The development of professional identity within the PharmD program occurs progressively and is shaped by numerous curricular and co-curricular influences. This study aims to evaluate perceptions of student pharmacists and faculty advisors from 2019 to 2024 regarding a 4-year longitudinal cocurriculum, Exploring Leadership and Self-Awareness (ELSA), which integrates professional identity formation and well-being. An annual survey-based evaluation was implemented to examine curriculum content and operational aspects. The instrument included 3 domains with 19 Likert-scale agreement items, along with open-ended questions completed by first-, second-, and third-year student pharmacists and pharmacy faculty at a single institution.
Overall, student responses indicated favorable perceptions, with more than 70% agreement related to ELSA’s structure, educational content, and faculty advisor involvement. Across the comprehensive survey, mean agreement levels were 91% for first-year students, 86.6% for second-year students, and 90.4% for third-year students. Faculty advisors likewise reported strong agreement levels (>56%) regarding student participation and the perceived value of ELSA materials. The integrated and longitudinal ELSA cocurriculum offers multiple experiences that enhance self-awareness and support both personal growth and professional development. Feedback from students and faculty advisors demonstrates its beneficial influence and identifies opportunities for ongoing improvement of the cocurricular program.
