A pharmacy course on leadership and leading change

Objective. To develop and implement a course that develops pharmacy students' leadership skills and encourages them to become leaders within the profession. Design. A leadership course series was offered to pharmacy students on 2 campuses. The series incorporated didactic, experiential, and self-directed learning activities, and focused on developing core leadership skills, self-awareness, and awareness of the process for leading change. Assessment. Students reported increased knowledge and confidence in their ability to initiate and lead efforts for change. The learning activities students' valued most were the StrengthsFinder assessment (67% of students rated ''very useful'') and a Leadership Networking Partners (LNP) program (83% of students rated ''very useful'') Conclusion. Teaching leadership skills poses a significant challenge in curriculum development and requires multifaceted course design elements that resonate with students and engage the practice community. Addressing these requirements results in a high level of student engagement and a desire to continue the development of leadership skills.