For the first time, all first-year, second-year, and third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students at PCOM Georgia are benefiting from an addition to the curriculum that leverages the Simulation Center to enhance their education through scenario-based learning.
With the help of faculty and staff members such as Irandokht Khaki, PharmD, MS, Patient Care Simulation director and associate professor of Pharmacy Practice, Shari Allen, PharmD, BCPP, director of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and professor of Pharmacy Practice, and Tricia Reed, director of the Standardized Patient Program, simulation operations are now fully incorporated in the pharmacy curriculum through a variety of lessons including team-based workshops, individual assessments and one-off learning activities.
“It's a true collaboration between pharmacy faculty and the Simulation Center team,” said Khaki.
During a typical simulation, students will evaluate the efficacy and safety of the patient's medication regimen to support clinical decision-making and improve their communication skills. For example, one workshop is directly aligned with the cases that students are learning in their concurrent pharmacotherapy modules of diabetes medication education.
Another example involves simulation scenarios centered around common movement disorders associated with taking antipsychotic medications, explored through a competitive scavenger hunt format to encourage active participation.
The standardized patients (SPs) also play a vital role in this program, providing realistic patient interactions that mimic real clinical encounters. For some learning experiences, students receive live, formative feedback from faculty on how to improve their communication skills with their SPs and eventually, their actual patients.
Pre- and post-assessment data further underscore the pilot program's success with many participating students showing immediate improvement across various learning metrics.
When PharmD students were asked if the simulated patient encounters helped them practice for a real patient experience the responses were a resounding, “Yes,” with some remarking on how they wished they had more of this type of teaching in other areas of their studies.
“Ultimately, it is through the partnership and teamwork of our colleagues that make it possible for us to create memorable SP encounters—experiences that continue to shape and enhance student learning,” shared Allen.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
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