Is Doctor of Pharmacy Students’ Incoming Math Ability Declining? A Four Year Analysis
Michael A. Hegener, PharmD, BCACP University of Cincinnati James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy
Background
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There is a perception that math ability among US students is declining.1,2
Data describing the math ability of incoming pharmacy students is limited and largely from the United Kingdom (UK).3,4
• A UK study noted a significant decline over a 7 year period (1999‐2005).5
Although pharmacy students are required to complete advanced mathematics courses, the majority of pharmaceutical calculations may be solved using basic math skills. Which math skills (if any) require reinforcement in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum?
Results
Math Assessment Mean Score (%)
To assess incoming doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students’ mathematics ability by content area over a 4 year period to:
1) Determine if incoming ability is declining
2) Identify areas that require increased emphasis in the curriculum. Overall Mean Score on Math Skills Assessment
Cohort No. (%)
Mean Percent
Correct (SD)
2013
96 (98%)
65.8 (14)
2014
84 (85.7%)
66.5 (13.5)
2015
96 (98%)
64.4 (14.3)
2016
97 (99%)
64.3 (12.6)
Total
373 (95.2%)
65.2 (13.6)
P value
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Objectives
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Results
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Discussion
0.635
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Mean Score by Question Category
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Methods
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A 37 question, short answer mathematics skills assessment was administered to 4 cohorts of PharmD students (classes of 2013‐2016) at the beginning of the first professional year (P1) of classes. • Students were permitted to use a 4‐function calculator and were given 50 minutes to complete the assessment.
• Questions were categorized by content area and level of complexity.
• Content Areas: Basic math, ratio, percent, metric system, conversion, dosage, flow rates, compounding (alligation, dilution, specific gravity) and milliequivalent calculations.
• Complexity: Fundamental questions required only a single set to solve, whereas application questions were word problems that required multiple steps to solve. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 22. ANOVA with Tukey HSD post‐hoc test was utilized to compare mean scores among the cohorts. The study was determined to be exempt by the University of Cincinnati Institutional Review Board (IRB). During the 4 year period, a decline in incoming math ability was not observed.
• No significant difference in mean math skills assessment scores among the cohorts (p=0.635)
Cohorts consistently scored highest in percentages (86.9%), basic math (80.9%), and metric system (80%) calculations. The only category that exhibited a continuous decline over the years was conversion. The decline between each consecutive year was not significant, however the overall decline from 2013 to 2016 was (p=0.001).
Although overall math ability did not decline over the 4 year period, this does not imply that it is at an acceptable level. Assessed categories that may warrant emphasis in the PharmD curriculum were identified.
• Apothecary system, milliequivalents, compounding calculations and conversions.
Ability to solve fundamental and application‐based questions was overall similar. This supports that students do not have difficulty setting up multiple‐step problems. These recently matriculated students were not expected to be able to answer all questions. This may explain the low mean scores (<70%). Limitations include that the math assessment is not validated and several categories only had 1‐3 representative questions. Also, not all categories included in a typical pharmaceutical calculations course (e.g. milliosmoles) were included. Conclusions
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Mean Score by Question
Complexity
Conversion Category Mean Score
Cohort Mean Percent
Correct (SD)
2013
62.6 (26.2)
2014
2015
2016
55.6 (28.5)
54.3 (27.6)
48.2 (24.6)
P value
(Compared to 2013)
Acknowledgements and References
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0.292
Shauna Buring, PharmD and Elizabeth Papas, PharmD assisted in the creation of the math skills assessment. 1.
National Math and Science Initiative. STEM education statistics. http://www.nms.org/AboutNMSI/TheSTEMCrisis/STEMEducationStatistics.aspx Accessed June 11, 2015. 2.
Vigdor, J. Solving America’s math problem. Education Next. http://educationnext.org/solving‐america%E2%80%99s‐math‐problem/ Accessed June 11, 2015. 0.135
0.001 Over a four year period, a decline in overall incoming math ability was not observed.
Of the content areas assessed, areas for emphasis in the PharmD curriculum include apothecary system, milliequivalents, compounding calculations and conversions. 3.
Batchelor H. The importance of a mathematics diagnostic test for incoming pharmacy undergraduates. Pharm Educ. 2004;4(2):69‐74. 4.
Sharif S, Gifford LA, Morris GA, Barber J. Diagnostic testing of first year pharmacy students: A tool for targeted student support. Pharm Educ. 2007;7(3):215‐221. 5.
Malcolm RK, Mccoy CP. Evaluation of numeracy skills in first year pharmacy undergraduates 1999‐2005. Pharm Educ. 2007;7(1):53‐59.