more of the above criteria. The College's students' only web pages contain more guidelines and list the criteria used by the evaluation committee when reviewing portfolios. Students may also request assistance from the clinic and externship instructors in building a portfolio that will enable them to maximize the benefits of their experiences.
Portfolios are reviewed by the assessment committee, which includes members trained in prior learning assessment as well as pharmaceutical science and practice. All assessment is conducted in accordance with guidelines articulated by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
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