Building Interest in a PharmD Program Through Strategic Advertising and Outreach Efforts
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To design and assess a targeted recruitment and outreach initiative to increase interest in a doctor of pharmacy program among high school students, undergraduate students, and the general public. METHODS: A recruitment and outreach initiative was deployed in October 2023 and April 2024. The program had 2 research arms. Arm 1 targeted undergraduate students, and arm 2 targeted high school students and the general public. Both arms used print and digital advertisements to promote careers in pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy program at a Midwest University. All advertisements used quick response codes to track engagement. In addition, hands-on workshops and information sessions were offered to undergraduate students to encourage interest in pharmacy. RESULTS: Independent t tests compared the number of views the School of Pharmacy landing page received each month before and after the October and April advertisement campaigns. A statistically significant difference in views was found between September and October, as well as between October and November. There was no statistically significant difference in views between March and April or between April and May. School of Pharmacy professional program admissions increased from 50 students in 2023-2024 to 55 students after the study period in 2024-2025. CONCLUSION: A recruitment and outreach initiative increased website traffic. Digital advertisements produced more engagement and were less expensive than print advertisements. Multimodal strategies are necessary to recruit prospective pharmacy students.
Institution: North Dakota State University
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,400
OpenAlex ID: W4409761187