Professional Development Advising Team

Overview:
NEOMED is committed to your personal development and professional growth as a pharmacist.

The Professional Development and Advising Team (PDAT) Program provides student pharmacists with a welcoming community and a consistent link to a faculty advisor throughout their first through fourth professional years. The PDAT Program was intentionally built within the framework of the Pharmacy Co-Curriculum, which also includes the Personal and Professional Development for Pharmacy (PPDP) Course Series and Peer Mentoring Program. PDAT advisors guide their advisees as they set SMART goals, select Co-Curriculum activities, and explore career paths.

The PDAT Program is linked to the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education 2013 Outcomes, (CAPE Outcomes), particularly CAPE Outcomes Domain 3 (Approach to Practice and Care) and Domain 4 (Personal and Professional Development).  There are five categories of Co-Curriculum activities that students can use to satisfy co-curriculum requirements:

PDAT advising, the Peer Mentor Program, Co-Curriculum activities, and the Personal and Professional Development (PPD) course series combine to help students develop a customized and comprehensive pharmacy school experience.

PDAT Program Benefits for Students
All pharmacy students are matched with a PDAT advisor during their first semester of their first professional year.  Students are required to meet with their PDAT advisor at least once each semester, but you are encouraged to reach out to your advisor more often.
Your PDAT advisor will:

• Mentor you throughout your academic career
• Connect you to NEOMED resources that will support you personally, academically, and professionally.
• Guide you in creating SMART goals, which will help you develop skills and gain experience outside of the classroom.  The use of SMART goals will ensure that your goals are clearly defined and attainable.  SMART stands for:
  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Relevant
  • Time-Bound
• Collaborate with you to identify Co-Curriculum activities that will allow you to progress toward meeting your SMART goals
• Assist you in the creation and maintenance of your curriculum vitae (CV), and/or your professional resume
• Answer career questions and provide you with resources that will assist you as you explore options
• Provide social opportunities among PDAT advisees

PDAT Benefits for Advisors
PDAT advisors are assigned a group of advisees in their P1-year to follow throughout their 4-year pharmacy school experience.  The longitudinal nature of the program allows for the development of a meaningful connection between advisor and advisees, as well as the continual evaluation of a student’s personal and professional development. PDAT advisors support students in many ways including:

• Identifying struggles and achievements within the curriculum
• Promoting involvement in student and professional organizations
• Exploration of research, scholarship, and service activities
• Finding and reviewing internship, Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE), and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) opportunities
• Development of professional networking skills
• Creating post-graduate career plans
• Preparing for board examinations