Career and professional development services for pharmacy students

Introduction: As the number of pharmacy programs and graduates continue to rise, pharmacy students are being faced with new challenges in seeking post-graduate positions. A Career Connections program was established as part of the student affairs office to develop, implement, and evaluate career and professional development at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. The objective of this paper was to evaluate student perceptions and value of career and professional development services in preparing students for competitive job and residency markets. Methods: An electronic survey was administered to second-, third-, and fourth-professional year students and 2017 graduates to evaluate all facets of career and professional development services offered by the college of pharmacy. Results: The majority of students (76.8%) were satisfied with their access to career development services. Of all the services and events evaluated, students were most satisfied with the internship panel, fourth-year residency seminars, and third-year professional development elective course. Additional services recommended by students included more networking opportunities with alumni, continued exposure to different careers in pharmacy, and more emphasis on the job searching process. Conclusions: Career development services were generally perceived favorably. The college has implemented several changes based on feedback from students, including splitting students into career-based tracks in the professional development elective and adding additional job-searching seminars. Future initiatives will include increasing outreach to college alumni. Career and professional development services at pharmacy programs should be continuously evaluated in a rapidly changing post-graduate landscape.