Pharmacy Students' Perceptions of Their Curriculum and Profession: Implications for Pharmacy Education

Objective: This qualitative study described and analyzed pharmacy students' perceptions of their major and profession. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven students responded to an open-ended question asking them to state their least appealing reason for majoring in pharmacy. The sample consisted of undergraduate freshmen and sophomore pharmacy majors enrolled in a speech course. Results: Comments reflecting the least appealing reason for majoring in pharmacy were grouped into two major themes. Seventy six percent of student comments related to the Degree/Pharmacy Curriculum, and 24% to Beyond Degree/Pharmacy Profession. The first theme was divided into four sub-themes: Heavy Workload (55%); Time Constraints (42%); Expense (13%); and General Curriculum Issues (9%). The second theme included the following sub-themes: Negative Work Environment (49%); Boring (32%); Not Quite an MD (14%); and Lack of Empathy (11%). Conclusion: Findings of this study provide further recommendations for making adjustments in pharmacy education/curriculum as well as insight into more effective recruiting strategies and retention.