Table 5.
Career Interest Variables Between Students Interested in a Career in ID vs Other Areas
| Career Interest Influences | ID Career |Interests, n = 157 | Other Career Interests, n = 380 | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing of career interest area | |||
| Before pharmacy school | 19 (12.1) | 101 (26.6) | <.01 |
| During or after an experiential rotation (IPPE or APPE) | 62 (39.5) | 147 (38.7) | NS |
| During or after a topic was taught in pharmacy school | 61 (38.9) | 79 (20.8) | <.01 |
| Undecided | 11 (7.0) | 41 (10.8) | NS |
| Other | 4 (2.5) | 12 (3.2) | NS |
| Positive career influences | |||
| Curriculum K-12 | 19 (12.1) | 76 (20.0) | .03 |
| Curriculum in undergraduate college | 42 (26.8) | 110 (28.9) | .67 |
| Curriculum in pharmacy school | 127 (80.9) | 244 (64.2) | <.01 |
| Employment experience | 72 (45.9) | 226 (59.5) | <.01 |
| Faculty member(s) or mentor(s) | 106 (67.5) | 194 (51.5) | <.01 |
| Patient encounters | 78 (49.7) | 192 (50.5) | .92 |
| Peer influence | 24 (15.3) | 64 (16.8) | .70 |
| Personal experience(s) | 93 (59.2) | 259 (68.2) | .06 |
| Other | 2 (1.3) | 11 (2.9) | .36 |
| Pharmacy didactic education | |||
| Very influential | 61 (38.9) | 88 (23.2) | <.01 |
| Somewhat influential | 78 (49.7) | 220 (57.9) | NS |
| Not influential | 18 (11.5) | 72 (18.9) | <.01 |
Abbreviations: APPE, Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences; ID, infectious diseases; IPPE, Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences; K-12, kindergarten to 12th grade; NS, not significant.
Data are presented as frequency and percentages.
The χ2 test was used to compare categorical data between 2 groups.