| U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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| Volume IX, Number 2 |
March
2004 |
| U N I V E R S I T Y O F P I T T S B U R G H |
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| Volume IX, Number 2 |
March
2004 |
Gary Stoehr, PharmacyIt isn’t until they are asked to “re-present” the concept in a visual metaphoric poster that the concept is solidified
The mission of the profession of pharmacy is to provide pharmaceutical care using a patient-centered model of practice. To understand this model, students in the Profession of Pharmacy course read about pharmaceutical care and then interview practitioners who employ this model. Afterward, they are required to write a learning summary to describe what they gained from the experience. Additionally, on quizzes and the mid-term exam they are asked to define “pharmaceutical care” in their own words. Each time they define the term, they receive feedback in the hope that the concept becomes clearer. But it isn’t until they are asked to “re-present” the model of practice concept in a metaphoric poster that the concept is solidified. Students are asked to “re-present” the profession of pharmacy visually using a variety of metaphors, for example, “pharmacy is a circus,” “pharmacy is a wedding,” “pharmacy is a concert,” and “pharmacy is a bridge.” The posters are displayed during a class session, and faculty and students from other classes are invited to attend and question students about their choice of visual images to “re-present” the profession. Through visual metaphors, students communicate thoughts that they would not otherwise express. For example, one poster depicted an old bridge that was falling down in the background of a new bridge under construction. The old bridge represented older practitioners, who are often viewed as barriers to change; however, these students explained that the best parts of the old bridge had been removed and put in the new bridge. A critical component of this patient-centered model is communication—the ability to understand and be understood. To address this aspect of the profession, students are taught a systematic process for answering drug-related questions. This process entails a number of requirements, all designed to have students routinely classify, store, and retrieve pertinent information. They are required to keep a log in which they categorize questions asked by patients, health practitioners, family members, or classmates. Twice each term they choose one of the questions, devise a search strategy, gather resources, and formulate an answer. Students soon learn that “the answer” can be elusive, complicated by contextual information and conflicting research reports. As they repeat this process, they are given systematic feedback to help them master the exhaustive investigative work that entails finding the “questions behind the question.” As the year progresses, the questions, as interpreted by students, become increasingly more complex and exacting. By the end of the term they have logged over 50 drug-related questions and formulated detailed answers for four of them. Students track their own progress, and see a tremendous growth in their ability to apply the process to respond to more complex questions. | ||||
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