TY - JOUR
T1 - Mining for Retention Gems and Unearthing Identity and Belonging
AU - Aronson, Benjamin D.
AU - Eddy, Emily
AU - Musser, Michelle R.
AU - Shields, Kelly M.
AU - Hinson, Jessica L.
AU - Janke, Kristin K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Objective: To determine the relationship between first-year retention and variables related to professional engagement and professional, academic, and personal identities. Methods: This study evaluated data from 3 cohorts of students at a private 0–6 college of pharmacy. A theoretical and conceptual framework linking professional identity and retention informed the study. Professional engagement scores from the first semester of pharmacy school served as a surrogate of professional identity. Grade point average (GPA) and traditional demographic variables (eg, gender, race/ethnicity, in-state resident) served as surrogates of academic and personal identities, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between first-year retention and identity variables. Results: Belonging, a domain of professional engagement, was positively related to first-year retention. In multivariable models, belonging and cumulative GPA were associated with increased odds of retention, while in-state status was associated with decreased odds. In separate models for those with GPA ≥3.00, and<3.00, belonging was associated with first-year retention in both. Belonging was also associated with first-semester retention, but not second-semester retention. Conclusion: A decision to leave a Doctor of Pharmacy program is complex, but the vast majority of the literature in pharmacy education appears to focus most intently on academic variables, including GPA. This study demonstrates that belonging, an important element in professional identity formation, remains related to first-year retention, even after controlling for grades and other personal variables. This finding unearths several theory-informed gems and strategies that educators may employ to enhance retention.
AB - Objective: To determine the relationship between first-year retention and variables related to professional engagement and professional, academic, and personal identities. Methods: This study evaluated data from 3 cohorts of students at a private 0–6 college of pharmacy. A theoretical and conceptual framework linking professional identity and retention informed the study. Professional engagement scores from the first semester of pharmacy school served as a surrogate of professional identity. Grade point average (GPA) and traditional demographic variables (eg, gender, race/ethnicity, in-state resident) served as surrogates of academic and personal identities, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between first-year retention and identity variables. Results: Belonging, a domain of professional engagement, was positively related to first-year retention. In multivariable models, belonging and cumulative GPA were associated with increased odds of retention, while in-state status was associated with decreased odds. In separate models for those with GPA ≥3.00, and<3.00, belonging was associated with first-year retention in both. Belonging was also associated with first-semester retention, but not second-semester retention. Conclusion: A decision to leave a Doctor of Pharmacy program is complex, but the vast majority of the literature in pharmacy education appears to focus most intently on academic variables, including GPA. This study demonstrates that belonging, an important element in professional identity formation, remains related to first-year retention, even after controlling for grades and other personal variables. This finding unearths several theory-informed gems and strategies that educators may employ to enhance retention.
KW - Attrition
KW - Belonging
KW - Professional engagement
KW - Professional identity formation
KW - Retention
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100094
DO - 10.1016/j.ajpe.2023.100094
M3 - Article
C2 - 37380262
AN - SCOPUS:85163672681
SN - 0002-9459
VL - 87
JO - American journal of pharmaceutical education
JF - American journal of pharmaceutical education
IS - 7
M1 - 100094
ER -