Critical factor ratings
Opportunities for advancement
[To what degree does your work allow for advancement?]
As noted by the upper-range response of 8.79 for this factor, most of the participants feel that there
are great opportunities for advancement. Many have already advanced in their careers based on the
positions they hold in the administration areas.
One participant from Alabama stated, “I have been promoted several times, from Founding Director to
Assistant Dean to Associate Dean. Also, I have been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate
Professor with Tenure to Full Professor.”
Looking at this a little differently, this respondent from Texas stated, “Working to exceed expectations
and not worrying about who gets the credit can help with advancement of your career.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little advancement opportunities
10 = Great opportunities for advancement
Leadership development/professional involvement
[To what extent does your work allow for the development of leadership skills and
professional involvement in the pharmacy profession?]
This factor was rated the third highest for this profile at 9.38. Most of the respondents have worked up
the ladder to reach their current positions and indicated that leadership is a necessity for the role.
One respondent from Tennessee noted that their leadership afforded them additional opportunities: “I
have been on the board of directors for 3 different organizations during my career, 2 pharmacy and one
entrepreneurial—there are lots of opportunities for leadership and development—you have to do the work,
though!” Another from Missouri was to the point and added: “Leadership development and life-long
leadership development are critical.”
Another from California liked the support that they have and mentioned: “The environment is very
supportive of professional involvement and there is plenty of opportunity to develop your leadership
skills via committee work and work on special projects.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little development of leadership skills and professional involvement
10 = Great opportunities for leadership development and professional involvement
Community impact
[How much impact is your work in terms of serving the community?]
Respondents were very positive about the impact they have on the community with an upper-range 8.49
rating.
One respondent from California indicated, “I personally have a great deal of community involvement but
not everyone in academic chooses to engage in the way that I have. Our institution values community
engagement so it is easy for me to prioritize that aspect as part of my current position.” A Tennessee
respondent added, “I have focused greatly on impacting community health during my academic career in a
variety of capacities including a clinic for the homeless.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little impact
10 = High level of impact
Autonomy
[To what extent does your work allow for autonomy in decision making?]
The area of autonomy ranks in the upper tier for this group. This reinforces the role of an
administrator in making decisions for the specific areas that they oversee.
A respondent from Wisconsin stated, “Good autonomy within the confines of budget and policy/procedure
that can be a quagmire in academia.” Another from Wyoming added, “Much of my day to day is autonomous;
elements within the role are collaborative, but the bulk of my work and schedule is determined by me.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Very little low autonomy
10 = High level of autonomy
Focus
[To what extent does your work allow you to be focused on the future versus a focus only on
immediate tasks?]
This factor is interesting in that, as the profession continues to expand roles, more and more
information is needed for students to be able to know how to address specific situations that they will
begin to impact. The administrators look at both sides of this factor, but they lean toward being future
focused with a 7.92.
An Iowa respondent indicated, “Academia requires both a view of the 'current' and what needs to be done
to be sure that learners have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed but also requires a future
focus on what learners will need to know in the future.” Another from Tennessee added, “In my role I do
have to look ahead and prepare for the future, but daily operations require a lot of focus on immediate
tasks.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Immediate tasks only
10 = Tasks focused on the future
Prestige
[To what extent does your work provide professional prestige?]
Prestige is rated as the highest critical factor for those in administration. At 9.41, this is the
highest rating (tied with creating value/positive outcomes).
A respondent from Pennsylvania stated that the “Ability to serve on boards, committees, and
organizations at the local, state, and national level providing valuable professional exposure.” Another
from Tennessee looked at this from a different perspective and added that “Students hold you in high
regard, others in academia also value the role.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Provides low prestige
10 = Provides high prestige
Creating value/positive outcomes
[To what extent does your work allow for personal fulfillment through the creation of value
and positive outcomes?]
As noted earlier, this critical factor is tied with prestige as the highest rated factor at 9.41.
Respondents indicate that their roles offer opportunities to create value and establish positive
outcomes regarding students and the university and society.
One respondent from Iowa provides the overall thoughts of the group by stating that “Academic provides
the opportunity to feel that one is really making a difference in our society. I often think of academic
faculty has having a ripple effect on students that are going to make a difference in our society.”
Another from Pennsylvania added, “Outcomes are more indirect and vaster as you are impacting students
who go on to make their own contributions to health care.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little extent
10 = High extent
Patient relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with
patients?]
As the majority of administrators work in the dean’s office, few have the opportunity to continue
long-term relationships with patients. The role works at a broad level within the academic setting
compared to caring for patients. The 2.42 rating is the second lowest in the profile.
An administrator from Texas stated, “As an administrator I have limited time to interact with patients
but do try to maintain some tie to practice. I rely on my coworkers, faculty and staff are team
members.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Coworker/client relationships
[To what degree do you have ongoing or long-term relationships with coworkers or
clients?]
Administrators rely on their coworkers to provide information and to follow through on specific areas
that the college is moving toward. The factor scored in the upper tier rating of 8.97 indicates that
long-term relationships do exist.
One respondent from Tennessee stated, “I work very closely with many coworkers both at the college and
university and also within administrative pharmacy at other institutions.” Another colleague from
Michigan listed that they “Do have long-term relationships with students/alumni, faculty, staff and
other administrators.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No ongoing/ long-term relationships
10 = All are long-term relationships
Writing/conducting research
[How often do you engage in writing and/or conducting research?]
This factor is dependent on the specific roles the respondent had prior to this role, placing this in
the mid-range at 6.53
One of the administrators from Texas summed this up nicely by stating that “(These are) two separate
topics. I write all of the time, mostly reports, but try to get an article or two completed annually.
Predominantly pursuing survey research pertaining to academic issues.” Another from Wyoming added, “It
is important to note that the variability for how much time is dedicated to research is very broad and
academia. I have a significant amount of time dedicated to it because I love it.“
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Generating new ideas
[To what degree does your work involve generating new ideas?]
One of the roles that administrators do take on includes looking at innovative ideas to solve issues or
problems. With a rating of 8.26, this places the factor in the high range of ratings.
One respondent from South Dakota stated, “I am expected to think of creative solutions to problems on a
regular basis.” A faculty member at Iowa stated, “By the time issues arrive at my office easy solutions
have been tried, so I have to be innovative to solve the problem.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little innovative thinking
10 = High degree of innovative thinking
Supervision/management
[To what extent do you spend your time organizing, managing, or supervising others and/or
business operations?]
Supervision and management differ based on the administrative position that one holds. Some
administrators have staff and faculty that are direct reports while others may not have that structure.
The group rated this factor in the mid-range at 7.79.
One faculty member from Texas stated, “As an administrator I oversee faculty and staff. Providing
training and guidance occurs daily.” Another from Iowa added, “I oversee our professional and graduate
education programs, research enterprise, and building operations.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Patient interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with patients?]
Most administrators do not interact with patients as noted by the lowest rating listed of 1.87.
One respondent from Tennessee summed up the thoughts of many when they stated that “I am not actively
engaged in practice.” A different perspective was provided by another faculty member from Texas who
stated that “I make an effort to volunteer to stay connected to patients and practice.” It should be
noted that a few of the administrators who are clinically trained did indicate that they try to keep
some clinic hours when they can.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Public interaction
[How much time do you spend interacting with the public?]
Administrators rate this factor in the mid-range at 5.34. The definition of public is different for this
group as noted by the responses below.
One respondent from Michigan stated that “Most of the public interactions are with the family and
friends of students at various events, such as the white coat ceremony and graduation.” Another from
Wyoming added, “Including the various academic stakeholders in the definition of "public," e.g. alumni,
donors, community partners, organizations, etc.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Collaboration
[How often do you work or collaborate with other health professionals or educate other
professionals in your work?]
For administrators, this has a different meaning than noted by the 7.47 mid-range rating. Part of their
role includes working with others.
A faculty member in Indiana highlighted that “Interprofessional education and practice are required of
all pharmacy programs. There is much opportunity collaborating with other health professions.” Another
respondent from Iowa highlighted their collaborative efforts: “I collaborate with the other university's
college's associate deans, but especially the health sciences colleges.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = None of my time
10 = All my time
Family/leisure time
[How much free time do you have for leisure and family activities in your work?]
Respondents rated family/leisure time as a mid-range rating of 6.03.
For many, a dean’s position includes attending university and other functions in the evenings or on
weekends. One respondent from Pennsylvania stated, “I believe family helps faculty maintain balance.
However, the demands of academia do not end when you leave work, must be accessible 24/7. The workload
is large and can be cyclic in nature.”
Another from Tennessee added, “Although academia requires a high level of commitment, it also provides a
good deal of autonomy and flexibility in structuring time and schedules. This allows for a sufficient
amount of leisure time and family activities.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Little free time
10 = Plenty of time for family and leisure activities
Impact on well-being
[To what degree do you impact the well-being of individuals?]
Most respondents felt that they do impact the well-being of others—specifically students. With a rating
of 7.92, most feel that they have the opportunity to impact the well-being of others.
An expressed concern is how often they can actually spend time in this area. One respondent from Texas
summed up what most stated, saying, “Academia affords the opportunity to positively impact the
well-being of others—particularly the well-being of students.” A comment from a faculty member in
Missouri added, “I believe we all have the ability to impact the well-being of others; the question is
how much do we do it?”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Low degree
10 = High degree
Problem solving
[To what degree do you solve problems with tried-and-true alternatives versus untested
alternatives in your work?]
Problem solving varies with the specific tasks that each administrator has. The rating is mid-range at
6.81, which indicates leveraging a mix of methods.
One respondent from Arizona looked at this broadly and stated, “Particularly in research but also in
teaching, patient care, service.” Another from Missouri indicated that this “Depends on the problems;
for education of students, we rely a lot on tried and true; for administrative problems, most of it is
situational and requires untested alternatives.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Tried and true
10 = Untested alternatives
Expertise
[How general or specialized is the expertise required in your work?]
Administrators can wear various hats and require some specialization as noted by the 7.92 rating. This
truly depends on the role as some are very specialized, and others work through general approaches and
need this type of expertise.
One respondent from Georgia stated, “We need both generalized and specialized expertise in
academia/research/teaching.” Another from Alabama reinforced this by stating, “I have to work with a
variety of people with different backgrounds and experiences.”
A North Carolina faculty member stated, “Expertise is required in academia; we strive to be subject
matter experts.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Generalized
10 = Specialized
Repetition
[To what degree is your work composed of activities and tasks that are highly repetitive
versus highly variable?]
Most every role in academia has some repetition—administrators are mid-range with a rating of 6.40.
A respondent form South Carolina stated, “On a day-to-day or week to week basis, most of the tasks I am
doing are different. Year to year, I may have repeated tasks, but they are very rarely identically the
same.” One faculty member from Wyoming stated, “Mixture, although I do not know what will happen day by
day.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Highly repetitive
10 = Highly variable
Applying scientific knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying scientific knowledge in your
work?]
Most administrators are focused on specific roles and responsibilities including policy and procedures
that are followed in the university system. They apply their knowledge to these situations and rated
this factor in the mid-range at 6.14.
A respondent from Iowa indicated that “My role as Dean doesn't use specialized knowledge to a great
extent on a daily basis, but to get to this point, I had to have scientific and clinical knowledge as a
faculty member.”
A dean from Alabama stated, “Understanding how data is generated and its subsequent interpretation for
use as evidence is important in most situations.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Applying clinical knowledge
[How much of your time is spent applying clinical knowledge in your
work?]
The respondents indicated that they apply clinical knowledge to a lesser degree, 4.80, than their
scientific knowledge. For some, this is based on the change in the amount of patient care that they now
have.
A Tennessee administrator stated, “Clinical knowledge was previously 10 but has decreased since I
entered administration. I still use clinical knowledge extensively for program development and
implementation and continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives.” Another from Alabama added, “I
make special effort in maintaining my clinical and scientific knowledge in my therapeutic area.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = No application
10 = High level of application all the time
Parental leave
[To what extent does your work setting offer parental leave opportunities?]
Parental leave varies by institution and is usually tied to vacation and sick days. The respondents
indicated that the provision works well with a rating of 7.74.
One respondent from Ohio summed up what all were staying in their comments: “My university provides
parental leave for both the mother and father. Vacation and Sick leave must be used first before
Short-Term Disability (STD) leave takes effect.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Limited opportunities
10 = Unlimited opportunities
Compensation
[To what degree do you feel compensated for your responsibilities in your work?]
Compensation rated a 7.37 varies by university—especially looking at public versus private schools. The
range of compensation was noted in comments earlier in the profile indicating the dean of the school has
the highest overall average.
A respondent from Michigan stated, “Academic administrators make a fairly good salary. Dean salaries can
be quite high, depending on the school.” Another from Tennessee added, “There are financial and other
types of compensation, both are adequate.
An administrator from South Dakota feels differently and stated, “Academia is known to be under
compensated.”
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not well compensated
10 = Well compensated
Benefit package
[How comprehensive is the employee benefit package offered in your work setting?]
As noted above in the compensation factor, benefit packages vary across universities. However, most
respondents rated the benefits higher than compensation with an 8.66.
An administrator in South Dakota stated, “This very significantly from school to school, but generally,
the benefits are decent.” A Michigan faculty member added that “Benefits such as leaves, health care and
retirement are generally very good."
A respondent from Alabama added, “The paid time off benefits and flexibility of work schedule are
great."
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not comprehensive
10 = Very Comprehensive
Advice for students
The following quotes provide a range of thoughts by respondents to the question of what advice would
you
like to give to students:
- “Having a role that provides self-worth is extremely important.”
- “There are often competing tasks, and one must be adept at triaging and prioritizing tasks.”
- “I encourage all student pharmacists to think outside the ‘retail vs. hospital’ box.”
- “It is so fun! — find good mentors.”
- "Learn how to be a leader and how to connect across differences.”
In addition, respondents were asked to provide information on what they see the future of practice will
be like. The following three areas were mentioned the most in this open-ended question.
- Growth/expand role/expansion 17.9%
- Change 17.9%
- Expanded scope of practice 10.3%
The following quotes provide a range of thoughts by respondents to the question of what advice would
you
like to give to students about the future of academics:
- “Change. With the advance of technology, we are pushed to continue to innovate to become more
effective teachers.”
- “Increased use in telehealth service.”
- “We need more students interested in (a variety of) pharmacy careers.”
- “The importance of doing things differently and being innovative/creative.”
Professional organizations
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
675 North Washington Street, Suite 220, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 684-2600 | www.amcp.org
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603-3446
(312) 664-3575 | www.acpe-accredit.org
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
1400 Crystal Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 739-2330 | www.aacp.org
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)
Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(703) 556-0650 | www.aaps.org
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)
8055 O Street, Suite S113, Lincoln, NE 68510
(402) 476-1677 | www.aapp.org
American College of Apothecaries (ACA)
2830 Summer Oaks Drive, Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 383-8119 | www.acainfo.org
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
13000 West 87th Street Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66215-4530
(913) 492-3311 | www.accp.com
American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (AFPE)
11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360A-105, Fairfax, VA 22030
(571) 404-0471 | www.afpenet.org
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 628-4410 | www.pharmacist.com
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)
1240 North Pitt Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-1300 | www.ascp.com
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
4500 East-West Highway, Suite 900, Bethesda, MD 20814
(866) 279-0681 | www.ashp.org
Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS)
2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 946-5026 | www.bpsweb.org
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)
555 East Wells Street, Suite 1100, Milwaukee, WI 53202
(877) 467-2791 | www.hoparx.org
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)
2530 Professional Road, North Chesterfield, VA 23235
(804) 285-4431 | www.naspa.us
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
1600 Feehanville Drive, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 391-4406 | www.nabp.pharmacy
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
1776 Wilson Blvd, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209
(703) 549-3001 | www.nacds.org
National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP)
300 New Jersey Ave, NW, #900, Washington, DC 20001
(703) 842.0122 | www.naspnet.org
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
100 Daingerfield Road, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8200 | www.ncpa.org
National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA)
10810 North Tatum Boulevard, Suite 102-965, Phoenix, AZ 85028
(480) 405-9291 | www.nationalpharmaceuticalassociation.org
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
670 Maine Avenue, SW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20024
(202) 835-3400 | www.phrma.org