Predictors of Academic Success in a Nontraditional Doctor of Pharmacy Degree Program at a Historically Black College and University

Abstract

Objective. Rapid changes in the current US health care system, especially in the fields of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, require practicing pharmacists to acquire new knowledge and skills. Despite the growth of opportunities for pharmacists within new spaces such as nanotechnology, informatics, and phar-macogenomics, those without a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree could be eliminated from consider-ation by employers who seek new graduates with more contemporary training and skills. The purpose of this study was to determine what associations exist between student success within a nontraditional Doctor of Pharmacy (NTDP) program and certain demographic factors. Methods. This quantitative longitudinal study was designed to determine which factors predict academic success among NTDP students entering the College of Pharmacy at Howard University. Academic success was measured by cumulative graduating grade point average (GPA). Data from four cohorts of students were used to develop multivariate linear regression models with several predictors including age, region of residence, citizenship status, previous pharmacy work background, and ethnicity. Results. The study sample included 81 students whose mean cumulative GPA was 3.44. A foreign-born African heritage was predictive of a GPA that was significantly higher in comparison to African Ameri-cans after adjusting for other factors. Conclusion. Findings showed that international students had a higher cumulative GPA in comparison to African American students in the NTDP program.