Preferred Educational Programming Among Graduate Students and Post-doctoral Fellows at Pharmacy Schools: a Pilot Survey

Objective: To inform program development, the AACP Graduate Education Special Interest Group Colleagues in Training Committee (CITC) investigated professional development needs of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at schools/colleges of pharmacy.

Methods: A cross-sectional pilot survey examined preferred programming topics, mentoring needs, and career goals. A survey invitation was posted on AACP Connect and emailed to Graduate Program Officers and Assistant/Associate Deans for Research at US pharmacy schools/colleges for distribution to trainees. Eligible respondents were trainees in Master's, PhD, or post-doctoral programs at US schools/colleges of pharmacy.

Results: A total of 108 responses were analyzed. Most respondents were White (51%) or Asian (34%), 4% African-American or Black, and 3% Hispanic/Latino(a). Most were female (58%), with mean age 30 years (SD=6.05 years). Fifty-five percent were domestic and 41% international. The majority were PhD students (84%) in Basic Sciences (60%) or Economic, Social, and Administrative Sciences (ESAS, 24%). Preferred programming topics included: overview of career options (72%), how to get a job in pharmaceutical/biotech companies (67%), and resume/CV development (65%). There were significant differences in preferred programming topics between international and domestic trainees. Only 17% had a written mentorship contract with their major advisor. Forty-four percent planned careers in pharmaceutical/biotech companies, 27% academia, and 10% government agencies.

Conclusions: Future programming may prioritize strategies for graduate students/post-doctoral fellows to decide what career is the right fit and developing job application materials. Results are relevant for AACP programming and graduate school curricula, as well as implementing individualized development programs targeting essential soft skills training.