A diabetes education program for pharmacy students

This paper describes a novel education program for doctor of pharmacy students about diabetes, a chronic disorder of glucose metabolism affecting an estimated 16 million people in the United States. The Diabetes Program (DP) incorporates didactic learning, web-based case evaluation, and role play into a two-week comprehensive module on diabetes care. In the DP students are placed in the role of the diabetes patient for one week and the diabetes pharmacist for one week using clinical faculty as preceptors for this case-based learning. Classroom education is provided in lecture format with laboratory learning in the format of a standard outpatient diabetes education class. The DP has earned positive evaluations from students and faculty. Student knowledge and confidence in self-care management of diabetes were improved by the program.