(250) Socioeconomic Disadvantage Lowers On-Time Graduation Rate in an Accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Objective : We had previously found that at one accelerated pharmacy program, socioeconomic disadvantage had no significant effect on on-time graduation, whereas students who are black or African American had lower rates of on-time graduation. We aimed to further evaluate the relationship between race/ethnicity and progression as well as socioeconomic disadvantage and progression in a different accelerated three-year pharmacy program.

Methods: The on-time graduation rate for five cohorts of Pharm.D. students were compared using PharmCAS application responses to multiple economic and environmental disadvantage questions. On-time graduation rates were also compared using sex, race/ethnicity, and geographical area as variables. A Pearson Chi-Square test was performed to determine if there were differences between groups. Statistical significance was set to p< 0.05.

Results: The rate of on-time graduation was a significantly lower (p=0.005) for students who self-reported as being economically disadvantaged. However, there was no significant difference in on-time graduation rate for any of the other economic or environmental disadvantage questions. There was also no significant difference in on-time graduation based on race/ethnicity, sex, or geographical area.

Conclusions: Students who are economically disadvantaged had comparatively lower on-time graduation rates. None of the other variables examined had a significant effect on on-time graduation. These findings differ from those reported in another accelerated program, where on-time graduation rate was lower in black or African American students but unaffected by those reporting economic disadvantage.