Background

Graduates of the Pharmacy Residency Program at West Virginia University Medicine and School of Pharmacy often seek careers in academia or clinical positions that have responsibilities associated with teaching and/or precepting. Sufficient preparation for their instructional roles is required to better equip our residents with the tools necessary for a successful career. Additionally, many of today’s preceptors and faculty members state that they were not fully prepared for instruction in professional program settings. However, at West Virginia University Medicine and School of Pharmacy, multiple teaching opportunities exist for residents, including lecture experiences, laboratory instruction and assistance, small group facilitation, elective rotations, faculty development seminars, and clinical rotation teaching.

Audience

All Pharmacy Residents associated with West Virginia University Medicine and the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy will be invited to participate. Participation will be optional for all PGY-1 and PGY-2 Residents. Those who do not wish to receive a certificate of completion are also welcome to participate in any individual component of the program.

Purpose

The Teaching Certificate Program is designed to introduce residents to academic literature, contemporary pharmacy profession education, teaching styles, and philosophies. The goal of this program is to provide a forum for program participants to gain knowledge of proven and successful education techniques and to demonstrate experience and accomplishment in these areas. Through didactic participation, completion of formal teaching experiences, and the development of a teaching portfolio, participants can document their participation and experience while earning a certificate of completion.

Certificate

Each participant who completes all program requirements will be awarded a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the year. The certificate will be awarded on behalf of West Virginia University Medicine and the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy.

Evaluations

Each teaching experience must be evaluated by the course teaching instructor or facilitator and the participant (self-assessment). A structured evaluation form for each segment must be completed and should be included in the participant’s teaching portfolio.

Program Requirements

In order to earn a certificate of completion, residents must participate in the following requirements:

  1. Lecture Series – “Learning To Teach, Teaching to Learn” – Fall Semester
    This class provides the opportunity for residents to learn how to teach in higher education/pharmacy and to develop and refine their teaching skills by participating in select teaching and learning activities. This course will combine the history and theories of education with the teaching practices utilized in higher education and pharmacy programs specifically. Residents will prepare for and participate in discussions, debates and other learning activities throughout the semester.
  2. Teaching Experience - Participants will employ techniques learned during the seminars through instructional delivery. The nature of instruction provided should be customized to each participant’s setting and class type, size, purpose, etc. Residency program directors or other preceptors may have established additional teaching requirements; thus, each participant should discuss instructional expectations with his/her program director. Each teaching experience must be evaluated by the course teaching instructor or facilitator, the participant (self-assessment), and the students/audience. A structured evaluation form for each segment must be completed. Pharmacy participants who are engaged in the conduct of experiential education (e.g., student rotations) should seek to have their teaching experiences evaluated by the student(s). All of these evaluations should be included in the participant’s teaching portfolio. The minimum teaching requirements for all participants are as follows:
    • Small Group Facilitation – IPPE Program
    • Small Group Facilitation – Pharmaceutical Care Labs
    • Formal Lectures – Clinical Conference at WVU Medicine / Inpatient Pharmacy
    • Formal Lectures – School of Pharmacy Curriculum
  3. Teaching Philosophy/Theory - Each resident must develop a written teaching philosophy/theory. The statement must be submitted by the deadline illustrated in the “Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn” syllabus during the Fall semester. This statement will represent the residents’ personal values and goals for involvement within the context of higher education.
  4. Teaching Portfolio - At the conclusion of the program, each participant will submit a teaching portfolio to the Residency Program Coordinator to verify completion of all elements. The first evaluation of each participant’s portfolio submission will take place at the end of the “Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn” class during the Fall semester.