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Pursuing a career in academia: Perceptions of pharmacists and student pharmacists
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454
Opinion
http://www.pharmacyteaching.com
Pursuing a career in academia: Perceptions of pharmacists and student pharmacists Carla White, BS Pharm, RPh*, Brittney Louis, PharmD, RPh, Pamela Joyner, EdD, MS Pharm, RPH, Davon Townsend-Howell, PharmD, RPh, Amica Simmons-Yon, PharmD, PhD, RPh, LaToya Griffin, PhD UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC
Abstract To gain an understanding of pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of careers in academia. Surveys were administered via e-mail to 13,451 licensed pharmacists in the state of North Carolina and to 304 third- and fourth-year professional students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Overall, 25% of student pharmacists and 35% of pharmacists indicated that they were considering or had considered a position in academia. In addition, 67% of all respondents indicated being informed about pharmacy career opportunities by previous faculty members. Meaningful work, interfacing with students, and flexible hours were cited as being most important in considering academia, while politics, geographical location, and pay were cited as barriers. Perceptions of the academic environment may present a challenge to increasing interest in careers in pharmacy academia. Study results indicate that efforts, in addition to exposing students to careers in academia, are necessary to address barriers that impact perceptions of academia. r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Careers; Academia; Faculty; Recruitment; Perceptions; Pharmacy
Introduction One of the most critical challenges facing schools of pharmacy today is faculty recruitment and retention.1 Qualified faculty are essential in securing the future of pharmacy education. In recognizing this concern, the Chairs of the Council of Faculties and the Council of Deans within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) formed a Task Force on Faculty Workforce in 2005 to review the status of the pharmacy faculty and to identify aspects that may influence the supply of and demand for faculty.2 This group had ominous projections for pharmacy faculty shortages throughout the United States. * Corresponding author: Carla White, BS Pharm, RPh, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, 301 Pharmacy Lane, CB #7566, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2014.02.012 1877-1297/r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Furthermore, AACPʼs 2010–2011 survey of “Vacant Budgeted and Lost Faculty Positions” revealed a total of 378 vacant and/or lost positions among 101 responding schools. While most vacancies were due to retirements (21.3%), 14% were due to faculty members moving to practice positions in the health care private sector.3 Factors compounding the challenge of faculty recruitment and retention include (1) an increase in the number of schools and colleges of pharmacy,1 (2) limited positive exposure to pharmacy academia,4 and (3) lack of effective strategies to address this issue.5 The 2005 Task Force provided several recommendations for the recruitment of pharmacy faculty, one being to determine the level of excitement and the perceived barriers to academic careers among professional students, graduate students, fellows, and residents.2 In response to this recommendation, several studies have been conducted to understand the perspectives of pharmacy students, faculty, residents, and practitioners with regard to a career in higher
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Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454
education. One study was designed to gain an understanding of pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of careers in academia. The study was conducted by Sheaffer et al. and surveyed fourth-year pharmacy students, residents, new faculty members, and clinical pharmacy practitioners. This research revealed motivators to pursing an academic career as the ability to shape the future of pharmacy, personal flexibility of faculty positions, and autonomy of faculty positions. The potential need to generate part of the salary through research or clinical practice was found to be a weak deterrent for the cohort.6 Other studies have established that factors such as limited patient contact, salary, grant writing, and public speaking requirements are deterrents for student pharmacists considering careers in academia. The opportunities to teach students, as well as a favorable work-life balance, have been identified as additional positive factors relating to a career in pharmacy education.4–6 Although these studies provide valuable insight, there is little information concerning perceptions of academia among a broader population of pharmacists. This information may prove valuable in developing strategies to recruit and retain future faculty to meet the expanding need for pharmacists to pursue careers in academia. To gain a better understanding of both pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of academic careers in pharmacy, a survey was administered to licensed pharmacists in the state of North Carolina and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Methods Survey population The study population included all pharmacists licensed to practice pharmacy by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy (n = 13,451) and students enrolled in the third or fourth year of the PharmD program at the School (n = 304). Survey design Surveys were developed using Qualtrics (Provo, UT), an online survey tool with data analysis functionality. A 14question survey was administered to pharmacists, and a 20question survey was administered to students. The student survey contained additional and more in-depth questions pertaining to current sources of exposure, professional development, and future plans that may impact career decisions. The student survey also contained opportunities to submit open-ended responses for each question. This additional information was necessary to assess if current students were receiving opportunities to access information related to careers in pharmacy education. Survey questions were developed based on feedback gathered from multiple focus groups involving students and
alumni, which were conducted during a two-year period. Consistently, positive characteristics identified included preparation of future pharmacists, collaborative opportunities, meaningful work, and intellectual satisfaction and autonomy. Negative attributes were lower pay, stress, politics, and difficult students. These questions were then evaluated at the institute for research in social science, in the department for survey research and development, and in an effort to reduce potential biases and enhance survey navigation. All survey responses were anonymous, and the Universityʼs Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol for exemption. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine any significant differences in survey question responses between pharmacists and students with a significance level set at p = 0.05. Free-text entries were coded to identify frequent responses. Pharmacist survey A 14-question, multiple-choice survey was disseminated to licensed pharmacists via e-mail by the state board of pharmacy. Survey questions assessed demographic information including gender, age, race, level of education, and current practice type. In addition, the survey gauged whether the pharmacist had previously considered a career in academia, sources of career information while in pharmacy school, and appealing aspects and barriers to choosing a career in academia. The survey also gathered general comments regarding a career in pharmacy education. For select questions, respondents had the option to select multiple answers and provide a free-form response. Freeform responses were included to gain more insight on the decision to choose a career in higher education or an alternate career path. Pharmacist participants were given one month to complete the survey. No reminders for survey completion were supplied. Student pharmacist survey To assess student perceptions of a career in academia, a 20-question, multiple-choice survey was administered and disseminated to all current PharmD students at the School of Pharmacy through Qualtrics. However, due to a low number of student respondents, a second survey composed of both multiple-choice and short-answer questions was generated and distributed to only third- and fourth-year professional students in the PharmD Program, who would be nearer to graduation and involved in decisions related to postgraduate opportunities and career planning. Similar to the survey disseminated to pharmacists, the student survey assessed demographic information, faculty positions that may have been considered, sources of pharmacy career information, and work and/or extramural experience. Students were also asked about plans to complete a pharmacy residency, fellowship, or other post-graduate training opportunity, factors that seem appealing about a career in academia, perceived barriers to pursuing a career in
Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 Table 1 Licensed pharmacist demographics Characteristic Gender (n ¼ 907) Male Female Age, years (n ¼ 913) 20–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–69 70þ Ethnicity (n ¼ 929) White Non-white Highest degree earned (n ¼ 907) Bachelors Masters Doctorate Doctor of Pharmacy
n
%
397 510
44 56
124 224 189 243 105 28
14 25 21 27 12 3
829 100
89 11
412 65 10 420
45 7 1 46
pharmacy education, whether he or she received sufficient exposure to academia as a career, and whether that exposure had an impact on the studentʼs career decision. Questions in regard to geographical opportunity were not posed to students given that they had not experienced a pharmacist job search. For selected questions, students were able to select multiple responses. The survey was distributed via email, and students were given one month to complete the survey. Approximately two weeks prior to the deadline, a reminder was sent to encourage completion of the survey.
Results Licensed pharmacist cohort Demographic characteristics of pharmacist respondents are listed in Table 1. There was a 7% (929 respondents) overall response rate for the survey distributed to the licensed pharmacists. Most survey respondents were white (89%), female (56%), between 50 and 59 years of age (27%), and practiced in a community pharmacy setting (49%). Nearly 25% of the pharmacists that responded to the survey practiced in a hospital, while less than 10% practiced in industry or government. Furthermore, non-practicing pharmacists represented less than 10% of the cohort. This sample was representative of the state population of pharmacists, which is 85% white, 57% female, 19% between the ages of 50 and 59 years, and 47% community pharmacists (Board of Pharmacy, e-mail communication, March 1, 2013). Of the respondents, 7% were current faculty members. Additionally, 171 respondents (19%) indicated that they had completed a post-graduate residency-training program.
451
Of the pharmacist respondents, 7% indicated that they had received career information from faculty during pharmacy school. Other sources of career information cited included career day representatives (43%), guest speakers for classes (36%), personal mentors (35%), and colleagues (29%). Moreover, 67% of pharmacists indicated that they had not considered a career in academia. The top five factors reported by pharmacists for considering a career in higher education were preparing future pharmacists (71%), meaningful work (65%), flexible hours (64%), interfacing with students (60%), and mentoring opportunities (60%) (Fig. 1). Among pharmacists that had considered a career in academia, flexible hours was less of a consideration, while teaching opportunities was selected more often when compared to the group as a whole. In contrast, Figure 2 displays the factors that licensed pharmacists believed would interfere with their consideration of a faculty position. Respondents cited politics within academia (57%) and salary (49%) most frequently. Lack of geographical opportunity (42%) was the third highest factor respondents selected as a barrier to pursuing a faculty position. This trend was found regardless of whether the pharmacist had considered a career in pharmacy. Recurrent free-form responses included lack of qualifications and experience, research and publishing requirements, and lack of interest. Student cohort The overall response rate was 28%, with 85 student respondents (Table 2). Participation was equally distributed between third- and fourth-year pharmacy students (47% and 53%, respectively). Most respondents were white (78%), female (72%) and between the ages of 20 and 29 years (82%). The state population of student pharmacists is 74% white and 65% female.7 Overall, 50% of the student pharmacists were currently working or gaining extramural experience within the community/retail setting. In addition, 42% of the respondents indicated that a faculty member(s) at the School had provided information about career opportunities in pharmacy. Other individuals who contributed to the studentsʼ information about career opportunities included guest speakers for class and professional student organizations (18%), mentors (12%), and colleagues (7%). Approximately half of the respondents (53%) reported that they were planning to pursue post-graduate training opportunities such as residencies, fellowships, or graduate training. In addition, 56% (n ¼ 48) of student respondents stated that they had sufficient exposure to career opportunities in academia during their pharmacy school training and 25% (n ¼ 21) reported that they were considering a faculty position at the time of the survey. Of those students considering a career in academia, 81% indicated that a faculty member provided information about career opportunities during pharmacy school.
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Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 80
70
60
Percent (%)
50
40
Pharmacists Students
30
20
10
0 Preparing Future Pharmacists
Meaningful Work
Flexible Hours
Interfacing with Students
Mentoring Opportunities
Fig. 1. Important factors in pursuing a career in academia.
Overall, 79 students responded to the question: “If you were to pursue a faculty position, which of the following are important to you?” The top five important factors for students if they were to pursue a faculty position in academia were meaningful work (73%), interfacing with students (69%), mentoring opportunities (66%), preparing future pharmacists (66%), and flexible hours (65%) (Fig. 1). Among students considering a career in academia, flexible hours was less of a concern, while teaching opportunities was selected most often as an important factor. Figure 2
displays the factors that students felt would interfere with their consideration of a faculty position. The majority (73%) of the students reported that politics within academia would interfere with their decision, followed by stress (49%) and salary (23%). This trend was consistent when the group of students considering a career in pharmacy was analyzed. Barriers to conducting a career in academia were similar between pharmacists and students; however, difficult students were more of a concern for pharmacists (p ¼ 0.001),
Fig. 2. Top perceived barriers to pursuing a career in academia.
Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 Table 2 Student demographics Characteristic Gender (n ¼ 85) Male Female Age, years (n ¼ 85) 20–29 30–39 40–49 Ethnicity (n ¼ 85) White Non-white Highest degree earned (n ¼ 85) Non-degreed Bachelors Masters Doctorate Student participants (n ¼ 85) Year three Year four
n
%
24 61
28 72
70 13 2
82 15 2
66 19
78 22
24 55 4 2
28 65 5 2
40 45
47 53
along with stress (p ¼ 0.0001). Pharmacists selected salary as a barrier more often (p ¼ 0.01). Additionally, students were more likely to select growth potential (p ¼ 0.02) and autonomy (p ¼ 0.004) as important factors more often than pharmacists. Discussion The Task Forceʼs recommendation to explore perceptions toward pharmacy academia has been carried out through similar studies that have examined the perspectives of pharmacy students and faculty concerning a career in academia; however, the present study is unique in that it incorporates the prospective of a broad population of pharmacists.4–6 With regard to the most important factors when considering a career in academia, responses were similar among pharmacists and students. Interacting with future pharmacists and preparing them, along with meaningful work, were the most important factors when considering a career in pharmacy education, findings similar to those by Sheaffer et al.6 Identifying the positive perceptions of pharmacy academia is essential in understanding how administrators might enhance the student experience so that as graduates, students will consider pursuing faculty appointments. Students were more likely than pharmacists to select growth potential and autonomy as important factors. This difference may reflect the changing dynamics of pharmacy education and the profession. These aspects of academia could be highlighted as a strategy to recruit the new generation of pharmacy educators. When examining the results for the various factors that interfered with choosing a career in academia, politics, lack of geographical opportunity, salary, and stress were deemed
453
significant. These barriers may have a substantial impact on recruiting faculty members. Lack of geographical opportunity may become less of a factor as the number of pharmacy schools and satellite campuses continue to increase across the country. However, this increase in the number of pharmacy programs may further compound the faculty shortage. Politics in academia may be one of the most challenging barriers to overcome, and previous studies have not focused on politics as a deterrent for students considering pharmacy academia.4–6 Given the age difference between the two cohorts, it is interesting to see that the results show a very strong unity in the two groupsʼ perception of politics in academia. These results suggest that little has been done to change this perception over time. Further research on the specific aspects of politics within academia may be beneficial to assess what steps should be taken to address these concerns in order to make faculty appointments more desirable and attainable. Overall, 25% of students reported that they were considering a career in academia. This is a much higher percentage than found in the study by Eiland et al.,5 that reported only 6.3% of first- through fourth-year students at six institutions were planning to pursue academia. This discrepancy could be due to differences in the questionʼs wording, considering vs. planning. The differing study populations may also explain this finding as third- and fourth-year students are likely to be more open-minded and informed about academic career options, while first- and second-year students may have a more narrow view of pharmacy careers. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is a highly progressive research-intensive program; as such, students may have more exposure and opportunities to explore academic pharmacy. Students in the present study also indicated receiving sufficient exposure to academia during pharmacy school. A study by Savage et al.8 determined that work environment was the most important factor that influenced studentsʼ career goals. With students spending a large amount of time in the academic setting, it might be assumed that there is sufficient insight into the academic work environment. These findings warrant investigation of the type of exposure being provided to students, how faculty members are projecting a career in education, and studentsʼ perceptions of the academic work environment. In the present study, 81% of students considering a career and 30% of those not considering a career in academia reported that faculty members provided information on career options during pharmacy school. This information may be indicative of the influence of faculty during career exploration. Further examination of factors such as the amount of time spent with faculty, engagement with student organization faculty advisors, and whether these students have faculty mentors may provide insight into strategies to promote academia among pharmacy students. The current study revealed that salary may be a deterrent in selecting academia as a career choice. Increased
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awareness with respect to salary ranges of various careers in pharmacy academia throughout the country relative to salaries of other pharmacy careers may improve thoughts on compensation as a barrier in considering a career in pharmacy education. A recent study found that faculty salaries have improved over time and that faculty currently being hired can expect higher levels of compensation over their careers. This study also suggested that the salary dissatisfaction may be mostly attributed to salary compression among established faculty whose dissatisfaction may influence students and potential future faculty.9 Perhaps an examination of the types of faculty interactions might also reveal a correlation between faculty salary satisfaction and their portrayal of academic pharmacy to students. This research provides additional information regarding the perceptions of both future and current pharmacists, which could facilitate a broader perspective and deeper understanding of the barriers, challenges, and other factors that influence decisions to explore an academic career. This broader perspective is essential in structuring pharmacy faculty recruitment, so that appropriate incentives can be put in place to facilitate the achievement of both professional and personal goals for prospective faculty members, leading to an increase in faculty recruitment and retention. Limitations There are potential limitations that may have affected the outcome of this study. A career in academia may be less of a consideration for students attending schools with fewer opportunities for exposure. In addition, the modest response rate allows for biases that might have resulted in greater participation among those pharmacists and students more likely to consider a career in higher education. The administration of a second student survey may have increased the response rate; however, students participating in the initial survey may or may not have completed the second survey, limiting the sample. Additionally, administering surveys that are not identical limits direct comparisons between cohorts. Sources of career information during pharmacy school were likely less readily recalled by the pharmacist cohort, possibly contributing to inaccurate responses and recall biases. Furthermore, results were gathered from students representing one school of pharmacy and pharmacists from one state. A larger target population including multiple schools and pharmacists across the United States may be more reflective of the population that could potentially pursue a career in pharmacy academia. Selecting the Board of Pharmacy to disseminate the survey allowed for broader distribution; however, it did not allow reminders to be sent to the licensed pharmacist cohort. Furthermore, receipt of the survey required a valid e-mail address. This may have contributed to coverage error.
Conclusion The findings from this study provide insight and a framework that can be used for future studies to examine the perspectives of students and pharmacists on a larger scale. Exploring the views of students closer to graduation and including pharmacists from various practice settings will be important in formulating recruitment and retention strategies necessary to ensure that adequate academicians are available to educate the next generation of pharmacists. Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge Jacqui McLaughlin, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Office of Strategic Assessment and Planning at The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, for her contributions to this article. References 1. Draugalis JR, DiPiro JT, Zeola MM, Schwinghammer TLA. Career in academic pharmacy, opportunities, challenges, and rewards. Am J Pharm Educ. 2006;70(1): Article 17. 2. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Report of the 2006/2007 COF/COD task force on faculty workforce. 〈http:// www.aacp.org/governance/councilfaculties/Documents/COF_Fa cultyWorkforce2007.pdf〉; Accessed February 4, 2014. 3. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Vacant budgeted and lost faculty positions—Academic year 2010–11. 〈http:// www.aacp.org/resources/research/institutionalresearch/Docu ments/IRB%20No%2012%20-%20Faculty%20vacancies.pdf〉; Accessed February 4, 2014. 4. Clark CA, Mehta BH, Rodis JL, Pruchnicki MC, Pedersen CA. Assessment of factors influencing community pharmacy residentsʼ pursuit of academic positions. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008; 72(1): Article 3. 5. Eiland LS, Flowers SK, Andurkar SV, OʼBrocta R, Prabhu S, Medon PJ. A comparative study of student and faculty perspectives regarding career opportunities in pharmacy academia. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2010;2(1):39–51. 6. Sheaffer EA, Brown BK, Byrd DC, Gupchup G, Scott M, Mobley Smith MA. Variables impacting an academic pharmacy career choice. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72(3): Article 49. 7. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. 2011 profile of pharmacy students. AACP. 〈http://www.aacp.org/resources/ research/institutionalresearch/Pages/StudentApplications,Enroll mentsandDegreesConferred.aspx〉; 2012 Accessed Feb 4, 2014. 8. Savage LM, Beall JW, Woolley TW. Factors that influence the career goals of pharmacy students. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009; 73(2): Article 28. 9. Murawski MM, King BJ. Influence of salary on faculty recruitment and retention: current pharmacy faculty salaries relative to past faculty, community practitioners, and new hires. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2011;3(4):267–282.
Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454
Opinion
http://www.pharmacyteaching.com
Pursuing a career in academia: Perceptions of pharmacists and student pharmacists Carla White, BS Pharm, RPh*, Brittney Louis, PharmD, RPh, Pamela Joyner, EdD, MS Pharm, RPH, Davon Townsend-Howell, PharmD, RPh, Amica Simmons-Yon, PharmD, PhD, RPh, LaToya Griffin, PhD UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC
Abstract To gain an understanding of pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of careers in academia. Surveys were administered via e-mail to 13,451 licensed pharmacists in the state of North Carolina and to 304 third- and fourth-year professional students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Overall, 25% of student pharmacists and 35% of pharmacists indicated that they were considering or had considered a position in academia. In addition, 67% of all respondents indicated being informed about pharmacy career opportunities by previous faculty members. Meaningful work, interfacing with students, and flexible hours were cited as being most important in considering academia, while politics, geographical location, and pay were cited as barriers. Perceptions of the academic environment may present a challenge to increasing interest in careers in pharmacy academia. Study results indicate that efforts, in addition to exposing students to careers in academia, are necessary to address barriers that impact perceptions of academia. r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Careers; Academia; Faculty; Recruitment; Perceptions; Pharmacy
Introduction One of the most critical challenges facing schools of pharmacy today is faculty recruitment and retention.1 Qualified faculty are essential in securing the future of pharmacy education. In recognizing this concern, the Chairs of the Council of Faculties and the Council of Deans within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) formed a Task Force on Faculty Workforce in 2005 to review the status of the pharmacy faculty and to identify aspects that may influence the supply of and demand for faculty.2 This group had ominous projections for pharmacy faculty shortages throughout the United States. * Corresponding author: Carla White, BS Pharm, RPh, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, 301 Pharmacy Lane, CB #7566, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2014.02.012 1877-1297/r 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Furthermore, AACPʼs 2010–2011 survey of “Vacant Budgeted and Lost Faculty Positions” revealed a total of 378 vacant and/or lost positions among 101 responding schools. While most vacancies were due to retirements (21.3%), 14% were due to faculty members moving to practice positions in the health care private sector.3 Factors compounding the challenge of faculty recruitment and retention include (1) an increase in the number of schools and colleges of pharmacy,1 (2) limited positive exposure to pharmacy academia,4 and (3) lack of effective strategies to address this issue.5 The 2005 Task Force provided several recommendations for the recruitment of pharmacy faculty, one being to determine the level of excitement and the perceived barriers to academic careers among professional students, graduate students, fellows, and residents.2 In response to this recommendation, several studies have been conducted to understand the perspectives of pharmacy students, faculty, residents, and practitioners with regard to a career in higher
450
Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454
education. One study was designed to gain an understanding of pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of careers in academia. The study was conducted by Sheaffer et al. and surveyed fourth-year pharmacy students, residents, new faculty members, and clinical pharmacy practitioners. This research revealed motivators to pursing an academic career as the ability to shape the future of pharmacy, personal flexibility of faculty positions, and autonomy of faculty positions. The potential need to generate part of the salary through research or clinical practice was found to be a weak deterrent for the cohort.6 Other studies have established that factors such as limited patient contact, salary, grant writing, and public speaking requirements are deterrents for student pharmacists considering careers in academia. The opportunities to teach students, as well as a favorable work-life balance, have been identified as additional positive factors relating to a career in pharmacy education.4–6 Although these studies provide valuable insight, there is little information concerning perceptions of academia among a broader population of pharmacists. This information may prove valuable in developing strategies to recruit and retain future faculty to meet the expanding need for pharmacists to pursue careers in academia. To gain a better understanding of both pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of academic careers in pharmacy, a survey was administered to licensed pharmacists in the state of North Carolina and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Methods Survey population The study population included all pharmacists licensed to practice pharmacy by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy (n = 13,451) and students enrolled in the third or fourth year of the PharmD program at the School (n = 304). Survey design Surveys were developed using Qualtrics (Provo, UT), an online survey tool with data analysis functionality. A 14question survey was administered to pharmacists, and a 20question survey was administered to students. The student survey contained additional and more in-depth questions pertaining to current sources of exposure, professional development, and future plans that may impact career decisions. The student survey also contained opportunities to submit open-ended responses for each question. This additional information was necessary to assess if current students were receiving opportunities to access information related to careers in pharmacy education. Survey questions were developed based on feedback gathered from multiple focus groups involving students and
alumni, which were conducted during a two-year period. Consistently, positive characteristics identified included preparation of future pharmacists, collaborative opportunities, meaningful work, and intellectual satisfaction and autonomy. Negative attributes were lower pay, stress, politics, and difficult students. These questions were then evaluated at the institute for research in social science, in the department for survey research and development, and in an effort to reduce potential biases and enhance survey navigation. All survey responses were anonymous, and the Universityʼs Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol for exemption. Chi-square analyses were performed to determine any significant differences in survey question responses between pharmacists and students with a significance level set at p = 0.05. Free-text entries were coded to identify frequent responses. Pharmacist survey A 14-question, multiple-choice survey was disseminated to licensed pharmacists via e-mail by the state board of pharmacy. Survey questions assessed demographic information including gender, age, race, level of education, and current practice type. In addition, the survey gauged whether the pharmacist had previously considered a career in academia, sources of career information while in pharmacy school, and appealing aspects and barriers to choosing a career in academia. The survey also gathered general comments regarding a career in pharmacy education. For select questions, respondents had the option to select multiple answers and provide a free-form response. Freeform responses were included to gain more insight on the decision to choose a career in higher education or an alternate career path. Pharmacist participants were given one month to complete the survey. No reminders for survey completion were supplied. Student pharmacist survey To assess student perceptions of a career in academia, a 20-question, multiple-choice survey was administered and disseminated to all current PharmD students at the School of Pharmacy through Qualtrics. However, due to a low number of student respondents, a second survey composed of both multiple-choice and short-answer questions was generated and distributed to only third- and fourth-year professional students in the PharmD Program, who would be nearer to graduation and involved in decisions related to postgraduate opportunities and career planning. Similar to the survey disseminated to pharmacists, the student survey assessed demographic information, faculty positions that may have been considered, sources of pharmacy career information, and work and/or extramural experience. Students were also asked about plans to complete a pharmacy residency, fellowship, or other post-graduate training opportunity, factors that seem appealing about a career in academia, perceived barriers to pursuing a career in
Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 Table 1 Licensed pharmacist demographics Characteristic Gender (n ¼ 907) Male Female Age, years (n ¼ 913) 20–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–69 70þ Ethnicity (n ¼ 929) White Non-white Highest degree earned (n ¼ 907) Bachelors Masters Doctorate Doctor of Pharmacy
n
%
397 510
44 56
124 224 189 243 105 28
14 25 21 27 12 3
829 100
89 11
412 65 10 420
45 7 1 46
pharmacy education, whether he or she received sufficient exposure to academia as a career, and whether that exposure had an impact on the studentʼs career decision. Questions in regard to geographical opportunity were not posed to students given that they had not experienced a pharmacist job search. For selected questions, students were able to select multiple responses. The survey was distributed via email, and students were given one month to complete the survey. Approximately two weeks prior to the deadline, a reminder was sent to encourage completion of the survey.
Results Licensed pharmacist cohort Demographic characteristics of pharmacist respondents are listed in Table 1. There was a 7% (929 respondents) overall response rate for the survey distributed to the licensed pharmacists. Most survey respondents were white (89%), female (56%), between 50 and 59 years of age (27%), and practiced in a community pharmacy setting (49%). Nearly 25% of the pharmacists that responded to the survey practiced in a hospital, while less than 10% practiced in industry or government. Furthermore, non-practicing pharmacists represented less than 10% of the cohort. This sample was representative of the state population of pharmacists, which is 85% white, 57% female, 19% between the ages of 50 and 59 years, and 47% community pharmacists (Board of Pharmacy, e-mail communication, March 1, 2013). Of the respondents, 7% were current faculty members. Additionally, 171 respondents (19%) indicated that they had completed a post-graduate residency-training program.
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Of the pharmacist respondents, 7% indicated that they had received career information from faculty during pharmacy school. Other sources of career information cited included career day representatives (43%), guest speakers for classes (36%), personal mentors (35%), and colleagues (29%). Moreover, 67% of pharmacists indicated that they had not considered a career in academia. The top five factors reported by pharmacists for considering a career in higher education were preparing future pharmacists (71%), meaningful work (65%), flexible hours (64%), interfacing with students (60%), and mentoring opportunities (60%) (Fig. 1). Among pharmacists that had considered a career in academia, flexible hours was less of a consideration, while teaching opportunities was selected more often when compared to the group as a whole. In contrast, Figure 2 displays the factors that licensed pharmacists believed would interfere with their consideration of a faculty position. Respondents cited politics within academia (57%) and salary (49%) most frequently. Lack of geographical opportunity (42%) was the third highest factor respondents selected as a barrier to pursuing a faculty position. This trend was found regardless of whether the pharmacist had considered a career in pharmacy. Recurrent free-form responses included lack of qualifications and experience, research and publishing requirements, and lack of interest. Student cohort The overall response rate was 28%, with 85 student respondents (Table 2). Participation was equally distributed between third- and fourth-year pharmacy students (47% and 53%, respectively). Most respondents were white (78%), female (72%) and between the ages of 20 and 29 years (82%). The state population of student pharmacists is 74% white and 65% female.7 Overall, 50% of the student pharmacists were currently working or gaining extramural experience within the community/retail setting. In addition, 42% of the respondents indicated that a faculty member(s) at the School had provided information about career opportunities in pharmacy. Other individuals who contributed to the studentsʼ information about career opportunities included guest speakers for class and professional student organizations (18%), mentors (12%), and colleagues (7%). Approximately half of the respondents (53%) reported that they were planning to pursue post-graduate training opportunities such as residencies, fellowships, or graduate training. In addition, 56% (n ¼ 48) of student respondents stated that they had sufficient exposure to career opportunities in academia during their pharmacy school training and 25% (n ¼ 21) reported that they were considering a faculty position at the time of the survey. Of those students considering a career in academia, 81% indicated that a faculty member provided information about career opportunities during pharmacy school.
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Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 80
70
60
Percent (%)
50
40
Pharmacists Students
30
20
10
0 Preparing Future Pharmacists
Meaningful Work
Flexible Hours
Interfacing with Students
Mentoring Opportunities
Fig. 1. Important factors in pursuing a career in academia.
Overall, 79 students responded to the question: “If you were to pursue a faculty position, which of the following are important to you?” The top five important factors for students if they were to pursue a faculty position in academia were meaningful work (73%), interfacing with students (69%), mentoring opportunities (66%), preparing future pharmacists (66%), and flexible hours (65%) (Fig. 1). Among students considering a career in academia, flexible hours was less of a concern, while teaching opportunities was selected most often as an important factor. Figure 2
displays the factors that students felt would interfere with their consideration of a faculty position. The majority (73%) of the students reported that politics within academia would interfere with their decision, followed by stress (49%) and salary (23%). This trend was consistent when the group of students considering a career in pharmacy was analyzed. Barriers to conducting a career in academia were similar between pharmacists and students; however, difficult students were more of a concern for pharmacists (p ¼ 0.001),
Fig. 2. Top perceived barriers to pursuing a career in academia.
Carla White et al. / Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning 6 (2014) 449–454 Table 2 Student demographics Characteristic Gender (n ¼ 85) Male Female Age, years (n ¼ 85) 20–29 30–39 40–49 Ethnicity (n ¼ 85) White Non-white Highest degree earned (n ¼ 85) Non-degreed Bachelors Masters Doctorate Student participants (n ¼ 85) Year three Year four
n
%
24 61
28 72
70 13 2
82 15 2
66 19
78 22
24 55 4 2
28 65 5 2
40 45
47 53
along with stress (p ¼ 0.0001). Pharmacists selected salary as a barrier more often (p ¼ 0.01). Additionally, students were more likely to select growth potential (p ¼ 0.02) and autonomy (p ¼ 0.004) as important factors more often than pharmacists. Discussion The Task Forceʼs recommendation to explore perceptions toward pharmacy academia has been carried out through similar studies that have examined the perspectives of pharmacy students and faculty concerning a career in academia; however, the present study is unique in that it incorporates the prospective of a broad population of pharmacists.4–6 With regard to the most important factors when considering a career in academia, responses were similar among pharmacists and students. Interacting with future pharmacists and preparing them, along with meaningful work, were the most important factors when considering a career in pharmacy education, findings similar to those by Sheaffer et al.6 Identifying the positive perceptions of pharmacy academia is essential in understanding how administrators might enhance the student experience so that as graduates, students will consider pursuing faculty appointments. Students were more likely than pharmacists to select growth potential and autonomy as important factors. This difference may reflect the changing dynamics of pharmacy education and the profession. These aspects of academia could be highlighted as a strategy to recruit the new generation of pharmacy educators. When examining the results for the various factors that interfered with choosing a career in academia, politics, lack of geographical opportunity, salary, and stress were deemed
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significant. These barriers may have a substantial impact on recruiting faculty members. Lack of geographical opportunity may become less of a factor as the number of pharmacy schools and satellite campuses continue to increase across the country. However, this increase in the number of pharmacy programs may further compound the faculty shortage. Politics in academia may be one of the most challenging barriers to overcome, and previous studies have not focused on politics as a deterrent for students considering pharmacy academia.4–6 Given the age difference between the two cohorts, it is interesting to see that the results show a very strong unity in the two groupsʼ perception of politics in academia. These results suggest that little has been done to change this perception over time. Further research on the specific aspects of politics within academia may be beneficial to assess what steps should be taken to address these concerns in order to make faculty appointments more desirable and attainable. Overall, 25% of students reported that they were considering a career in academia. This is a much higher percentage than found in the study by Eiland et al.,5 that reported only 6.3% of first- through fourth-year students at six institutions were planning to pursue academia. This discrepancy could be due to differences in the questionʼs wording, considering vs. planning. The differing study populations may also explain this finding as third- and fourth-year students are likely to be more open-minded and informed about academic career options, while first- and second-year students may have a more narrow view of pharmacy careers. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy is a highly progressive research-intensive program; as such, students may have more exposure and opportunities to explore academic pharmacy. Students in the present study also indicated receiving sufficient exposure to academia during pharmacy school. A study by Savage et al.8 determined that work environment was the most important factor that influenced studentsʼ career goals. With students spending a large amount of time in the academic setting, it might be assumed that there is sufficient insight into the academic work environment. These findings warrant investigation of the type of exposure being provided to students, how faculty members are projecting a career in education, and studentsʼ perceptions of the academic work environment. In the present study, 81% of students considering a career and 30% of those not considering a career in academia reported that faculty members provided information on career options during pharmacy school. This information may be indicative of the influence of faculty during career exploration. Further examination of factors such as the amount of time spent with faculty, engagement with student organization faculty advisors, and whether these students have faculty mentors may provide insight into strategies to promote academia among pharmacy students. The current study revealed that salary may be a deterrent in selecting academia as a career choice. Increased
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awareness with respect to salary ranges of various careers in pharmacy academia throughout the country relative to salaries of other pharmacy careers may improve thoughts on compensation as a barrier in considering a career in pharmacy education. A recent study found that faculty salaries have improved over time and that faculty currently being hired can expect higher levels of compensation over their careers. This study also suggested that the salary dissatisfaction may be mostly attributed to salary compression among established faculty whose dissatisfaction may influence students and potential future faculty.9 Perhaps an examination of the types of faculty interactions might also reveal a correlation between faculty salary satisfaction and their portrayal of academic pharmacy to students. This research provides additional information regarding the perceptions of both future and current pharmacists, which could facilitate a broader perspective and deeper understanding of the barriers, challenges, and other factors that influence decisions to explore an academic career. This broader perspective is essential in structuring pharmacy faculty recruitment, so that appropriate incentives can be put in place to facilitate the achievement of both professional and personal goals for prospective faculty members, leading to an increase in faculty recruitment and retention. Limitations There are potential limitations that may have affected the outcome of this study. A career in academia may be less of a consideration for students attending schools with fewer opportunities for exposure. In addition, the modest response rate allows for biases that might have resulted in greater participation among those pharmacists and students more likely to consider a career in higher education. The administration of a second student survey may have increased the response rate; however, students participating in the initial survey may or may not have completed the second survey, limiting the sample. Additionally, administering surveys that are not identical limits direct comparisons between cohorts. Sources of career information during pharmacy school were likely less readily recalled by the pharmacist cohort, possibly contributing to inaccurate responses and recall biases. Furthermore, results were gathered from students representing one school of pharmacy and pharmacists from one state. A larger target population including multiple schools and pharmacists across the United States may be more reflective of the population that could potentially pursue a career in pharmacy academia. Selecting the Board of Pharmacy to disseminate the survey allowed for broader distribution; however, it did not allow reminders to be sent to the licensed pharmacist cohort. Furthermore, receipt of the survey required a valid e-mail address. This may have contributed to coverage error.
Conclusion The findings from this study provide insight and a framework that can be used for future studies to examine the perspectives of students and pharmacists on a larger scale. Exploring the views of students closer to graduation and including pharmacists from various practice settings will be important in formulating recruitment and retention strategies necessary to ensure that adequate academicians are available to educate the next generation of pharmacists. Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge Jacqui McLaughlin, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Office of Strategic Assessment and Planning at The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, for her contributions to this article. References 1. Draugalis JR, DiPiro JT, Zeola MM, Schwinghammer TLA. Career in academic pharmacy, opportunities, challenges, and rewards. Am J Pharm Educ. 2006;70(1): Article 17. 2. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Report of the 2006/2007 COF/COD task force on faculty workforce. 〈http:// www.aacp.org/governance/councilfaculties/Documents/COF_Fa cultyWorkforce2007.pdf〉; Accessed February 4, 2014. 3. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Vacant budgeted and lost faculty positions—Academic year 2010–11. 〈http:// www.aacp.org/resources/research/institutionalresearch/Docu ments/IRB%20No%2012%20-%20Faculty%20vacancies.pdf〉; Accessed February 4, 2014. 4. Clark CA, Mehta BH, Rodis JL, Pruchnicki MC, Pedersen CA. Assessment of factors influencing community pharmacy residentsʼ pursuit of academic positions. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008; 72(1): Article 3. 5. Eiland LS, Flowers SK, Andurkar SV, OʼBrocta R, Prabhu S, Medon PJ. A comparative study of student and faculty perspectives regarding career opportunities in pharmacy academia. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2010;2(1):39–51. 6. Sheaffer EA, Brown BK, Byrd DC, Gupchup G, Scott M, Mobley Smith MA. Variables impacting an academic pharmacy career choice. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72(3): Article 49. 7. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. 2011 profile of pharmacy students. AACP. 〈http://www.aacp.org/resources/ research/institutionalresearch/Pages/StudentApplications,Enroll mentsandDegreesConferred.aspx〉; 2012 Accessed Feb 4, 2014. 8. Savage LM, Beall JW, Woolley TW. Factors that influence the career goals of pharmacy students. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009; 73(2): Article 28. 9. Murawski MM, King BJ. Influence of salary on faculty recruitment and retention: current pharmacy faculty salaries relative to past faculty, community practitioners, and new hires. Curr Pharm Teach Learn. 2011;3(4):267–282.