Impact on student knowledge following implementation of a pediatric core curriculum during a pediatric APPE: Pilot data

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess the impact of a core curriculum on student knowledge of pediatric pharmacotherapy during a pediatric advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE).MethodsAn exam was developed to assess student knowledge of five core topics. Students took a pre-test at the beginning of the rotation, core topics were covered through lectures and topic discussions, and students retook the exam at the end of the rotation (post-test). A comparison of student performance on the pre- and post-tests was evaluated using a paired t-test, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05.ResultsStudents performed significantly better on the post-test compared to the pre-test (mean improvement 13.6%, p < 0.001). Significant improvements were also noted in all but one of the individual topics.ConclusionsA core curriculum of pediatric-specific topics improved student knowledge of pediatric pharmacotherapy when administered during the course of a pediatric APPE.