title: Predicting performance in the first-year of pharmacy school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the predictive validity of the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) scores and other variables for students' success in the first year of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  PCAT scores, entering grade-point averages (GPAs), demographic characteristics, and GPAs for the first year of pharmacy curriculum were collected from the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) and from 22 pharmacy programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCAT scores and entering GPAs were positively correlated with subsequent GPAs after the first year. Regression analyses showed the contribution of PCAT scores and entering GPAs in predicting first-year pharmacy GPAs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PCAT scores and prepharmacy GPAs both showed moderate predictive validity in indicating candidates likely to succeed in the first year of the pharmacy program. These findings are consistent with those of previous similar studies.
authors.affiliation: NCS Pearson, Inc., San Antonio, Texas, USA. don.meagher@pearson.com
authors.forename: Donald G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Meagher
authors.forename: Tianshu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Christina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D003099:College Admission Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012570:School Admission Criteria / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*