Assessing Undergraduate Students' Motivation To Study Pharmacy, Attitudes And Future Career Professional Choices In Universities Of Uganda

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i

APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................... ii

List of abbreviations ................................................................................................... ................... vi

Definition of terms ........................................................................................................................ vii

ABSTR.ACT ............................................................... .................................................................. viii

CHJ\.PTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Problem Statement .................................................................................................................... 3

1.3 General Objective ................................................................................ · ..................................... 4

1.4 Specific Objectives ................................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Research questions .................................................................................................................... 4

1.6 Justification of the Study .......................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Students' motivation to study pharmacy .......................................................................... ......... 6

2.2 The future career professional choices of undergraduate pharmacy students .......................... 7

CHAPTER TIIR.EE ...................................................................................................................... 11

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 11

3.2 Study design ............................................................................................................................ 11

3.3 Study population ..................................................................................................................... 11

3.4 Criteria .................................................................................................................................... 11

3.4.1 Inclusion criteria .................................................................................................................. 11

3.4 Sample size estimation ............................................................................................................ 11

3.5 Data collection methods ........................................................... ............................................... 12

3.6 Data Analysis ............................. :··· ......................................................................................... 12

3.8 Ethical Consideration .............................................................................................................. 13

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3.12 Study limitation .................................................................................................................. 13

CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 14

DATA PRESENTATION ............................................................................................................. 14

4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 14

4.2 Demographic Findings ............................................................................................................ 14

4.2 Undergraduate pharmacy students' motivation to study pharmacy in universities ................ 16

4.2.1 Ways in which undergraduates said they were influenced to study pharmacy .................... 16

4.2.2 Influences on the decision to choose Pharmacy as a career choice ..................................... 18

4.2.3 Choosing pharmacy as a I st choice ...................................................................................... 20

4.3 The future career professional choices and attitude about the profession ofw1dergraduate

pharmacy students in wliversities ................................................................................................. 21

4.3.1 Attitude and comnlitment of students towards the profession of pharmacy ........................ 21

4.3.2 Sectors where students wish to work after graduation ......................................................... 22

4.3.3 Salary expectation ................................................................................................................ 23

4.3.4 Plans for future working life ............ : ................................................................................... 24

4.3.5 Expected working hours ...................................................................................................... 24

4.3.6 Comparison of Pharmacy to other health care professions .................................................. 25

4.3.7. Students' future career choices ........................................................................................... 25

4.3.7.1 Knowledge in year 1 Semester 1 in sectors to work from ................................................ 25

4.3.7.2 Change of idea over the coW"se of the study ..................................................................... 26

4.3.7.3 Wish of changing the course or dropping out of the B. Pharm coW'se ............................. 27

4.3.7.4 Reasons for changing course by pharmacy students ......................................................... 27

4.3. 7.5 Factors that have influenced students' future career choice from their experience dW'ing

the degree course ........................................................................................................................... 28

4.3.7.6 Extent to which factors from outside the degree coW"se influenced student's future career

choices ........................................................................................................................................... 28

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ABSTRACT

Background: One of the contributing factor to the shortage of health professionals especially in

Pharmacy, is the small number of people opting to enter the profession and it was seen that

numerous factors and motivations influence the choice of a university course by young high school

graduates.

Objective: To assess undergraduate pharmacy students' motivation to study pharmacy, attitudes

about the profession and future career professional choices in universities of Uganda.

Methodology: The study was a cross- sectional descriptive study design and the study population

included pharmacy students from all the three Universities in Uganda. A sample size of 278

participants was used. These were assessed using pre-validated questionnaires with several close

ended and open ended questions and data collected from them was entered into SPSS, analyzed,

and presented inform of tables, graphs and pie charts.

Results: A greater number of the undergraduate students were aged between 23 - 25 years,

104(38.8%) and were mostly Fourth Year students 107(38.5%), 46.4% (129) of the students were

from KIU, 26.6% (74) were fi·om Makerere University and 27%(75) were from Mbarara

University. Male students were d:e majority 206(74.5%) and by religion Catholics were the

majority 67(27.4%). Personal related reasons ranked low on motivation to study P)larmacy as only

one reason out of the eleven factors li~ted (9.1 %) was a crucial motivating factor and that was,

"Influence by a Pharmacist I know as a role model" 119 (44.2%). This showed studying MUST

vs KIU, age 20-22 and 26-28 vs age above 28 was statistically significantly related to taking

pharmacy as a first choice.

Conclusion: In conclusion this study considers motivation as being either task or ego-oriented and

considers extrinsic motivation to be more desirable and to result in better leaming outcomes than

intrinsic motivation. The study also reveals good attitude towards pharmacy and shows that the

theory of rational choice states was ap!Jlicable among KIU students since many took pharmacy

hoping for certain outcomes such as e\)lployment and starting their own business. Also fits High

Flyers and Life Style' Work-Life Balance Theory dmt is students are c?mmitted to pharmacy

because their attitude towards qne's profession". Furthennore, the study reveals a significa:1t

relationship between (lviUST andKIU ~tudents), and age (20-22 years and 26-28 years) and those

above 28 years).

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