Assessment of Professional Identity Formation and Influencing Factors in Student Pharmacists

Objective

To assess professional identity (PI) in student pharmacists at a single pharmacy college in the United States and identify predictors of PI.

Methods

This pilot study administered a cross-sectional survey to all University of Houston College of Pharmacy students in January 2024. The survey instrument included items intended to measure participant demographics, pharmacy work experience, organizational involvement, leadership, mentorship, and research involvement. The nine-item Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) was used to measure PI. The MCPIS-9 uses a 5-point Likert scale, with potential scores ranging from 9 to 45. Given that MCPIS-9 scores were left-skewed, respondents were ranked into tertiles. The Kruskal-Wallis test assessed the association between MCPIS-9 scores and PI correlates, while ordinal logistic regression with stepwise selection estimated adjusted associations between participant characteristics and MCPIS-9 ranking.

Results

The instrument response rate was 55.1% (244/443). The median MCPIS-9 scores for first- through fourth-year students were 37, 36, 36, and 38, respectively, reflecting consistently high levels of PI among student pharmacists. Ordinal logistic regression demonstrated that students who were White, had attended a pharmacy conference, or had prematriculation pharmacy work experience had higher PI.

Conclusion

The overall level of PI among student pharmacists was high. White race, pharmacy conference experience, and prematriculation pharmacy work experience were significant predictors of PI. Promoting and creating equal accessibility for professional conferences and employment is likely to strengthen PI in student pharmacists. It is also important to consider how PI may differ for individuals with marginalized identities when evaluating PI.