Curricular progress assessments: the MileMarker.

A challenge in pharmacy education is to document student learning and retention. With the unveiling of the Standards 2007 by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the impetus has been placed on colleges and schools of pharmacy that must meet those standards. One possible response to this challenge is administering progress examinations to assess a student's knowledge base at specified points in the curriculum. The University of Houston College of Pharmacy has developed an annual comprehensive assessment to evaluate student learning and retention at each level of the didactic portion of the curriculum. The development, utilization, and results of MileMarker Assessments are described.