Research in Pharm.D Education

Research was considered essential for developing critical thinking and lifelong learning, even though Pharm.D is primarily a patient-care degree. Some experts preferred clinical clerkships over undergraduate research due to concerns about feasibility, limited supervisors, and resources. Experts recommended including research as a separate credit course of two to six credit hours, with opinions split on whether it should be elective or mandatory. Some experts proposed starting research projects as early as the 3rd or 5th semester, covering research methodology and scientific writing across all five disciplines.