What does it mean to be a master of pharmacology?
The Genes, Drugs and Stem Cells (GDS): Novel Therapies MSc at Imperial College London, is a popular choice of taught Master’s course for students from around the world. The course combines learning about advanced therapies, pharmacology and drug development with the chance to undertake a substantial research project. Throughout the course, students are also given opportunities to explore a range of careers in academia, the pharmaceutical industry and allied fields. In this respect, the GDS MSc is similar to other Master’s courses with pharmacology content. At the end of one year on the GDS MSc, a student who had taken the advanced pharmacology module proudly told me that she was now a ‘master of pharmacology’! That got me thinking - what does it mean to be a master of pharmacology?
At the time, I was looking for a research topic for my Master’s in Education, University Learning and Teaching. I was familiar with the comprehensive undergraduate curriculum for pharmacology, which sets out core knowledge, skills and attributes expected of pharmacology undergraduates. But there are no guidelines for pharmacology-related Master’s degrees, despite a growing number of programmes with pharmacology content. So, I set out to research teachers’ perceptions of pharmacology at Master’s level, with a view to developing a framework for postgraduate education in pharmacology, drug discovery and development.
What are our expectations of Master’s degrees?
The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Characteristics Statement: Master’s Degree sets out the purpose of these degrees in the UK and the characteristics of Master’s graduates. According to the QAA, the purpose of a Master’s degree is to focus on a particular aspect of a subject in greater depth. A research project, with training on all aspects of how to carry out research within the discipline, generally forms a major part of the degree. According to the statement, Master’s graduates will have an advanced knowledge of their subject area, be well-equipped to learn independently, and be able to apply their research-related skills to further academic study or within future employment.
To unpack the Characteristics Statement, QAA Scotland commissioned a study on what it means to be a Master’s level student and how staff can support them. The project developed a framework of seven facets or features of ‘mastersness’ to help teachers better conceptualise Master’s level study. Ultimately, the hope is that by using this framework, teachers will be better equipped to design and develop courses and to support their students’ learning through shared expectations of what Master’s level study involves.
Alphabetically, the facets are: abstraction, autonomy, complexity, depth, professionalism, research and unpredictability. Definitions of the facets and ideas as to how they might be developed are set out on the Mastersness Toolkit Cards. Simply put, abstraction is breaking down knowledge in one context and reusing it in another. Autonomy is students being in the driving seat of their own learning. Complexity covers complexity of knowledge, concepts and problem solving. Depth is delving deeper into a subject and learning to apply knowledge. Professionalism encompasses an approach to learning and is also about behaving in a professional manner towards others. Research is further developing critical research and enquiry skills. Finally, unpredictability is about being adaptable in unexpected circumstances and growing through challenges.
When teachers or students are asked to rank the facets in order of importance for Master’s level study, in general, autonomy and research are most often placed at the top. That said, the facets overlap and several facets can be developed at once. For example, I think that engaging deeply in the literature of a discipline, perhaps through preparing for a journal club presentation, is one way to bring all the facets into play and develop them together.
What is mastersness in pharmacology?
For my educational research, I surveyed those who teach pharmacology-related content. I was not surprised that research and autonomy were considered top facets for pharmacology because this echoes the Characteristics Statement for Master’s Degrees. When I interviewed teachers, the other five facets were also considered to be important, but to different extents. Figure 1 shows my study findings with facets positioned around a heptagon shape, to reflect their relative importance. Those perceived as more important are placed higher up. I also asked whether there might be additional pharmacology-specific facets, above and beyond the general facets of mastersness. Two facets that emerged related to solving problems in pharmacology. One was ‘interdisciplinarity’ – working with others across disciplines, and the second was ‘interaction’ – working with peers and teachers within the discipline. Whilst it was thought that neither facet was likely to be specific for pharmacology, interaction certainly seemed appropriate for a discipline based on interaction of drugs with receptors! At the end of the study, I also began to touch on how we can teach, learn and assess the facets in pharmacology and this is one aspect that I am keen to explore further. Finally, I also asked what particular aspects of pharmacology are deemed to be important at Master’s level. A recap of the fundamentals of pharmacology was considered good practice, or even essential, given the wide range of undergraduate backgrounds of Master’s students. Apart from that, emphasis at Master’s level was on application of pharmacology knowledge and skills in real-world settings and, working out all that needs to be known about a drug from start to finish!
Figure 1. Figure showing the perceived relative importance of the seven general facets of mastersness following a survey of 20 pharmacology teachers. Facets considered more important are placed higher up the heptagon.
How can you help develop guidelines for postgraduate pharmacology?
As the majority of those surveyed and interviewed for my study were based at Imperial, I would now like to ask a question of the wider postgraduate pharmacology community and associated stakeholders – do you think that facets of mastersness are relevant and useful for pharmacology? I am keen to reach out to those involved in teaching pharmacology or aspects of drug discovery and development to Master’s students. I am also eager to hear from stakeholders in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, biotech, and other careers in which pharmacology Master’s graduates go on to work. As future employers, are there other competencies that you think that we should be developing in our students? Finally, I want to make a shout out to the students. William Blake an English poet said ‘hindsight is a wonderful thing’, so my question for Master’s graduates is what else would you have liked to learn during your Master’s degree? Blake then went on to say, ‘but foresight is better, especially when it comes to saving life, or some pain’. So, undergraduates, what would you like to see covered or developed in a Master’s degree, if you were to do one? In summary, if you are a teacher, a student, an alumni, or anyone with a vested interest in postgraduate pharmacology, please do email me. I would love to hear your views and ideas!
In conclusion, through conversation with stakeholders, I would like to develop a Master’s framework for pharmacology. This would provide guidelines for pharmacology at Master’s level and help us to enable our graduates to become the future of pharmacology and shape the world beyond for the better. I would like to listen to your views on the existing facets, possible pharmacology-specific facets, and other competencies. Finally, we could aim to map teaching, learning and assessment activities to the development of one, or several, facets. The endgame would be to share the framework and resources produced with staff involved in designing, (re-)developing and delivering courses, as well as with students studying for a Master’s degree in pharmacology. With your help, it could be a book of great expectations!
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