P4 Students Return for Capstone

On October 15, 2013, the P4 class returned to the pharmacy school campus to present their Capstone presentations to faculty evaluations and fellow classmates. In addition, PCSP preceptors were invited to attend the Capstone presentations since the preceptor conference was cancelled.

Capstone is a course designed to provide students with the opportunity to present a formal seminar regarding a contemporary topic that is relevant to pharmacy practice, the pharmaceutical science, pharmacy administration and/or research in any of these areas.  The topics varied greatly but were relevant and controversial topics in the areas, such as adult medicine, critical care, ambulatory care, community pharmacy, and psychiatry.

The Capstone presentation benefits students for several reasons. Within the course, students must possess the skills to display in-depth expertise on a specific topic and evaluate literature for a specific topic. They also have the ability to practice oral and non-verbal communication while presenting information at the appropriate level of an audience.  Thus, students can refine their ability to critically evaluate literature based on a specific topic and can improve communication skills. Based on the course evaluations, students indicated that they will be able to improve their presentations if they have to present their topics again for a residency interview. Furthermore, the Capstone presentation allows students to peer evaluate fellow classmates, which is important as it challenges students to provide constructive criticism.