Should schools of pharmacy reserve slots for students interested in research?
Most schools of pharmacy report having a limited, but real, number of incoming students interested in research. Integrating pharmacy practice faculty early in a student’s curriculum may highlight the impact of pharmacy practice research on human health. If schools decide to establish formal research slots for such students, the criteria should be very clearly delineated. Honors programs could be developed to attract and house a pool of students interested in a research career. A few schools have begun pilot programs to track students, and the faculty and administration at these institutions should communicate successes and failures to the rest of the community. It is extremely important to continue to support and nurture research-oriented students. This may be achieved in a variety of ways, such as socialization (e.g. pizza lunches, career conversations with faculty), ongoing lab experience, summer research, and clerkships. Summer and other research experiences can be shared via a web
