(299) Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Student Learning from a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assignment

Objective : To determine student learning following a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) assignment during advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE)

Methods: Students in the 2024 graduating class on elective APPE rotations completed one of five DEI activity options (e.g., attend DEI committee meeting, read published literature) and wrote a reflection focused on how pharmacists, healthcare providers, or systems can provide culturally responsive care and reduce healthcare disparities. In this pharmacy program, students complete 3-4 elective APPEs (including acute care, ambulatory care, community, and non-direct patient care) and, therefore, 3-4 different DEI activities/assignments throughout the year to learn how DEI is considered across different pharmacy settings and health systems. Content analysis of the reflections was conducted. Themes were considered for both what the student learned and what recommendations were made.

Results: A total of 363 DEI assignments were completed and included in this analysis from the graduating class of 2024. Themes related to student learning included access to care, culture of belonging and inclusion, distrust in the medical system, implicit bias, invisible disabilities, language barriers, patient education, and technology. Recommendations included community engagement, considerations of specific populations, creation of DEI-focused programs, evaluation of program impact, policy creation or updates, providing resources, and staff training.

Conclusions: This simple assignment during APPEs both facilitated real-world student learning about DEI and allowed the pharmacy program to assess that learning. Through the use of an activities menu, this assignment is easily transferred to a wide variety of sites and could be adopted by other pharmacy programs.