Drug Topics - November 12, 2007 - (Page 12)

12 DRUG TOPICS NOVEMBER 12, 2007 www.drugtopics.com VIEWPOINT Mike Lahr, R.Ph. Of Interest to Students Pharmacy students: Our greatest asset or most squandered opportunity? have been in pharmacy for 35 years. Over that time, my interests and areas of specialty have changed again and again. One thing, however, has remained constant: my interest in education, specifically in the experience of students. Students have to fulfill a specific number of intern hours and rotations in order to graduate. These requirements can present a great educational opportunity for students if they offer meaningful activities, or they can be a waste of time if nothing useful is provided. Here’s an account of my experience. I One student’s perspective When I began pharmacy school, I visited local hospitals and soon gained an interview with a director of pharmacy. My interview was filled with promises of endless educational opportunities with motivated pharmacists. But my experience was quite different. The pharmacists had no intention of taking time with students. Even when I brought questions, the workload was such that there was little time for such activity. For students to The pharmacy culture I was exposed to become their best, was in no way structured for education. Dissatisfied and wanting more, I we need to give switched to another hospital. Here again, the director of pharmacy painted them our best. a similar picture of the priority of education in his department and the institution at large. This environment proved to be worse than that of my initial experience. The pharmacist would retire to the back of the pharmacy and read the newspaper, while the pharmacy students performed all the duties and responsibilities of the pharmacist. On many occasions I asked pharmacists about their experiences. Over and over again I received the same answer, “They did it to me, too.” Each time I received this response, I became more resolved to be the person who would break this chain when I began my own practice. on the line as a pharmacist the entire time, while the regular employee was on vacation. There was no instruction on any subject at any time. Fortunately, my final month consisted of an excellent internal medicine rotation at a VA hospital. It was truly the best month of my entire pharmacy education. During my final year of school, I began a conversation with the state board of pharmacy about these matters. As our interaction progressed, it became clear that for the sake of my fellow students, it would be better if I didn’t “rock the boat.” So I opted to maintain my silence. I finished school disillusioned about my internship and rotation experience and determined to be an agent for change. From student to educator After a few years in practice, I took a position at another small rural hospital. This hospital took student externs on a regular basis. As I began to settle in, the student coordinator was in the process of transitioning to other areas of responsibility. I was approached about taking his role, and I agreed. I asked the departing pharmacist for his curriculum and materials. In return I received a blank stare. There were none. The students simply came, observed, and were handed to technicians as free help. I was outraged. In this setting, the director of pharmacy wanted two things: the prestige of “educating students” and the opportunity to have free employees. Like it or not, pharmacists send clear messages to our students. Pharmacies that offer solid training for students will find their reputations spreading quickly. Students will flock to these programs, which will have a continuous supply of potential premium employees to choose from. On the other hand, pharmacies that use students only for Rx fulfillment will end up with a tarnished image. Training students takes time, effort, and commitment. But the rewards are profound. For students to become their best, we need to give them our best. is a clinical pharmacist at Salem Hospital Regional Medical Center in Salem, Ore. He is currently in his final year of the nontraditional Pharm.D. program at University of Florida. He is also in preparation for the BCPS examination this fall. THE AUTHOR My externship experience My final year of pharmacy school was filled primarily with extern experiential rotations. My hospital rotation was performed at a 150-bed facility. There was no instruction, no guidance, no curriculum, no plan, no accountability, and most of all no interest in students. My next rotation was in a retail setting. This pharmacy’s unabashed plan was to use me as a free employee. I worked Would you like to comment on your internship and externship experience? Please send your comments to drugtopics@advanstar.com. http://www.drugtopics.com

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Drug Topics - November 12, 2007 Contents Drugs Often Associated with Errors Wanted: More Convers to Drug Decision Tools MSRA Takeoff Raising Alarm Bells U.S. Still Volnerable to Drug Counterfeiting Strange Rx Stories: Are You Stupid? Are Students a Squandered Opportunity The Week at a Glance

Drug Topics - November 12, 2007

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