IPPE preceptor expectations

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Twentytwelve2

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Hi everyone, so I am on my second semester IPPE rotation and I do not understand why preceptors have this expectation that every p1 student on IPPE was a pharm. tech prior to matriculating. They dread that we dont have retail experience and when they evaluate us, they score us based on how a p3 or p4 would perform. Excuse me if I am wrong, but isn't the purpose of IPPE to level out the playing field once we are all p3 or p4's? IPPE is supposed to help students obtain the experience necessary to perform adequately during APPE's, not to test to see if we are already at that level.
 
My IPPE's were not like that, at all. They assumed we knew nothing, and they were very happy when anyone proved they knew something...which most did. Both of mine were treated as learning experiences and graded more on attitude, effort and initiative, rather than knowledge. Yes, they asked plenty of drug and disease questions, but they expected us to look up the information and report the correct answers to them. I certainly never felt as though I was on an APPE rotation, where knowledge is expected to be demonstrated. To be honest, the IPPE I did at the hospital was basic to the point I begged the clinical pharmacist to allow me to try to do the projects and material she was giving the APPE students.
 
Yeah my IPPEs were pretty lame. We certainly were not expected to know anything or have any experience. Certainly nowhere near what is expected of an APPE. Not even close.
 
I really wanted to inform my preceptor that we were not supposed to be expected to know much about retail pharmacy for IPPE but I fear anything I say can jeopardize future dates so I keep all opinions to myself and smile.

You both make me jealous. Unfortunately, I will be stuck at my site for the remainder of the semester. Hopefully next year's IPPE will be different. I would like to have preceptors who are more nurturing and supportive and understands the purpose of IPPE's for students....
 
You could bring it up to the experiential director. IPPE experiences vary between schools and even within schools. I had a very different experience than many of my peers.

Do you have a list of objectives for the rotation? Do you have a midpoint evaluation?

I talked with my preceptors about my prior experience and asked if I could get more exposure to things I didn't have much practice with after I met the minimum objectives.

One of my preceptors treated me like a 4th year but only because of experience.

Maybe if you ask politely and show you have genuine interest/initiative in learning basics, your preceptor will understand. Just let him/her know you aren't familiar with basic pharmacy operations and that you are wondering if you could spend some time with the technicians first.
 
Why would you even go to pharmacy school if you never worked in a pharmacy before?

Sometimes you post the dumbest things... Does every field require work experience in that field before one can study for it? And with pharmacy students having trouble getting jobs, you expect pharmacies just to hand out jobs to per-pharmacy students like candy?
 
It depends on the preceptor. My community IPPE preceptor was shocked I didn't work as a tech and he looked at me like I was an idiot because I didn't know what an NDC number is plus other miniscule things like that. Ummm sorry buddy this is like my second week in pharmacy school. My hospital IPPE preceptor did treat me like I was a newbie which was appreciated.

You just need to communicate with your preceptor. Just say, the point of this rotation is for me to GET EXPOSURE TO and LEARN about working in a pharmacy. Just say, I don't have any prior experience, but I am here to learn. Just show you are enthusiastic about learning.
 
If you don't get a grade for your IPPE then why do you give a damn? Jeez you people drive me crazy.
 
Sometimes you post the dumbest things... Does every field require work experience in that field before one can study for it? And with pharmacy students having trouble getting jobs, you expect pharmacies just to hand out jobs to per-pharmacy students like candy?

I would hope so, especially in the healthcare field. Would someone go to med school without having shadowed a physician or volunteered at their clinic/hospital for a couple of years?

Maybe its different now, but when I was pre-pharm back in 2005-2006, I just waltzed into the local CVS, got the # of the local recruiter and started working there 2 weeks later.

How can you even get into pharmacy school without any work experience?
 
I would hope so, especially in the healthcare field. Would someone go to med school without having shadowed a physician or volunteered at their clinic/hospital for a couple of years?

Maybe its different now, but when I was pre-pharm back in 2005-2006, I just waltzed into the local CVS, got the # of the local recruiter and started working there 2 weeks later.

How can you even get into pharmacy school without any work experience?

I agree, physical therapy, PA school and medical school need hours related to their field for admissions...
 
I would hope so, especially in the healthcare field. Would someone go to med school without having shadowed a physician or volunteered at their clinic/hospital for a couple of years?

Maybe its different now, but when I was pre-pharm back in 2005-2006, I just waltzed into the local CVS, got the # of the local recruiter and started working there 2 weeks later.

How can you even get into pharmacy school without any work experience?

Maybe not med school, but definitely dental school. And what does ur story have to do with anything? If anything, it just basically proved that work experience before pharmacy school doesn't mean much since half the people on this forum don't think u r fit to be a pharmacist anyway...
 
I agree, physical therapy, PA school and medical school need hours related to their field for admissions...

Not true, I know a life long tech that tried to apply to PA school. He got interviews and were put on the waiting list.
 
Maybe not med school, but definitely dental school. And what does ur story have to do with anything? If anything, it just basically proved that work experience before pharmacy school doesn't mean much since half the people on this forum don't think u r fit to be a pharmacist anyway...

Only people who get to decide that are the NYS board of pharmacy.
 
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