title: Core competencies for research training in the clinical pharmaceutical sciences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify and apply core competencies for training students enrolled in the clinical pharmaceutical scientist PhD training program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faculty members reached consensus on the required core competencies for the program and mapped them to curricular and experiential requirements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rubric was created based on core competencies spanning 8 major categories of proficiency, and competencies of clinical versus traditional PhD training were delineated. A retrospective evaluation of the written comprehensive examinations of 12 former students was conducted using the rubric. Students scored above satisfactory in 11 out of 14 comprehensive examination metrics, with a mean score greater than 3.8 on a 5-point scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The core competencies identified will provide an essential foundation for informed decision-making and assessment of PhD training in the clinical pharmaceutical sciences.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. poloyac@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Poloyac
authors.forename: Kerry M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Empey
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rohan
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Skledar
authors.forename: Philip E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Empey
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Nolin
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Bies
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Folan
authors.forename: Patricia D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Kroboth
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D004514:Education, Pharmacy, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013339:Students, Pharmacy