A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / In the United States, bronchiolitis has consistently been the most common diagnosis leading to hospitalization in infants under one year of age, representing over 90,000 cases a year and a significant financial burden on the healthcare system. A condition with such widespread incidence should have an established algorithm for treatment of respiratory symptoms, but studies on the efficacy of certain therapies have been inconclusive. Some reports suggest that the use of positive pressure nebulization may be of benefit in treating bronchiolitis, but it has not yet been studied systematically. 1) To determine whether positive pressure nebulization (PPN) is more effective than standard nebulization (SN) in reducing admission rate in infants with bronchiolitis 2) To determine whether the use of positive pressure nebulization causes a change in Bronchiolitis Score, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admission rate, length of stay (LOS), and unscheduled returns to the pediatric emergency department (PED). The project is a retrospective study conducted at a single‐center tertiary care children's hospital. Participants included in the study were infants 2‐24 months of age with moderate to severe bronchiolitis, who were evaluated by trained respiratory therapists using an objective scoring tool and treatment algorithm that included suctioning, albuterol, and racemic epinephrine. Infants received the above nebulization therapies by either a standard or a positive pressure nebulization delivery device. The two treatment groups were compared to see if one approach was superior as measured by outcomes such as hospital and PICU admission rate, length of stay, and returns to the emergency department. Initial survey of the 2012‐2013 winter season at Phoenix Children's Hospital yielded 2,095 patients who were diagnosed with bronchiolitis. As the majority of patients were excluded due to age, comorbidities, or poor documentation of treatment, our study examined 19 patients who received positive pressure nebulization, which were matched in a 1:3 ratio (PPN:SN), for a total of 57 patients who received standard nebulization. In measuring the primary markers of outcome, we found that 12 of the 19 PPN patients (63%) were admitted to the regular pediatric ward, and 4 of the 19 (21%) were admitted to the PICU. 35 of the 57 SN patients (63%) were admitted to the regular pediatric ward, and 5 of the 57 (8%) were admitted to the PICU. Statistical analysis showed that the estimated minimum 'n' required in each treatment group was 252 patients, but our study was only able to obtain a sample size of 19 patients in the PPN group, which was not enough for statistical significance. An association between hospital admission rate with positive pressure nebulization or standard nebulization was not able to be determined.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Erlangen.

Objectives. To examine changes in preprofessional pharmacy curricular requirements and trends, and determine rationales for and implications of modifications. Methods. Prerequisite curricular requirements compiled between 2006 and 2011 from all doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs approved by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education were reviewed to ascertain trends over the past 5 years. An online survey was conducted of 20 programs that required either 3 years of prerequisite courses or a bachelor's degree, and a random sample of 20 programs that required 2 years of prerequisites. Standardized telephone interviews were then conducted with representatives of 9 programs. Results. In 2006, 4 programs required 3 years of prerequisite courses and none required a bachelor's degree; by 2011, these increased to 18 programs and 7 programs, respectively. Of 40 programs surveyed, responses were received from 28 (70%), 9 (32%) of which reported having increased the number of prerequisite courses since 2006. Reasons given for changes included desire to raise the level of academic achievement of students entering the PharmD program, desire to increase incoming student maturity, and desire to add clinical sciences and experiential coursework to the pharmacy curriculum. Some colleges and schools experienced a temporary decrease in applicants. Conclusions. The preprofessional curriculum continues to evolve, with many programs increasing the number of course prerequisites. The implications of increasing prerequisites were variable and included a perceived increase in maturity and quality of applicants and, for some schools, a temporary decrease in the number of applicants.

Objectives. To examine changes in preprofessional pharmacy curricular requirements and trends, and determine rationales for and implications of modifications. Methods. Prerequisite curricular requirements compiled between 2006 and 2011 from all doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs approved by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education were reviewed to ascertain trends over the past 5 years. An online survey was conducted of 20 programs that required either 3 years of prerequisite courses or a bachelor's degree, and a random sample of 20 programs that required 2 years of prerequisites. Standardized telephone interviews were then conducted with representatives of 9 programs. Results. In 2006, 4 programs required 3 years of prerequisite courses and none required a bachelor's degree; by 2011, these increased to 18 programs and 7 programs, respectively. Of 40 programs surveyed, responses were received from 28 (70%), 9 (32%) of which reported having increased the number of prerequisite courses since 2006. Reasons given for changes included desire to raise the level of academic achievement of students entering the PharmD program, desire to increase incoming student maturity, and desire to add clinical sciences and experiential coursework to the pharmacy curriculum. Some colleges and schools experienced a temporary decrease in applicants. Conclusions. The preprofessional curriculum continues to evolve, with many programs increasing the number of course prerequisites. The implications of increasing prerequisites were variable and included a perceived increase in maturity and quality of applicants and, for some schools, a temporary decrease in the number of applicants.

No description available.

The Master’s in Oral Health Sciences (OHS) program at Boston University, affiliated with BU Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM), is a branch of Graduate Medical Sciences located within the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. The program was initiated in 2005 to serve as a pathway for students from underrepresented groups to enhance their academic credentials and gain admission to dental school. Taking previous studies into account, this investigation aimed to (1) determine whether working during the undergraduate degree program impacted undergraduate performance, as measured by the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA); (2) determine whether performance improved during OHS, a program during which a student is assumed to not work due to the program’s academic rigor, as measured by the student’s OHS GPA; and (3) determine whether specific academic factors (e.g. subsection scores on the Dental Admission Test [DAT], certain undergraduate courses such as upper-level biology or upper-level math courses, etc.) were associated with success in coursework and thus could serve as positive predictors for admissions and future success in dental school. Data was obtained using (a) available deidentified applications to the OHS program and (b) available deidentified American Dental Education Association Associated American Dental Schools Application Service applications to BUGSDM for five OHS class years: 2016-2020. Analysis of variance was used to determine if statistically significant relationships existed between academic parameters. It was found that significant relationships existed between OHS GPA and (1) the following DAT subsection scores: perceptual ability, quantitative reasoning, biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, total science, and academic average and (2) the following undergraduate courses: Biology I, Biology II, and General Chemistry I. Those students earning a B or better in Biology I, Biology II, and General Chemistry I courses were found to have a graduate (OHS program) GPA 0.03-0.04 points higher than the mean. Additionally, those students earning lower DAT scores in the BI (17), GC (18), and OC (18) subsections earned a lower overall OHS GPA. Students earning higher DAT scores in the BI (19), GC (20), and OC (19) subsections earned a higher overall OHS GPA. These relationships were found to be statistically significant. The implications of this study can extend to other U.S. pre-dental post-baccalaureate programs and dental programs and be used as positive predictors for academic success and in admissions.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Despite growing racial inequality in access to selective colleges, popular beliefs abound that college admissions practices are advantaging racial minorities over White students. Because racial minorities face numerous forms of inequality prior to applying college, there are two assumptions held about college admissions. First, people assume that colleges utilize affirmative action based admission practices to help students of color gain admittance and to increase racial diversity on-campus. Second, people assume that most people, particularly Whites, are opposed to all forms of affirmative action. In my dissertation, I challenge both assumptions. I consider how college admissions practice may disadvantage students of color and contribute to racial gaps in access to selective colleges. I ask how organizational and racial processes influence which racialized factors a college considers and how the factors a college considers influence enrollments for specific racial groups. In addition, I ask how the admission factors a college considers influence public sentiment. I find that an increase in racial minority enrollments results in colleges desisting in the consideration of factors known to increase racial minority enrollments. I argue that what a college considers when making admission decisions may be a mechanism for protecting the often-invisible White culture at selective colleges. In addition, I uncover how different racialized admission factors are associated with the representation of different racial groups—indicating that because the meaning of diversity is malleable, the criteria colleges use to admit students may be associated with divergent forms of diversity. Taken together my findings challenge the idea that college admission practices always advantage racial minorities and indicate that in some instances they can disadvantage students of color. Finally, I also discover that Americans, regardless of racial identity, tend to be opposed to admission practices that are perceived to be un-meritocratic like advantaging legacy students or explicitly considering race; but they do not oppose all attempts to increase racial minority representation—indicating that there are some forms of affirmative action that may have wider support in the general public than typically acknowledged<br>