title: A medical outreach elective course.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and implement a Medical Outreach Experience elective course and assess its impact on students' level of confidence in organizing future medical outreach trips, providing population-specific pharmaceutical care, and achieving learning outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 2-credit hour elective course was designed for second- and third-year pharmacy students. The course was structured to include 3 sections over 1 semester, a 10-week training and preparation phase, followed by a weeklong international outreach experience and post-outreach reflection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Student achievement of curricular outcomes was measured using in-class activities, readings, reflections, and longitudinal projects, as well as performance during the outreach trip. Results from pre- and post-course surveys demonstrated significant improvement in student-rated confidence in several components of outreach trip organization and provision of pharmaceutical care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students completing the course exhibited increased confidence in their abilities to organize and practice on a medical outreach trip. All students met the learning outcomes of the course, which included providing comprehensive patient-specific pharmaceutical care, communicating effectively, promoting health improvement and self-care, thinking critically, and appropriately managing and using resources of the healthcare system. Students agreed that the elective course was a valuable addition to the curriculum.
authors.affiliation: University of Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy, Shreveport, LA, USA. eperr5@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Storer
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D006205:Haiti; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008145:Louisiana; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014195:Travel
keywords: curriculum; elective course; medical missions; pharmaceutical care; public health