In its accreditation statements for pharmacy residency programs, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists includes delivering effective education among the practice skills that should be taught during residency. Programs that promote the development of teaching skills are beneficial to all residents since teaching is a component of almost all pharmacy positions, and development in teaching abilities among prospective faculty is especially valued by colleges and schools of pharmacy. Additionally, development of teaching skills is beneficial to preceptors who teach students and residents.
Since 2005, the UAMS College of Pharmacy has enrolled several hundred participants in its year-long Teaching Certificate Program (TCP). While originally developed for pharmacy residents, the program is now offered to residents, fellows, graduate students, preceptors, and faculty from affiliated programs across Arkansas to encourage development of teaching abilities.
For almost two decades, this statewide program has commenced with a two-day Summer Seminar to acquaint participants with the program requirements, introduce fundamental teaching skills, and provide a venue for professional networking with participants and program faculty. Additional hands-on teaching skills development occurs at a Winter Seminar later in the year. Most importantly, the TCP allows for individualized development as participants set their own teaching-specific goals to accomplish during the program year. Longitudinal development occurs through self-directed participation in teaching activities and continuous reflection on progress. Teaching goals are achieved through participating in one-on-one, small group, and large group teaching environments including didactic and experiential pharmacy education, interprofessional education, and clinically-based teaching activities. Participants receive formal multidirectional feedback on teaching activities from faculty, peers, and learners. Finally, the participant’s successful teaching development is reflected in a comprehensive online teaching portfolio submitted at the end of the program year.
Program Goal
The program’s goal is to promote and support the ongoing development of participants’ teaching and assessment skills, helping them serve as effective educators to learners of all types, including students, professional colleagues, and patients/families. Activities in the program are meant to be individualized according to the participant’s identified areas of needed teaching-specific professional development.
Program Objectives
Through participation in the program’s didactic seminars and workshops, self-directed teaching experiences, and reflective learning, the participant will:
- Gain experience in delivering educational content using a diverse variety of methods
- Individualize teaching and assessment methods according to learning setting and audience
- Utilize effective assessment mechanisms to distinguish learners of varying content mastery
- Provide meaningful, regular, and consistent feedback to learners in a sensitive and constructive manner
- Articulate personal values, beliefs, and goals about teaching and learning into a written teaching philosophy
- Engage in targeted continuous professional development through goal-setting, reflection, and feedback
Contact one of the TCP Co-Directors:
Amy Franks, PharmD
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice
Director, Teaching Certificate Program
afranks@uams.edu
Catherine O’Brien, PharmD, MA
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
ceobrien@uams.edu
Registration and Enrollment Deadline
Participants should register for participation in the TCP no later than June 20 of the corresponding program year, starting July 1. Please contact the program director directly to ensure space is available.