Pharmacy Students’ Lived Experiences of Academic Difficulty and Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure

Objective. To understand students’ lived experiences of academic difficulty in pharmacy school in relation to Tinto’s conceptual schema of student departure. Methods. A descriptive, single case study design was chosen to explore academic difficulty in pharmacy school, and the unit of analysis (case) in this study was the experience of academic difficulty. Four students who had experienced academic difficulty in pharmacy school were recruited to participate in the study. Data sources included admissions applications, transcripts, emails to the lead researcher, and semi-structured interviews. Prior to analysis, the researchers created a coding dictionary to operationalize codes for textual analysis. Intercoder agreement was established at 97% agreement. Research validity was supported by triangulation of data, multiple researchers, and member checking. Results. Three of the four students were retained because of the synergistic reinforcement of academic and social integration based upon Tinto’s schema. A fourth student was academically dismissed and departed the college, suggesting that too many social responsibilities in pharmacy college reduces time for academic integration, thereby diminishing the reciprocal potential between academic and social integration. Among the four students, seven main themes were identified: student background, goal of becoming a pharmacist, academic integration during pharmacy school, social integration during pharmacy school, retention and departure, roles and responsibilities during pharmacy school, and wellness. Conclusion. The results suggest that Tinto’s theory of student departure is applicable to students’ experiences of academic difficulty. These student stories suggest that early identification of student support needs may help pharmacy programs improve student retention.