(215) A Narrative Review of Research Project Opportunities in United States School of Pharmacy Curricula

Objective : Many pharmacy schools require student pharmacists to complete a research project, while others offer elective courses. Existing studies show varying student perceptions of research with most viewing them as valuable but having complaints of limited time to complete projects. This study compiles literature on pharmacy student research projects in United States curricula.

Methods: In August 2023, two reviewers conducted searches of articles published from 2010 to 2023 detailing descriptions and outcomes of student research projects. The search was conducted in databases (PubMed, Embase), education journals (American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning), and Google Scholar.

Results: Six schools were represented in the ten articles that were selected. Most schools required research projects as part of their curriculum. Students at most schools could work individually or in groups aside from students at two colleges. In a majority of programs, students completed projects between years 3-4; students at two schools began projects earlier. Projects were disseminated from many of the schools and students had opportunities for presenting their work. However, many students did not anticipate holding positions that require conducting research upon graduation. Preceptors felt that increased student effort and longer study duration could increase the impact of projects.

Conclusions: Colleges of pharmacy offer various programs to student pharmacists for research projects. Other institutions may benefit from this information when creating or altering programs offering research. More studies on alternative programs including student research and its impact may be warranted to further this discussion.