You usually don’t learn things well until you do it, so clinical rotations are one of the most important experiences to gain and practice clinical knowledge that was taught during didactics of pharmacy school. Here are a few pearls that will help promote success at your clinical rotations.
1). Reach Out to Your Preceptor
2 weeks prior to starting at a rotation site, reach out to your primary preceptor to get acquainted with the staff names, location, and their expectations. It may help to even visit the site before starting there to know locations of the parking lot and pharmacy because some may be hidden and you don’t want to risk being late.
2). Time Management
Make a plan to complete at least 1 project per week to prevent procrastination. Saving all projects until the end of a rotation is a recipe for stress and may impact the quality of your work.
It’s also important to be prompt by showing up at least 10 minutes early consistently because it leaves a positive impression.
3). Say Yes to New Experiences
This is the time to practice current skills and learn new skills while you’re still under the guidance of your preceptors and while they can catch any mistakes. Once you’re licensed, mistakes aren’t as acceptable. Some examples of new skills you should learn may include:
-Performing Warfarin INR blood tests
– Giving vaccinations
-Using language phone line to communicate with patients who speak a different language
-Drawing up the rabies vaccine
4). Ask Questions
Especially the reason WHY to those questions. “Why do we do this? Why do we do that?” Always ask questions! Even if it means there’s a chance your preceptor might ask you to research it first as opposed to them giving you an immediate answer, it is still worth finding out.
There are many gray areas in pharmacy, many of which you may not notice until you’re put in the decision-making seat. It’s always good to ask how they might respond to a certain case.
Examples:
-Should a patient be on 2 different calcium channel blockers if one is DHP and the other is Non-DHP (i.e. amlodipine with diltiazem)? Why?
-Should a patient receive cephalexin if they had “reported allergy” of penicillin when they were a kid? Why?
5). Take Notes and Reflect
A pharmacist coat-pocket size notebook, Post-It notes, or a tablet/laptop/phone (if appropriate) can be used to quickly jot down any notes. Writing things down is important because it gives you a way to review, process, and then learn.
Just as equally important on learning the material is the skill to self-reflect. Usually at the end of each rotation and at the end of APPEs, you will be asked reflective questions on your experiences, most of which might get harder to specify if your experiences kind of become mushed together as time goes by. Take time daily or weekly to reflect on what you’ve learned and how it affects you as a future pharmacist.
(Pro tip: This skill is also needed when pursuing residency)
You can use this free reflection guide below to help organize your thoughts.
6). Communication
Clear communication is needed to ensure success on all aspects of patient care in your work, but this first starts with having clear communication with your preceptors and staff. Be comfortable with asking them for any clarifications, whether that’s on assignments, expectations, daily duties, patient therapy management, documentation, etc.
7). Appreciation
Not required, but it is a nice gesture to show your appreciation to your preceptor and the staff for working harder to host you at their site throughout the past few weeks.
Some recommended and affordable things you can do can include making or buying:
-Pasta salad
-Cookies
-Cupcakes
-Donuts
-Bagels
-Pizza (Costco has great value)
Food is always a way to impress the stomach (haha), but personalized ‘Thank You’ cards (homemade or not) will still show your gratitude.
Remember, all of these little actions can go a long way. Your positive attitude, promptness, eagerness to learn, and gratitude may all be recognized by the time you’re seeking a position there. Your rotations are in a way like a pre-interview, so treat it as such.
This was how I got employed by where I started my very first IPPE rotation.
Good luck you guys!
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