(218) Assessing the Impact of an Innovative Communication Skills Elective in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Objective : The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education requires the preparation of students to communicate effectively with all audiences in various settings. This study assessed the impact of a communication skills elective course on pharmacy students' presentation skills.

Methods: The elective course offered to eight second-year pharmacy students focused on strategies for improving presentation skills, managing speech anxiety, and connecting with larger audiences. Students enrolled in the course were required to present a patient case, a research article, and a teaching sample. After each presentation, fellow students and faculty completed the Skill Assessment Standard Evaluation Tool developed by Jahangiri et al., evaluating presenters across three skill domains: Behavioral elements, Content variables, and Delivery skills. The tool highlighted the challenges the presenter needed to overcome for an effective presentation and provided an overall score (≥80 indicates high effectiveness). To gauge students' perception of the course's effectiveness, the students completed an end-of-course survey to reflect on how the course has improved their ability to achieve the course outcomes.

Results: The presentation skills of all the participating students were significantly improved by completing the course (p <.01). On average, students displayed a remarkable 19% increase in their presentation skills. Following the first presentation, 7 out of 8 students received scores below 80%; however, this distribution was reversed by the end of the course. When students were asked if the course improved their ability to achieve the course-specific outcomes, 7 out of 8 indicated that the course either exceeded expectations, met expectations, or was exceptional.

Conclusions: The findings underscore the course's effectiveness in enhancing the students' presentation skills within the Pharmacy program, as validated by both objective assessments and students’ feedback.