Browsing by Author "Vigue, Elizabeth"

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    ASSESSING METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS INVENTORY (MAI) IMPROVEMENT IN THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER OF PHARMACY
    (2025-04-17) Ouellette, Abigail; Vigue, Elizabeth; Frail, Thomas; McLean, Peter
    Background: Increased metacognitive awareness is linked to success in doctoral level programs. Some doctoral programs in medicine and pharmacy have researched specific metacognitive awareness activities. However, none have evaluated metacognitive awareness, as a whole, in pharmacy students. Recognizing the struggle transitioning from undergraduate coursework to professional Doctor of Pharmacy coursework, we aimed to understand metacognitive awareness changes for pharmacy students during the first professional semester. Method: First professional year pharmacy students were given a National Institute of Health approved 52-question Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) survey during orientation week at Husson University School of Pharmacy. In the MAI survey, one point is given for answering “yes” to each question. Students repeated the survey during the final week of their first semester in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Results: Twenty students completed both the pre- and post-semester surveys. Overall, mean MAI scores increased by 5 points (38 to 43). The following domains saw increases in score over the study period: Declarative Knowledge (+0.3; 6 to 6.3), Procedural Knowledge (+0.3; 3.2 to 3.5), Conditional Knowledge (+0.7; 3.9 to 4.6), Information Management (+0.8; 7.1 to 7.9), Comprehension Monitoring (+0.6; 5 to 5.6), and Evaluation (+0.5; 3 to 3.5). Planning (-0.35; 4.95 to 4.6) and Debugging Strategies (-0.18; 4.58 to 4.4) were the only domains that saw a decrease in score over the study period. Conclusion: MAI scores changed as a whole and within each domain. Data collected from this study can be used to inform future metacognitive research for pharmacy students entering the doctoral phase of their programs.
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    TRAINING STUDENTS TO THINK LIKE A PHARMACIST – A STRUCTURED TOOLKIT FOR P1S
    (2023-04-20) Frail, TJ; McLean Peter; Vigue, Elizabeth; Nash, Jamie; Dhing, Conrad; Yang, Tianzhi; Johnson, Jessica; Domina, Aaron
    Recognizing that many students struggle with the transition between undergraduate prepharmacy coursework and the demands of a professional Doctor of Pharmacy program, Husson University School of Pharmacy (HUSOP) developed a semester long “Toolkit” to support and mentor first-year PharmD students. The primary goals of the Toolkit included: (1) support the development of highly effective study habits for academic success and (2) improve cohesion of the entering cohort to support individual well-being and sense of belonging. Method: First professional year pharmacy students were required to participate in a two-part Toolkit initiative. Prior to the start of the academic term, students attended a two-day live orientation to explore evidence-based study strategies and tools, goal setting, and growth mindset development. Throughout the fall term, HUSOP partnered with numerous stakeholders to facilitate weekly one-hour meetings for students to discuss application of study strategies within professional coursework and to provide cohort-building activities. Students completed a survey-based evaluation tool to provide feedback on Toolkit activities and delivery. Results: Nineteen students were admitted in the cohort and sixteen completed the post-survey (84% response rate). Seven of 16 students (44%) reported agreement with the statement, “I used toolkit strategies to prepare for quizzes and exams.” 14 of 16 students (87.5%) reported agreement with the statement, “I feel like part of the P1 cohort.” Post-survey data suggested the Toolkit sessions most valued by students were led directly by faculty who could provide additional context and perspective for course content, as well as interactive feedback on assessment performance. Conclusion: The Toolkit program supported students’ transition into the PharmD program through faculty and staff-led sessions targeting student success and group cohesion. Feedback from students and faculty will guide the new iteration of Toolkit programming for Fall 2