Prematriculation programs for student pharmacist success

Abstract

Objective To characterize prematriculation programs among US colleges/schools of pharmacy and explore their impact on improving student success among PharmD students. Methods A national survey was conducted by the 2022-2023 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Student Affairs Committee to investigate student success among American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy member institutions. The survey collected demographic data and information on prematriculation offerings, delivery, goals, and impact. Results Of 142 programs contacted, 120 participated in the survey (public, n = 55; private, n = 65), yielding an 84.5% response rate. Of the 120 respondents, 46 (38.3%) offered a prematriculation program. The primary goals of these programs were to provide science and math remediation and to assess student preparedness for the PharmD program. Most surveyed colleges and schools of pharmacy perceived the impact of prematriculation programs on student success outcomes-specifically on-time graduation and degree completion-as somewhat positive or neutral. Conclusion The prevalence of prematriculation programs in US colleges/schools of pharmacy appears to be growing. However, few institutions reported a clearly positive impact of these interventions on student success outcomes. More data-driven research is needed to fully assess the effectiveness of prematriculation programs in supporting student pharmacists' success.