Student pharmacists score well on national exam

College of Pharmacy Dean Gary M. Pollack recognized Washington State University student pharmacists who scored well on the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA) Exam this year with dinner at Clinkerdagger, a popular restaurant in Spokane.

The national PCOA exam is a tool used by pharmacy schools to evaluate their curricula and to provide individual student feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses, according to Brenda S. Bray, assessment director at the WSU College of Pharmacy. There are 220 multiple choice questions divided to assess four areas of the curriculum: basic biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, clinical sciences, and social and administrative sciences.

Four student pharmacists from the class of 2016 scored in the 90th percentile or higher on the exam administered this spring by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. A score in the 90th percentile means the students scored the same or higher than 90 percent of other third year students in the normed reference sample. The students who were recognized at the pharmacy dinner were: David Butler, Daniel Holland, James Leonard, and Kathleen Nusbaum.

Dean Pollack with students
Pictured above from left: Dean Gary M. Pollack, James Leonard,  Daniel Holland, Kathleen Nusbaum, David Bulter, and Associate Dean Brian Gates
[May 28, 2015] by Lori J. Maricle