A review of bridging courses in Doctor of Pharmacy programs
Abstract
Objectives Bridging courses in Doctor of Pharmacy program can serve various purposes including but not limited to closing the knowledge gaps, reinforcing and refreshing foundational scientific material, mimicking the activities students will do in classroom, protecting in-class time, fostering self-directed learning, and ensuring all students have similar baseline knowledge that can forecast academic performance. This review attempts to summarize the content, delivery and assessment methods used in bridging programs offered in Doctor of Pharmacy programs described thus far in the literature. Findings A detailed literature search of various educational resources was conducted using bridging programs in Doctor of Pharmacy program and related terms. Mathematics was found to be a common content in a typical bridging program. Assessment of prior knowledge of math in students using tests such as quantitative component of Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), math pretest, Basic Math Skills Test (BMST), Fogerty Math Confidence Scale, Test of logical thinking (TOLT), Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) etc. are discussed. Summary This review intends to summarize the wide variety of options that are available as far as the content, delivery and assessment of bridging programs offered in a Doctor of Pharmacy program. The choice of bridging modality should align with the nature and content emphasis of a particular university/college curriculum.
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Reported outcomes of pre-matriculation programs have been mixed due to variations in program structure, timing, duration, delivery methods, curriculum depth, and topics.
“While these programs aim to increase confidence, retention, and academic performance, reported outcomes have been mixed due to variations in program structure, timing, duration, delivery methods, curriculum depth, and topics [15].”
From A Descriptive Website Review of Publicized PharmD Pre-Matriculation Programs (2026) · cites this paper as [15]
Cites
Klausner, E. A., Rowe, E. L., Hamilton, B. S., & Mark, K. S. (2019) · American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education · doi:10.5688/ajpe7021 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
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A Descriptive Website Review of Publicized PharmD Pre-Matriculation Programs
Bessard, C. C., Oliver, K. B., Yu, F., & Fujiwara, R. (2026) · Pharmacy · doi:10.3390/pharmacy14060131
- Authors
- Joshi, M. D., & Uchizono, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Midwestern University (US)
- University of the Pacific (US)
- Corresponding author
- Joshi, Medha D.
- Venue
- Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2025-10
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 102417
- ISSN
- 1877-1297 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4411437350
- Cited by
- 2
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2
- FWCI
- 0.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › Mathematics Education and Programs
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Pharmacy and Medical Practices
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Medical Education and Admissions
- Keywords
- bridging courses, Doctor of Pharmacy programs, pharmacy education, prior knowledge assessment, mathematical ability, Test of Logical Thinking, ALEKS, self-directed learning, knowledge gaps
- MeSH terms
- Curriculum, Education, Pharmacy, Education, Pharmacy, Graduate, Educational Measurement, Humans
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