May 2019 Vol. 3
Welcome to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Newsletter for Experiential Partners and Preceptors! Newsletters will share updates about the School and Experiential Programs, recognize our preceptors and students, and provide teaching pearls for preceptors.
Launch of the 2019-20 Experiential Year
Dear Faculty and Preceptors:
With the excitement of the new experiential year ahead, it is hard not to reflect on some successes in the past year. PharmD students representing the first class of graduates from the new curriculum, achieved the highest match rate for PGY1 residency programs among all U.S. schools after the first round of the Pharmacy Match Day. Full information can be found on our website. The School is continuing to gather other important aspects of the career placement process for our students as they hear about employment offers and fellowship opportunities and will share them as they become available. We would like to extend our appreciation to our preceptors who spend a considerable amount of time engaging students in their practice environments, mentoring about careers, writing letters of recommendations, and creating networking and employment opportunities.
In Summer 2018, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) administered a survey to preceptors at schools/colleges of pharmacy nationally. Since the School was just launching our new Advanced Immersion Experience Program (APPEs), this survey was only sent to preceptors who had engagement with our Immersion Program (IPPEs) since launch in May 2016. We are proud to report the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy had a 51% response rate which was higher compared to our peer institutions (28%) and all programs surveyed (20%)! Additionally, we are pleased to share our results were competitive nationally. Future offerings of this survey will be sent to all preceptors for the program.
As the leading School of Pharmacy, we strive to be the best experiential education program in the academy. This includes providing the needed support mechanisms to our faculty and preceptors as we identify them. As we embark on the new experiential year, I have summarized key items the Office of Experiential Programs has put into place to support your vital role as an educator for our program during the 2019-20 academic year:
Communication and Support
- The School has launched a quarterly newsletter to share updates about the School and experiential programs, recognize preceptors and students, and include teaching pearls for preceptors. Past and future additions of Experiential Express can be found on our website and links are also included in the document library in RxPreceptor.
- The School has added individuals to our team to support common preceptor inquiries. Key team members and their associated roles in supporting preceptors can be found on our website.
- The School has launched the Eshelman Care Team to support preceptors with academic, health/well-being, professionalism, or discrimination/harassment concerns related to our students. Information regarding the Eshelman Care Team can be found on our website or by contacting Ms. Abbey Kruse (abbeykruse@unc.edu), Assistant Director of Curricular and Student Affairs, Experiential Program, for additional guidance.
- The School has launched the Eshelman Care Line (919-813-0481) to support preceptors 24/7 in addition to calling 911 for serious student needs, issues or concerns that require an immediate School intervention.
- The School is embarking on a new site visit process to receive feedback/input from our preceptors. Preceptors may also request a site visit at any time by contacting Ms. Pam Jackson (pjackson@email.unc.edu), Preceptor and Partner Specialist.
- The School has enhanced the student performance evaluations preceptors will complete in the upcoming year based on preceptor feedback. In brief, these evaluations will now include a table to clearly define criteria for a High Pass, Pass, Low Pass or Failing grade. Interprofessional Education and Diverse Patient Population questions have also been eliminated.
- The School plans to release student provided feedback on preceptor performance in May 2019 to both Immersion and Advanced Immersion Experience preceptors.
Setting Expectations for Students
- Course syllabi, disease state maps indicating where disease states have been introduced in the curriculum, and pharmacotherapy consult note templates have been updated. All of these documents can be found in the document library in RxPreceptor.
- Students will be asked to complete a Student/Preceptor Expectations Agreement in collaboration with you in order to clearly understand your expectations for their experience and how to achieve success. This expectations agreement can also be accessed in the document library.
Continuing Professional Development (e.g. Preceptor Development)
- The School is working to support the Continuing Professional Development needs of our preceptors. The School develops ACPE accredited continuing education programming content based on needs assessments and curricular needs. Programming planned to be offered in the 2019-2020 academic year is included below. If you have suggestions for programming, please contact Dr. Charlene Williams (Charlene_Williams@unc.edu).
- Live CE programming with streaming options to offsite locations is offered at least twice annually. Our next live CE program will be conducted on Wednesday, May 8th. Preceptors can view program details and register at the following website. The School will also continue to offer these live CE programs as a home study option for preceptors following conclusion of the program.
- Home study CE programming is offered annually to provide updates to established preceptors. Currently available programming includes: 1) preceptor expectations, performance evaluation and benefits; 2) optimizing use of student evaluation tools; 3) overview of the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process; 4) managing student academic, professionalism and wellbeing concerns; and 5) FERPA and Title IX regulations. Preceptors may access these programs by contacting Ms. Pam Jackson (pjackson@email.unc.edu).
- Our quarterly preceptor newsletters will continue to include teaching pearls for preceptors.
I look forward to working with you in the upcoming academic year and sincerely hope these enhancements will serve to support you as a preceptor for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. If there is anything I can ever do to make your experience as a preceptor better, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly via email or phone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued partnership in training the next generation of pharmacists from our School!
Best Regards,
Nicki
NICOLE PINELLI REITTER, PHARMD, MS, FCCP, CDE
ASSISTANT DEAN OF EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS
CLINICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
nickipinelli@unc.edu | 919-962-1641
UNC ESHELMAN SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Campus Box 7574
115F Beard Hall | 301 Pharmacy Lane
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7355
Preceptor Recognition
Sona Pharmacy and Clinic 2019 Experiential Faculty Asheville Chamber of Commerce 2019 Sky Hy Award Recipient
Congratulations to the team at Sona Pharmacy and Clinic, recipient of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce 2019 Sky High Growth Award, which recognizes businesses for their growth and success. Many thanks to the owners Dean Clayton, PharmD, BCGP, CPP and Todd Tamplin, RPh and preceptors Scott Henson, RPh, Marybeth Isley, PharmD, Deven Jackson, PharmD, Brad Melson, PharmD, Tasha Michaels, PharmD, BCACP, and Lauren Minar, PharmD who are involving our students in innovative and successful community pharmacy business and practice models.
Preceptor Awards
Several of our students, faculty, and preceptors were recognized at the 2019 UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Awards Day Ceremony on April 13, 2019.
Congratulations to three exceptional preceptors who received experiential awards: Dr. Caitlin Akerman, Dr. Chad Auten, and Ms. Rebecca Chater. More information about these awardees follows.
Caitlin Ackerman PharmD, BCPS 2019 Experiential Faculty Instructor 2019 Experiential Faculty Instructor of the Year
Dr. Akerman received the Experiential Faculty Instructor of the Year Award. Students from all class years nominated outstanding experiential faculty members who demonstrate excellence in leadership, patient care, progressive pharmacy practice, scholarly activity, and teaching. Dr. Akerman serves as the Internal Medicine Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at WakeMed Health & Hospitals and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She graduated from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and a PGY2 Cardiology Residency at WakeMed Health & Hospitals. She also completed a formal teaching certificate program through the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
At her site students have the opportunity to round daily with multidisciplinary internal medicine teams. The service is structured to provide opportunities for students to round independently or layered with her and pharmacy residents. This allows students to take complete ownership of their assigned teams and learn in a layered model, gaining experience and mentorship from her, PGY1, and PGY2 residents. She also values evidenced-based medicine and enjoys spending time with her students in the afternoon teaching and applying core pharmacotherapy principles directly to their patients.
Excerpts from student nominations include: “[Dr. Akerman] is the best preceptor I have had throughout all of my rotations. She works to develop learners’ weak points but does so in a sustainable way in which the learner can become independent. [She] was…invested in my learning and truly wanted me to get out as much as I could out of this rotation… she did a great job setting expectations that were challenging but not unreasonable. [Dr. Akerman] goes above and beyond to take advantage of EVERY teaching opportunity despite how busy she is. Throughout the month we would have ‘Feedback Fridays’ which were a great time to discuss things that were going well or not going well and how to approach the next week. Overall she is an excellent role model, and I hope to be a great pharmacist just as she is.”
The Claude Paoloni Preceptor of the Year awards were presented to Dr. Chad Auten and Ms. Rebecca Chater. The recipients of the Claude Paoloni Preceptor of the Year awards are nominated by students to recognize two preceptors for outstanding contributions to the educational development of future pharmacists. These individuals have demonstrated high standards of professionalism, ethics and clinical practice. Provided by the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, these awards are given by the Paoloni family in memory of Claude Paoloni and in recognition of his many years of service to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Claude Paoloni was instrumental in the evolution of the clinical pharmacy program and the growth of development of the AHEC system for statewide pharmacy student education.
Chad Auten, PharmD, 2019 Experiential Faculty Instructo r 2019 Claude Paoloni Preceptor of the Year
Dr. Auten received his Doctor of Pharmacy from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy serves as a pharmacy manager with Harris Teeter Pharmacy. With regards to his teaching philosophy, his goal is to create an encouraging atmosphere that fosters excitement for learning and promotes curiosity. He believes in providing students with the autonomy they need explore their knowledge but push it further in its application to patient care.
Examples of comments from nominating students include: “[Dr. Auten] may very well be the closest picture of perfection when it comes to a community pharmacy preceptor. [He] was willing to answer even my most off-the-wall questions about any part of pharmacy and managerial operations throughout my rotation, remaining open and realistic in his answers and encouraging me to ask about whatever I felt I might need to know. [Dr. Auten] tasked me with quite a lot during my time at his pharmacy, but I felt this may have been the ultimate sign of respect to give me problems with varying levels of complication to solve, not doubting that I could do so. [He] was very clear with what he expected from me, and his intermittent quizzes and projects helped to refresh and cement so much pharmacy knowledge that I guarantee I wouldn’t have thought to look back over (or learn for the first time before going over it in classes!). [He] was honestly a great role model for me, and I hope that I can take such a can-do attitude and aptitude as his with me in my own pharmacy practice. By the end of my rotation, I felt that there was clear improvement in my abilities and confidence, as evidenced by [his] intermittent discussion of my development as a student Pharmacist and by his support of me in my learning efforts.”
Rebecca Chater, RPh, MPH, FAPhA 2019 Experiential Faculty 2019 Claude Paoloni Preceptor of the Year
Rebecca Chater earned both her B.S. in Pharmacy and Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. She is the Director of Clinical Healthcare Strategy with Omnicell, a healthcare technology company providing innovation to support safe and adherent medication use throughout the healthcare continuum. Throughout her career, Chater has championed the pharmacist as a medication expert, integral to the healthcare team. Her career in pharmacy spans many settings–community practice, medical practice, academia, long term care, and specialty pharmacy–with more than twenty years of experience in advancing community pharmacy-based clinical services utilizing an appointment-based model. She is the recipient of numerous national and state awards including the American Pharmacists Association prestigious Gloria Neimeyer Franke Leadership Mentor award and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Distinguished Service award. She is a past recipient of the Preceptor of the Year Award, demonstrating her long commitment to student education. She has also served as a member and Past President of the NC Board of Pharmacy.
She believes students are the future of our profession and it is our responsibility as teachers to help them see their potential and inspire them to greatness. Some core tenants of her teaching philosophy include leading by example, showing humility, and demonstrating life-long curiosity and learning.
Examples of nominating comments from students include: “[Rebecca Chater} is one of the most innovative and enthusiastic pharmacy leaders I have ever met. She has a remarkably hopeful and passionate spirit about the future of pharmacy, as evidenced by her many contributions to the world of pharmacy during her career. Additionally, she is an incredibly genuine and kind person who cares about anyone she comes into contact with. I have learned so much from her in such a short period of time. [She] was always available to answer any questions I had and always ensured our understanding of anything we had confusion about. She embodies many of the qualities I strive to achieve for myself. She is intelligent, patient, articulate, and intrinsically motivated by her passion to help patients. I could not think of anyone more deserving of this award. The impact she makes on students and her colleagues is a testimony to her character. She is the “Michael Jordan” of pharmacy. [Rebecca Chater] ignited my interest in pharmacy informatics, which I feel so passionately about that I now plan to pursue pharmacy informatics as a career. Despite her hectic schedule, she always prioritizes her students’ learning experience. I felt extremely welcomed at Omnicell because everybody knows Ms. Chater, and Ms. Chater knows everybody. She is always professional, and treated everybody with kindness and respect, regardless of title or position. I am impressed by her passion for the advancement of the profession of pharmacy, and by the optimism she brings to Omnicell.”
Student Recognition
Amanie Khairullah, Class of 2019 2019 Experiential Faculty Recipient of the 2019 John C. Hood, Sr. Award in Practice Advancement and Clinical Education
Preceptors of advanced immersion experiences may recall providing nominations for the John C. Hood, Sr. Award in Practice Advancement and Clinical Education on student evaluations. This award, funded by the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, is named in honor of John C. Hood, Sr. and recognizes a graduating student who excels in clinical therapy courses and demonstrates the highest level of professionalism and exemplary patient care during his or her pharmacy practice experiences. Congratulations to Amanie Khairullah, recipient of this award, who was recognized at the 2019 UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Awards Day Ceremony. After graduation, Amanie will be completing a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh, NC.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to all the students who were recognized for academic, professional and service awards. You can read the full story here.
Preceptor Pearl
Make Thinking Visible with Cognitive Apprenticeship 2019 Experiential Faculty Michael Wolcott, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, BCIDPS
Experiential education is founded on an apprenticeship model in which a master (e.g., preceptor) teaches a skill or art to an apprentice (e.g., student). Experts may have difficulty, however, when conveying the intricacies of skills sets that have become automatic in their daily practices. The cognitive apprenticeship model is an approach that can help preceptors create a safe learning environment by identifying strategies to support learning through observation, imitation, and modeling.
Upcoming Events and Other Information
Kappa Epsilon Beta Mu Well-Being and Resiliency Endowment
Many of you knew the late Michael Nam (class of 2019) who passed away October 2017 and worked with him in Western North Carolina. Mikey was an advocate for fostering mental health as much as physical health, as he understood the importance of a holistic approach to maintaining overall wellness. His generosity, joy, and concern for others left a positive impact among the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy community. In honor of Mikey, students in Kappa Epsilon Beta Mu professional pharmacy fraternity have worked diligently with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Foundation to establish a Well-Being and Resiliency Endowment Fund to honor students who have demonstrated strong leadership in well-being and/or resilience or who have exhibited perseverance through special circumstances and to support well-being and resiliency activities at the school.
If interested in supporting the Endowment or attending a Gala on May 18, 2019 in Western North Carolina to honor Mikey and support the Fund, please visit https://payitforwardformikey.com/ for more information. Special guest UNC basketball legend Phil Ford will be speaking, and there will be food, music, and live/silent auction.
Newsletter Suggestion Box
We would love to hear from you! Please submit your feedback and suggestions for newsletter improvement along with ideas for future content (preceptor spotlight, student spotlight, preceptor pearl, etc.) here: https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0UlbSEkLOTRqGmF
Office of Experiential Programs Contact Information
Office Leadership:
Nicki Pinelli Reitter, PharmD, MS, FCCP, CDE
Assistant Dean of Experiential Programs
Leads the strategic vision and assessment of the experiential curriculum and strengthens partnerships with sites and preceptors.
Abbey Kruse, M.Ed.
Assistant Director of the Office of Curricular and Student Affairs – Experiential Programs
Primary contact for student academic, well-being, professionalism, or discrimination/harassment concerns
Practice Experiences and Preceptor and Student Concerns:
Brian Donahue, PharmD
Director of Practice Experiences: Community
Provides oversight of Immersion and Advanced Immersion experiences and serves as the primary point of contact for guidance regarding experiential policies and procedures, assistance with setting student expectations, structuring learning activities to meet learning experience requirements, and guidance with student evaluations at community pharmacy sites.
Kathryn Fuller, PharmD
Director of Practice Experiences: Health Systems
Provides oversight of Immersion and Advanced Immersion experiences and serves as the primary point of contact for guidance regarding experiential policies and procedures, assistance with setting student expectations, structuring learning activities to meet learning experience requirements, and guidance with student evaluations at health system and nontraditional sites.
Experiential Software Management and Systems Support:
Pam S. Jackson
Preceptor and Partner Specialist
Implements student schedules and manages RxPreceptor accounts. Serves as point of contact for RxPreceptor inquiries, AHEC digital library access, completion of preceptor application and training, and AHEC housing questions.
Student On-boarding and School Requirements:
Mercedes Tolbert
Compliance Specialist
Ensures student completion of site-specific on-boarding and school requirements (e.g. immunizations, drug screenings, criminal background checks, CPR, HIPAA Training, OSHA Training, TB Status, and other on-boarding as required by sites).
Preceptor Training, Development, and Recognition:
Charlene Williams, PharmD, BCACP, CDE
Director of Preceptor Development
Develops and oversees preceptor on-boarding, training, development, and recognition. Point of contact for preceptor training and development needs and preceptor newsletter content.
Newsletter Content Editor:
Charlene Williams, PharmD, BCACP CDE
Content Marketing Manager:
Erica McCready
ericamccready@unc.edu