A 10-year Study of the Academic Progress of Students Identified as Low Performers after Their First Semester of Pharmacy School

Objective. To examine whether pharmacy students characterized as low performers at the conclusion of their first semester remained low performers throughout their academic career.Methods. Bottom quartile performance on first semester grade point average (GPA) was compared to licensing examination success, cumulative grade point average at the end of the didactic education and whether the student graduated on time, using cross tabulation analysis. Relative risk ratios and confidence intervals were calculated.Results. Students in the bottom quartile for GPA at the end of their first semester in pharmacy school were approximately six times more likely not to graduate on time, not to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam on their first attempt and to remain in the bottom quartile for GPA at the end of their didactic education.Conclusion. This study suggests that pharmacy students who score in the bottom quartile for GPA at the end of their first semester are more likely to underperform academically unless they take corrective action.