Abstract:
Background:
According to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, as of July 2015, there are 132 US-based colleges and schools of pharmacy. The decision on which school students choose can be one of the most important decisions they will make in their lives. Many factors can affect these decisions, such as: curricular content, location/facilities, finances, and diversity. Although there are many factors that impact student decisions, the relative importance of these factors is unknown. This project will determine the importance of these factors in order to aid school recruitment.
Objectives:
The objective of this project is to determine the influence of the following factors on student decisions regarding which school to attend: (1) academic standards, programs, and offerings, (2) ethnic, gender, and cultural diversity of enrolled students, (3) cost and financial aid offerings, (4) prestige, (5) facilities offered, and (6) location of the school.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study design will be performed by surveying undergraduate and graduate students in schools of pharmacy in each geographic region of the United States, both public and private, as well as to faith-based institutions. The survey, sent via Qualtrics, will obtain demographic information and assess the importance of 6 factors identified in the objectives. The survey will be designed using a review of the literature and undergo expert and peer review. Data will be analyzed in SPSS to determine overall results as well as differences by demographic information using a One Way ANOVA, Chi-Squared test, and Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriate. An a priori of α=0.05 will e be set for statistical significance. After analysis is complete, educational materials will be created for student recruitment based on important factors identified.
Project Significance:
This study will provide information for pharmacy schools to improve their recruiting process and target potential students who best fit their program
