American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 2005; 69 (5) Article 91.

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1 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh (GEAR-UP): A Program to Educate Students about Pharmaceutical Research Samuel M. Poloyac, PharmD, PhD, Lisa C. Rohan, PhD, Jelena M. Janjic, PhD, Robert B. Gibbs, PhD, Patricia D. Kroboth, PhD, and Randall B. Smith, PhD School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh Submitted March 8, 2005; accepted April 13, 2005; published December 9, Objectives. To develop a program to inform and encourage students enrolled in pharmacy and related programs in the United States about research careers in the pharmaceutical sciences. Design. The Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh (GEAR-UP) Program was designed with 2 components: a mini-graduate school and a summer internship. The mini-graduate school provided information about research. Summer internships provided intensive peer-learning research experiences. Outcomes. Since 2002, students from 19 institutions have attended the program. Seventy-two students have participated in the mini-graduate school and 25 students have completed summer internships. Both programs received an average score of 4.76 out of 5 from participants asked to rate the overall quality of the program. Outcome assessments demonstrated that 31% of participants entered postgraduate research training. Conclusions. The peer-learning format and the multi-institutional design of the GEAR-UP Program have provided an effective mechanism for exposing US students to the benefits of a research career in pharmaceutical science. Keywords: graduate education, research, pharmaceutical sciences, postgraduate study, internship INTRODUCTION The final report of the Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the Pharmaceutical Sciences 1 recommended that colleges and schools of pharmacy increase recruitment of US pharmacy students and US students from disciplines other than pharmacy. It was further recommended that the availability of large numbers of qualified foreign pharmacy graduates should not be used as a continual justification for the lack of recruitment of US educated students. Highly qualified non-us students represent 50% of the current doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students in the pharmaceutical sciences. With little or no recruiting effort on their part, science programs in US institutions regularly receive a large number of applications from highly qualified non-us applicants. On the other hand, identification and recruitment of highly qualified US students requires a concerted effort that includes initiating and fostering student interest. In Corresponding Author: Samuel M. Poloyac, PharmD, PhD. Address: University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, 808A Salk Hall, Pittsburgh, PA Tel: Fax: poloyac@pitt.edu 1 order to maintain an appropriate ratio of US and non-us students, the Commission recommended that institutions explore innovative approaches to increasing awareness and promoting interest in pharmaceutical science research careers. Traditional mechanisms of US students exploring their interests in research relied on the student s initiative to contact faculty members about research positions. However, there is often a lack of information provided to students about careers in pharmaceutical research, which leads to a low level of awareness about graduate training. PharmD students may not receive adequate exposure to the opportunities in research and may become so focused on professional training that they do not consider a career in science. Similarly, talented students in chemistry and biology may be planning for a research career, but may not have considered pharmaceutical sciences. Even for those students who become involved in research, the student s laboratory experience is frequently highly variable with limited specified outcomes. In addition, these experiences frequently lack a peer-learning environment and typically provide little information about the full spectrum of research in the pharmaceutical

2 sciences. Furthermore, these student-solicited experiences are highly dependent on research funding and may be limited at institutions without graduate programs. As a result, talented US students may not be exposed to the benefits of a research career in the pharmaceutical sciences because of what is perceived to be a difficult and impersonal process requiring external support for them to evaluate their interests. In 2002, the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy implemented an innovative program to expose pharmacy, chemistry, and biology students to the opportunities in graduate pharmaceutical science research. This program, called Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh (GEAR-UP), was designed with the goal of initiating and maintaining student interest through a personalized, peer-learning approach to educate students about research training and careers in the pharmaceutical sciences. The goal of this peer design was to increase intern participation through regular presentations and to expose interns to the wide array of research projects ongoing by other interns in their peer group. Previous studies have demonstrated that the peer learning model is effective in promoting thinking and a collaborative spirit. 2,3 METHODS GEAR-UP consists of 2 major components: a 2-day mini-graduate school program designed to initiate participant interest and a 4- or 8-week summer internship designed to allow interns to work in a peer-learning research environment. These programs were run independently with separate application/admission processes. Participation in the mini-graduate school program was preferred, but was not a prerequisite for participation in the summer internship program. Timing of the 2 programs was integrated so that mini-graduate school participants have adequate time to apply for the summer internships. Mini-Graduate School The mini-graduate school was designed to acquaint participants with opportunities for graduate training in the pharmaceutical sciences. Faculty members who had personal contacts with faculty members at other institutions, mostly colleges and schools of pharmacy, were informed of the potential benefits of the GEAR-UP Program. The faculty contacts were then asked to discuss this program with students at their institutions. Schools that did not have graduate training programs were targeted due to the potential for forming synergistic relationships between the programs. The mini-graduate-school was a 2-day program consisting of faculty research presentations, interactions with graduate students, and interactive laboratory sessions. 2 At the conclusion of the program, participants were encouraged to apply for the GEAR-UP summer internships. Faculty research presentations. A series of brief presentations by faculty members were given as an overview of research in the pharmaceutical sciences. These presentations included topics such as, career opportunities and financial considerations, descriptions of graduate training programs, and presentations of ongoing research in the pharmaceutical sciences. Participants were provided information, not only about research at the University of Pittsburgh, but about pursuing a research career in the pharmaceutical sciences in general. For a large number of the participants, the mini-graduate school program was their first exposure to detailed information about graduate research. Interactions with graduate students. Graduate students shared their impressions and experiences about graduate school with the mini-graduate school participants. Current graduate students at various stages of their training comprised the panel. Graduate students spoke briefly about their background and their research. The questions from mini-graduate school participants were diverse, and included questions about length of the average work day for a graduate student, career options for a student with a PhD in the pharmaceutical sciences, and the graduate program course requirements. Graduate students also shared their personal views of the challenges and rewards of graduate research. This was a unique opportunity for undergraduates to get an unfiltered look at graduate student life and work. In addition, graduate students presented their own research in a poster session. Mini-graduate school participants had a chance to see the enthusiasm with which graduate students discussed their own work. This poster session was designed to give the mini-graduate school participants an opportunity to interact one-on-one with the graduate students. Interactive laboratory sessions. Each mini-graduate school participant selected 2 interactive laboratory break-out sessions. These break-out sessions were diverse and included experiences in medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery research, and clinical research. Each session was designed to provide an opportunity for information exchange about the day-to-day laboratory environment in which the graduate students conducted their thesis research. Summer Internship GEAR-UP summer internships were primarily 8 weeks in duration. A unique attribute of the summer internships was the peer-learning format facilitated by group enrollment and participation. Once interns entered

3 the program, their responsibilities included conducting all aspects of their research projects, participating in peerdiscussion meetings, attending weekly graduate student seminars, and presenting a poster and seminar on their own research findings. Selection of interns. Students interested in the summer internships completed an online application. This application included the students projected graduation date, grade point average, reason for interest in the summer internship, and previous research experience, and required them to submit 2 letters of reference. Interns were selected primarily based on their motivation for application, letters of reference, and their projected graduation date. Students who were near graduation and who provided strong statements of interest and excellent references were given top priority. Other factors taken into consideration included the applicant s grade point average and previous research experience. Research project. Applicants were provided with concise, predefined descriptions of the research project to be completed during the internship. Based on these descriptions, as part of the application process, applicants indicated on which research projects they preferred to be involved. Each intern indicated his or her top 3 choices of research laboratories in order of preference. Selected interns were then assigned to a laboratory based on their preference list. Every attempt was made to match interns with their preferred research experience. In the majority of cases, students were matched with either their first or second laboratory preference. Research projects were conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor and graduate student mentor. Faculty members were encouraged to design research projects that would allow the interns to function as independently as possible by the completion of the experience. Intern ownership of the project was also highly encouraged within each project. Research peer-discussion meetings. The interns met weekly as a peer group with a faculty moderator for 2 hours. These sessions provided a forum for peer-to-peer learning. These sessions were focused on important issues pertaining to research and were also designed to help guide the interns in the development of their final posters. Discussion topics included: d Hypothesis development, d Scientific research methods, d Preparing a scientific presentation, d Joys and frustrations of research, d Writing an introduction, d Writing a methods section, d Presenting scientific data, and d Final poster critique and review 3 Graduate student summer seminar series. GEAR-UP interns were also required to attend the graduate student summer seminar series. This series consisted of formal presentations given by first- and second-year graduate students enrolled in the graduate program. Attendance in these weekly sessions allowed the interns to observe the rigor of scientific inquiry and the skills required to deliver a scientific presentation. Posters and presentations. At the end of the internship, interns completed abstracts and printed full-size posters of their research results, which were presented at an informal poster session. Interns also gave a 10- minute slide presentation of their research to the faculty members, graduate students, and other interns. ASSESSMENT The short-term outcomes of the GEAR-UP Program were evaluated according to: 1. The number of students from institutions that did not have pharmaceutical science PhD graduate programs. 2. Questionnaire response scores as rated by the participants of the mini-graduate school and summer internship programs. 3. The number of GEAR-UP interns who made presentations at regional meetings, such as the Merck Pharmacy Student Research Conference. The long term outcomes were determined by: 1. The percentage of summer interns who entered graduate programs or research-oriented fellowships in the pharmaceutical sciences. 2. The relative increase in applications received for the mini-graduate school and summer internship opportunities. 3. The number of abstracts and/or manuscripts published with GEAR-UP summer intern co-authors. Long-term outcomes were assessed over the subsequent 3 years. Follow-up was maintained primarily by research mentors and other participating faculty members via communication. RESULTS Participant and institutional demographics. Since inception of the GEAR-UP Mini-Graduate School Program in 2002, there have been 105 applicants and 72 participants in the weekend program (Table 1). Interest in the program has grown, with a twofold increase in the number of applications received in 2004 compared to the previous 2 years of the program. The majority (78%) of the participants were pursing the PharmD degree and the majority (58%) were female. Minority students

4 Table 1. Demographics of Participants in GEAR-UP Program Applicants Participants PharmD Students Minority Students Female Students Previous Research Experience Mini-graduate school Total Summer internships Total represented 19% of the mini-graduate school participants. A total of 33 participants (45%) were from the University of Pittsburgh; 30 participants (42%) were from outside Pennsylvania. Participant demographics for the GEAR-UP Summer Internship Program were equally diverse, with a total of 61 applicants and 25 participants in the 8-week internship program (Table 2). Similarly, interest in the summer internship program has grown with a threefold and twofold increase as compared to the inaugural year in the number of applications in the 2003 and 2004 years, respectively. Of the participants, 84% were enrolled in a PharmD program, 28% were members of minorities/minority groups and 56% were women. In addition, 60% of the participants had previously been involved in some limited research experience. A total of 6 participants (24%) were from the University of Pittsburgh; 7 (28%) from universities in Pennsylvania; and 12 (48%) from universities outside Pennsylvania. As depicted in Table 2, participants from a total of 19 different institutions were involved in the mini-graduate school since its inception in Of these 19 institutions, 16% were liberal arts colleges and 63% were institutions that did not offer PhD training in the pharmaceutical sciences. Students from a total of 11 different institutions have participated in the summer internship program since its inception in Of those 11 institutions, 18% were liberal arts colleges and 55% were institutions that did not offer PhD training in the pharmaceutical sciences. Questionnaire response. A questionnaire to determine the quality and impact of the mini-graduate school was administered to the participants upon completion of the weekend program. The responses to the questionnaires are presented in Table 3. The responses on a 1 to Table 2. Demographics of Institutions Participating in the GEAR-UP Program Institutions* Liberal Arts Colleges* PhD Programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences* Mini-graduate school Total 19 y 3 y 7 y Summer internships Total 11 y 2 y 5 y *The total number of institutions participating within a given year y The total number of institutions participating across all years of the program 4

5 Table 3. GEAR-UP Mini-Graduate School Participant Questionnaire Responses Percent of Total Responses Not at all/low To a Large Degree/High Years Assessed Responses Average Score Overall quality of this , 2003, program Increased interest in grad , 2003, school Had significant role in my , decision to pursue grad school Program demonstrated , multiple aspects of grad education I would recommend the program to others , 2003, scale were above 4.0 for all questions posed to the minigraduate school participants. Students average rating of the overall quality of the program was In addition, questionnaires were administered upon completion of the GEAR-UP summer internship program. Responses are provided in Table 4. Again, the responses to all questions on a 1 to 5 scale were above 4.0 and the overall quality of the program was rated at a 4.76 by the summer interns. Outcomes. The short-term and long-term outcomes of the GEAR-UP Summer Internship Program are presented in Table 5. As a measure of a short-term outcome, 52% of the summer interns presented their research posters at the Merck Pharmacy Student Research conferences at either West Virginia University or the University of Colorado. As of April 2005, a total of 13 of the 25 participants had completed their undergraduate or professional degree programs. Of the 13 summer interns, 4 were pursuing postgraduate research training. Two were pursing research fellowships and 2 were pursuing a PhD degree. Table 4. GEAR-UP Summer Internship Participant Questionnaire Responses Percent of Total Responses Not at all/low To a Large Degree/High Responses No. Average Score Overall quality of this program This program has increased my interest in graduate education This experience has had a significant role in my decision to pursue graduate education This program provided/demonstrated multiple aspects of graduate education and research I feel that my research mentor was actively involved in my research experience I feel that the lunch discussions were very valuable part of the research internship I would recommend this internship to other students that may be interested in research

6 Table 5. GEAR-UP Summer Intern Outcomes as of January 2005 (n 5 25) Outcome Measure No. (%) Presented at the pharmacy student research 13 (52) conference Number of GEAR-UP student co-authored 6 abstracts and/or manuscripts Currently enrolled in undergraduate or 12 professional programs Post-graduation research training plans Planning on pursuing 4 (33) Not planning on pursuing research training 5 (42) Undecided 3 (25) Completed undergraduate or professional 13 degree Pursuing post-graduation research degrees* 4 (31) *Includes Fellowship and PhD Programs GEAR-UP 5 Graduate Education and Research at the University of Pittsburgh Three of these four interns completed their professional degree training at institutions that did not offer graduate training in the pharmaceutical sciences. Another longterm outcome is the publication of 3 abstracts and 3 manuscripts with GEAR-UP summer interns as co-authors. DISCUSSION The short- and long-term results demonstrate that the GEAR-UP Program informs US students about research careers in the pharmaceutical sciences. More importantly, the program encourages participants to pursue research training. Of the summer interns who have completed their degree programs, 31% (4 students) are currently enrolled in or have applied to formal research training programs. Of these students, 3 are from institutions that did not have graduate programs. It is not possible to determine whether these students would have pursued pharmaceutical sciences in the absence of this program. However, all GEAR-UP participants have stated that the program played a critical role in their decision to pursue graduate education in the pharmaceutical sciences by allowing them to make informed decisions about research as a career. Based on these data we believe that the GEAR-UP Program, and future programs utilizing a similar format, may ultimately benefit the academy of pharmacy by increasing the pool of potential future faculty members. In a 2002 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) survey of the nation s 84 colleges and schools of pharmacy, it was estimated that there were an average of 6 faculty member vacancies per institution. 4 In addition, it has been estimated that 37% of current 6 pharmacy faculty members are 50 years of age or older, highlighting the need for recruting future faculty members. 5 To address this need, the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE), along with government and industry, has developed a support mechanism for students interested in pharmaceutical research known as Investing in the Future of Pharmacy Education. This effort is expected to raise $12 million to support up to 155 scholarships, fellowships, and grants aimed at increasing interest in academic research and retaining individuals already in academic research settings. Indeed these mechanisms are vital to the development and retention of future faculty members. However, success of these programs also relies on an increase in the number of students interested in pursing an academic research career. Therefore, individual institutional mechanisms to increase the pool of students combined with external support mechanisms such as the AFPE program are necessary to increase the number of students with interests in a research career in the pharmaceutical sciences. Based on the need for increasing the number of US students pursuing graduate degrees in the pharmaceutical sciences, we designed the GEAR-UP Program as a collaborative, multi-institutional mechanism that increases student exposure to research. From the results of this program, we conclude that there is a demand for undergraduate research opportunities in the pharmaceutical sciences. Applications to the GEAR-UP Mini-Graduate School and summer internship programs have greatly increased from the inaugural offering. In the past 2 years of this program, the demand for summer internships has been greater than the number of positions offered. The demand for the program among the 19 participating institutions also implies that there is room for growth of this program to other research intensive pharmaceutical science research institutions. Furthermore, based on the outcome data collected to date, the GEAR-UP Program is an effective mechanism for identifying students interested in research training. One of the unique aspects of the GEAR-UP summer internship is the structured goals that were integrated into the internship experience, including the poster and seminar presentations. This goal-oriented aspect of the GEAR-UP program was essential to the success of the program because it allowed the interns to experience the benefits of presenting the results of their hard work during the internship. In order to meet the goals of preparing a research poster, interns and faculty members interacted in a 2-hour weekly work session. These weekly meetings gave the interns the opportunity to see multiple aspects of pharmaceutical scientific research through the peer presentations. Another benefit of the program s design was

7 that the interns were encouraged to develop ownership of their research projects. The projects were designed to allow students to gain satisfaction in the completion of their projects and to experience the benefits of presenting their research at the annual Merck Pharmacy Student Research Conference at the University of Colorado or West Virginia University. A previous report on undergraduate research training within a school of pharmacy by Nahata demonstrated that these programs can be highly beneficial in terms of generating research publications and increasing students critical thinking and communication skills. 6 Previous studies in disciplines other than pharmacy have demonstrated that undergraduate research experiences increase student interest in class material and in science. Multiple successful models of undergraduate research programs have been reported in schools of medicine A recent publication by Randall et al emphasized the importance of collaborative associations of liberal arts colleges and research intensive institutions in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky. 12 The format of the GEAR-UP Program built on these original reports and extended these experiences via collaboration with other schools of pharmacy and other related disciplines to increase the visibility of research in the pharmaceutical sciences. Collaborative relationships with liberal arts colleges and other institutions without graduate programs in the pharmaceutical sciences are an essential part of increasing student interest. The majority of the participants in the GEAR-UP program were enrolled in a school or college of pharmacy; whereas, only a few of the participants were from chemistry or biology programs. Future efforts with the GEAR-UP program will be aimed at expanding the program to increase the involvement of chemistry and biology students. CONCLUSIONS The GEAR-UP Mini-Graduate School and Summer Internship Programs provide a valuable peer-learning environment for students with interest in pharmaceutical sciences research. The programs provided opportunities that were otherwise not easily available to students, and the research rotation experience was enhanced by the peer-learning and project-ownership format. Preliminary evaluation of the programs impact on graduate recruitment is promising; however, collection of data will be essential to determine the effects of this program on long-term graduate program recruiting. In addition, collection of data is necessary to increase the total numbers of students for a more definitive determination of the impact of the GEAR-UP program on long-term outcomes. 7 Outcome data over the next several years will provide important information about the use of this mechanism as an effective educational and recruitment tool. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to thank the Merck Foundation and Johnson & Johnson for their generous support of the GEAR-UP Program. We would also like to acknowledge our colleagues at the multiple universities that aided in the identification of student participants for the GEAR-UP program. We would also like to thank the multiple faculty members in the University of Pittsburgh who donated their time to the GEAR-UP program. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Susan Price and Kimberly Carson for their efforts in coordination of the GEAR-UP Program. REFERENCES 1. Triggle DJ, Miller KW. 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