Impact of a Modular Bridge Course for First-Year Pharmacy Students

Objective: To determine the short-term impact of redesigning first professional year (first-year pharmacy [P1]) content using cognitive load theory on academic success and student well-being. Methods: This retrospective study compared outcomes from the P1 fall/spring semesters and academic year for the classes of 2026 (n = 99) and 2027 (n = 104) after a content redesign implemented in fall 2023. Student demographics, nonacademic factors (perceived stress, impostor syndrome, testing anxiety, Grit), and academic factors (grade point averages, progression rates, grades, remediations) were collected and analyzed. Data comparisons between cohorts utilized the Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables, chi 2 test for categorical variables, and risk estimates for dichotomous variables. Results: Academic outcomes showed no significant differences between cohorts. First-generation and non-White students in the class of 2026 were 3 times and 4.8 times more likely, respectively, to receive one or more grades below C- in the P1 year. Following curricular redesign, first-generation and non-White students in the class of 2027 did not exhibit increased likelihood of earning grades below C-. Non-White students in the class of 2027 no longer faced increased risk of not progressing to the P2 year, a significant improvement from the class of 2026, which showed a 6.9-fold increased risk. Additionally, remediating content during the P1 fall semester correlated with higher academic risk. Conclusion: Curricular redesign utilizing cognitive load theory achieved comparable academic performance in P1 students overall, with notable benefits for first-generation and non-White students. This approach effectively identified students at risk, facilitating targeted and timely interventions.