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Newsome et al
Table 3. Predictors of Residency Directors' Confidence.
Univariate
Predictor
PGY2 program at institution
Academic medical center
Type of statistical training
None
Study or database design
Basic statistics**
Advanced statistics***
Hours of statistical training: >5 h
Publication rate ≥50%

Multivariate

OR (95% CI)

P value

2.00 (1.1-3.6)
2.13 (1.1-3.8)

.02
.01

1.37 (0.68-2.78)
1.49 (0.74-3.0)

.38
.26

-
.83
.10
<.001
.007
.001

-
0.85 (0.3-2.9)
1.82 (0.9-4.3)
6.76 (2.7-24.9)
1.06 (0.4-2.64)
5.63 (1.61-19.69)

-
.78
.16
.001
.98
.01

-
0.89 (0.3-2.7)
1.94 (0.9-4.2)
9.75 (3.7-25.6)
2.8 (1.3-6.0)
6.98 (2.22-21.89)

OR (95% CI)

P value

Note. OR = odds ratio; CI = confidence interval.
**Basic Statistics = Descriptive statistics (e.g., means, frequencies) and basic univariate statistics (e.g., chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, correlation)
***Advanced Statistics = Basic multivariate statistics (e.g., multiple logistic/linear regression), any advanced statistical techniques (e.g., nonparametric tests,
polychotomous regression, principal component analysis, repeated measure analyses, mixed modelling, Poisson regression)

of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) both conduct research training
programs; however, these are limited in number, highly competitive, and intended for those in academia, not residents.17,18 Both
Stanford University School of Medicine and University of Cape
Town offer an online statistical training course for medical students and residents.19,20 They are low to no cost ($0-$29) and
cover the basics of biostatistics. The total time commitment for
the learning sessions is 18 to 24 hours which is not insignificant
with the already busy PGY1 schedule. However, select lectures
could be audited to supplement residents' education.
Statistical training should not be an afterthought in the
residency process. In our sample, there was a significant relationship between publication rates and RPDs' confidence.
One explanation is that programs that dedicate more time and
resources to research, and possibly statistics, are likely to
have both higher confidences in its residents and higher publication rates. Causality cannot be determined from this survey, but this correlation may warrant further investigating.
Stranges and Vouri assessed the predictive value of publication of residency research projects. They looked at 152 resident research projects, of which half were published and half
were unpublished. The residents whose research projects
were published were twice as likely to have publication success over the 5 years following residency than those residents
whose projects were not published. This demonstrates the
importance of providing quality research education during
residency and the lasting effects this instruction may have.21
This study was limited by a low response rate of 19.7%, but
this response rate is not uncommon among online surveys sent
to pharmacists.22-24 Potentially residency programs that did not
complete the survey have a higher degree of statistical training
associated with the residency program. The study population is
not generalizable to all pharmacy residencies as only ASHPaccredited or candidate status residencies were included in this
study. Precandidate or nonaccredited residencies may have different training practices for residents. However, this study did

include community-based PGY1 residencies, which increased
the heterogeneity of respondents. In addition, this study evaluates the subjective responses of residency directors and therefore limited by a response bias. There is currently no objective
validated model for testing resident's statistical knowledge.
Future research is needed to identify the most effective methods of teaching statistical knowledge to residents.

Conclusion
A sampling of ASHP PGY1 RPDs found that statistical training for many residents is limited and many RPDs are not
confident in their residents' abilities to perform statistical
analysis of research projects. Statistical training and opportunities to enhance research skills may be an area for future
growth in pharmacy residency training programs.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References
1. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Required competency areas, goals and objectives for Postgraduate Year One
(PGY1) Pharmacy Residencies. https://www.ashp.org/-/media/
assets/professional-development/residencies/docs/required-competency-areas-goals-objectives. Published July 2015. Accessed
December 1, 2017.
2. Barletta JF. Conducting a successful residency research project. Am J Pharm Educ. 2008;72(4):92.
3. Bookstaver PB, Miller AD, Felder TM, Tice DL, Norris LB,
Sutton SS. Assessing pharmacy residents' knowledge of

https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/professional-development/residencies/docs/required-competency-areas-goals-objectives https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/professional-development/residencies/docs/required-competency-areas-goals-objectives https://www.ashp.org/-/media/assets/professional-development/residencies/docs/required-competency-areas-goals-objectives

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