Thanks for the quick reply!
If you don't mind, I would love to hear your thoughts/impressions on the rotation.
Anything that struck you and made a lasting impact would be appreciated!
Thanks again!
I also had a rotation last year.
The FDA experiential rotation page says you'll hear back by a certain date. If you pay attention, it says you'll hear by that date if you are not selected.
If you are not selected, it is up to your preceptor to contact you with the on-boarding materials (which require many lengthy forms to be filled out, including a 5-year background check thing).
In my case, one of my classmates heard at the deadline that they weren't selected, and the other heard shortly from their preceptor that they were selected.
I heard nothing for two weeks past the deadline. I asked my school to reach out, and they did, and they were copied on one confusing email but received no direct answer. I waited a week and a half and heard nothing more. Asked school to reach out again and finally heard back from my preceptor. Turns out they'd been on vacation for much of Jan/Feb.
From my experience, the preceptors don't receive training for the process. They don't necessarily know what the correct forms and procedures are. Some of the students in my cohort had badges. Some never received the right paperwork to request them. It was a bit of a cluster, to tell you the truth. While there is a person at the FDA that's "in charge" of coordinating the student experiences, it seems like a tertiary duty and not a role of authority.
My preceptor sent me about eight attachments but had read none of them. They were specific to a Drug Information rotation. Unfortunately, my rotation wasn't a Drug Information Rotation.
Several of the attachments were geared towards the preceptor and were instructions for them. Again, unread by my preceptor.
I spent months instructing my preceptor as to how to bring me on-board. If I had not been extremely proactive, I never would have finished the extensive paperwork and made it to DC. Luckily I knew someone up there that was willing to go tap on the preceptor's shoulder and say, "hey, what's going on?"
So really, I don't think there's a lot of structure or accountability for preceptors at the FDA. This varies by specific division, since some have a long history of accepting pharmacy students and have become quite good at it. The aforementioned Drug Info group is one example. But I could have fallen through a hole.
Once in DC, I had a good time. There is a lecture series that teaches you about the USPHS Commissioned Corps and the role of pharmacists at the FDA, with site visits to various other governmental and non-governmental organizations.
But the personal experience with your preceptor will be highly variable. Mine turned out to be very nice, if a little overwhelmed. I made myself useful (again, had to be very proactive) and earned a great reference for my applications.
So your mileage may vary. Remember that you're dealing with an individual, not a rigid system. Make yourself shine. Have fun and learn from the other students.
