Learning to be a sponge
ON ROTATION
By "Grace"
Hello, student pharmacists! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and experiences some much needed time for yourself, friends, and family.
Central pharmacy and third shift shenanigans
I am with a health-system for my last year of pharmacy school, and in August I was in its central pharmacy. About 3 to 4 times a week, I would work up a patient and present a topic for discussion to the pharmacy residents. It was a great (yet slightly stressful) time for dialogue and quizzing on varying topics, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, infectious diseases, heart failure, etc. The residents were always kind and helpful every time I spoke with them. If you meet a resident at your rotations site, ask them about tips to be successful, their residency application, and anything else you would like to know!
My most memorable experience was my 3-day exposure doing third shift in the emergency department. You can just imagine what came through the doors of a level 1 trauma hospita
Our veterans
In September, I was located at a Veterans Affairs center for one of my ambulatory care electives. I worked with veterans for their diabetes treatment, anticoagulation therapy, and population health. After being exposed to the veterans during this rotation, I am now interested in working with this population in the future. I have a strong desire to contribute and give the best care possible to a population that has given their time and service.
If you are having trouble finding what you are interested in, perhaps try thinking about a population of patients that you want to impact. There are many different types of populations—like pediatrics, the underserved, and oncology patients—that you can consider serving in your practice.
End-of-year wrap-up
By the time this article comes out, it will be around the time of residency applications for final-year students and the beginning of a new semester. I want to wish everyone the best of luck, and to let you know that everything will work out like it should! I believe everything happens for a reason.
For our Preceptor Feedback Author
What advice do you have for students who are either applying for residencies or starting a new semester?