The Summer Intern Thread

[pharm B]

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Hey everybody,

I know a few of us are working during the summers as interns at hospital and community sites. I figured we could use a thread in which we bounce ideas off each other and just kind of share what we've been up to.

What kind of internship do you have?

I'm a 10-week paid summer intern at a smallish hospital. Seems like our biggest departments are L&D, ICU, and surgeries of all kinds. It's not a teaching hospital.

What do you do there?

I go to ICU interdisciplinary rounds with a staff pharmacist. That part's pretty cool since I can follow the same set of patients during the week and see how their care evolves based on their condition. Vents, and AFIB, and VTE prophylaxis, oh my!

I do the daily renal dosing and IV to PO reports for the pharmacists and they check my work.

I try to attend various meetings (P&T, Med Safety, Bed Board) as I find out about them.

All of the interns in my system attend a weekly Pharmacy Grand Rounds where two or three students present either a patient case or a journal club.

Any tips you'd like to share?
If your program doesn't have a very set structure for its interns, then I recommend brainstorming ahead of time to come up with potential projects you might work on or areas in which you'd like to focus. Maybe say you want to round in NICU for two weeks and follow those patients, then ICU the following week, etc.

I'm curious to see what the rest of you have to say. 🙂

 

[phathead]

My doing an internship with WAGs... which is so far no different than being a tech for them

 

[Sparda29]

Unemployed. No one wants to hire an intern once they find out you're a grad intern.

 

[joetrisman]

Hey everybody,

I know a few of us are working during the summers as interns at hospital and community sites. I figured we could use a thread in which we bounce ideas off each other and just kind of share what we've been up to.

What kind of internship do you have?

I'm a 10-week paid summer intern at a smallish hospital. Seems like our biggest departments are L&D, ICU, and surgeries of all kinds. It's not a teaching hospital.

What do you do there?

I go to ICU interdisciplinary rounds with a staff pharmacist. That part's pretty cool since I can follow the same set of patients during the week and see how their care evolves based on their condition. Vents, and AFIB, and VTE prophylaxis, oh my!

I do the daily renal dosing and IV to PO reports for the pharmacists and they check my work.

I try to attend various meetings (P&T, Med Safety, Bed Board) as I find out about them.

All of the interns in my system attend a weekly Pharmacy Grand Rounds where two or three students present either a patient case or a journal club.

Any tips you'd like to share?
If your program doesn't have a very set structure for its interns, then I recommend brainstorming ahead of time to come up with potential projects you might work on or areas in which you'd like to focus. Maybe say you want to round in NICU for two weeks and follow those patients, then ICU the following week, etc.

I'm curious to see what the rest of you have to say. 🙂

congrats! your internship sounds really sweet and like good experience.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Hey everybody,

I know a few of us are working during the summers as interns at hospital and community sites. I figured we could use a thread in which we bounce ideas off each other and just kind of share what we've been up to.

What kind of internship do you have?

I'm a 10-week paid summer intern at a smallish hospital. Seems like our biggest departments are L&D, ICU, and surgeries of all kinds. It's not a teaching hospital.

What do you do there?

I go to ICU interdisciplinary rounds with a staff pharmacist. That part's pretty cool since I can follow the same set of patients during the week and see how their care evolves based on their condition. Vents, and AFIB, and VTE prophylaxis, oh my!

I do the daily renal dosing and IV to PO reports for the pharmacists and they check my work.

I try to attend various meetings (P&T, Med Safety, Bed Board) as I find out about them.

All of the interns in my system attend a weekly Pharmacy Grand Rounds where two or three students present either a patient case or a journal club.

Any tips you'd like to share?
If your program doesn't have a very set structure for its interns, then I recommend brainstorming ahead of time to come up with potential projects you might work on or areas in which you'd like to focus. Maybe say you want to round in NICU for two weeks and follow those patients, then ICU the following week, etc.

I'm curious to see what the rest of you have to say. 🙂

congrats! your internship sounds really sweet and like good experience.

Great job on landing that hospital position. None of the hospitals around my area seem to take interns even during the school year.

To those of you who post, do you mind sharing how you were able to land your intern position?

 

[atpsynthase]

I'm at a ~400 bed hospital in an urban area for an internship that lasts from the beginning of summer after the PD1 year (once you become interns in MN) until you're done with your PD4 year and graduate. The internship is paid.

The structure is interesting. There is an "intern shift" every day from 4-9 pm where one of the six interns (there's actually 9, but the PD4s are on rotations). Works and does the final check before sending the first doses up to the floors. We also check the "loads" that will be loaded into the Pyxis machines for accuracy. We're also responsible for maintaining the code carts for the hospital and the ED and helping the pharmacists/administration on miscellaneous projects. Later this summer we'll (newest interns) will be training in the IV/chemotherapy rooms as well.

Next spring, we will be starting to get trained in on med rec in the ED and will probably end up having a shift a week doing that. We're required to do 2 tech shifts on a weekend per month, so I work every 4th weekend both days doing tech shifts. Right now, I'm mostly training on all the different tech stations. It's alright.

As far as tips, I think the internship directors appreciate if you can articulate yourself well and if you can explain why you would be a good fit for THAT internship.

 

[pharm B]

My doing an internship with WAGs... which is so far no different than being a tech for them

That's a bummer, man, especially considering what you bring to the table. I halfway expected you would just be handed the keys to an independent for the summer.

Unemployed. No one wants to hire an intern once they find out you're a grad intern.

Are you sure it's the "grad intern" part, sparda? Didn't you just post about being reported for distracting pharmacists and haunting the maternity ward?

congrats! your internship sounds really sweet and like good experience.

Thanks!

Great job on landing that hospital position. None of the hospitals around my area seem to take interns even during the school year.

To those of you who post, do you mind sharing how you were able to land your intern position?

Our school hosts an internship fair every year, and this particular hospital system participates. I submitted an application for one of 8 positions across 6 different hospitals. I know one friend is at a major institution on the East Coast, and he landed that job via Google.

My advice: Figure out what options you have locally. If you don't like them, start figuring out where you'd like to go and start researching programs in that area.

I'm at a ~400 bed hospital in an urban area for an internship that lasts from the beginning of summer after the PD1 year (once you become interns in MN) until you're done with your PD4 year and graduate. The internship is paid.

The structure is interesting. There is an "intern shift" every day from 4-9 pm where one of the six interns (there's actually 9, but the PD4s are on rotations). Works and does the final check before sending the first doses up to the floors. We also check the "loads" that will be loaded into the Pyxis machines for accuracy. We're also responsible for maintaining the code carts for the hospital and the ED and helping the pharmacists/administration on miscellaneous projects. Later this summer we'll (newest interns) will be training in the IV/chemotherapy rooms as well.

Next spring, we will be starting to get trained in on med rec in the ED and will probably end up having a shift a week doing that. We're required to do 2 tech shifts on a weekend per month, so I work every 4th weekend both days doing tech shifts. Right now, I'm mostly training on all the different tech stations. It's alright.

As far as tips, I think the internship directors appreciate if you can articulate yourself well and if you can explain why you would be a good fit for THAT internship.

Dude, that sounds awesome, especially the fact that you're signed on for multiple years. If you don't get hired on there after school, it sounds like you've definitely got some solid experience for interviews elsewhere.

 

[psychoandy]

The only hybrid tech/student internship I knew of was Hopkins. In my area of the country I haven't heard much of clinical internships (outside of IPPE/APPEs). As a result, I have a few questions, as now I'm thinking maybe I should start one. Like maybe have students round with me and then go back to making IVs or whatever, or have them do my scutwork like renal dosing. Sounds like an excellent learning experience though.

-Since you're sig mentions 2014 I assume you're a P2->P3 student? What years are the other students?
-I assume you have P4 APPE students doing journal clubs and whatnot, and not other summer interns.
-During the clinical portions, are you able to contribute/do you actually know whats going on? Reflecting back to my P2->P3 year I had the backbone done, but maybe only 1 semester of clinical knowledge; all I knew about doses was based on what i tubed or made.
-Is there any "tech work" component?
-Do you have a final project or anything to wrap up everything you learned?
-How much do you get paid?

 

[owlegrad]

Are you sure it's the "grad intern" part?

Personally I can't wait for all my employers to fire me once I become a grad intern. 👍

 

[Ackj]

I'm a P4 on rotations now, so not a lot of time to dedicate to interning. Sadly, that means my wallet will be hurting. I'm working 10 hours x4 days this block though, so I can work a 12 hour shift on fridays, and then work some more on Saturday and Sunday too, but I have a few saturdays off. Basically working 13/14 days, 120 hours biweekly. Oh, and my 4 day a week rotation is an hour drive, so that makes Monday-Thursday essentially 12 hour days. Can't wait for my vacation in August!

 

[owlegrad]

I'm a P4 on rotations now, so not a lot of time to dedicate to interning. Sadly, that means my wallet will be hurting. I'm working 10 hours x4 days this block though, so I can work a 12 hour shift on fridays, and then work some more on Saturday and Sunday too, but I have a few saturdays off. Basically working 13/14 days, 120 hours biweekly. Oh, and my 4 day a week rotation is an hour drive, so that makes Monday-Thursday essentially 12 hour days. Can't wait for my vacation in August!

Some Saturdays off? What a layabout!

 

[pharm B]

-Since you're sig mentions 2014 I assume you're a P2->P3 student? What years are the other students?

There's a mix of rising P2s and P3s. I'm by myself at my site, while a P2 and P3 from my school are at a sister site. The local pediatric hospital has another P3 from my school and a P2 from Texas Tech.

-I assume you have P4 APPE students doing journal clubs and whatnot, and not other summer interns.

The summer interns are doing case presentations and journal clubs. So are P4s on rotation. Everyone takes it pretty easy on the new P2s since they have minimal exposure to the subject. I just finished my P2 year, and we have a Drug Lit class, so this is great practice. I found a few resources on how best to analyze articles. Even got a few off SDN. 😉

-During the clinical portions, are you able to contribute/do you actually know whats going on? Reflecting back to my P2->P3 year I had the backbone done, but maybe only 1 semester of clinical knowledge; all I knew about doses was based on what i tubed or made.

I have a year of therapeutics under my belt, so I feel like I'm in a great position to use that knowledge/learn how to apply it in the real world. Example: patient who suffered a CVA was on both Plavix and aspirin. I recognized that that was not optimal therapy (no added benefit from using both, just an increased risk for bleeding) and my preceptor and I discussed it with the doctor who changed it.

As a new P2 last year, I was at a pediatric hospital and didn't know much of anything since our therapeutics start second year. But it was still an awesome eye-opener. We were doing kinetics for aminoglycosides, which really helped when we took basic kinetics.

-Is there any "tech work" component?

Typically around here there is. Some hospitals trust the interns to make IVs while others don't. Last summer I spent a week doing just tech work so that I knew the mechanics of the pharmacy proper.

-Do you have a final project or anything to wrap up everything you learned?

Last year I had an MUE to present at P&T regarding use of a drug during the previous year. This year I think I'll just have completed revising all of the crash cart/similar tackle box inventory sheets.

-How much do you get paid?[/QUOTE]
I've heard $10-15 in my geographic area.

 

[psychoandy]

That's pretty awesome that you get paid to do that! I could've been exposed to rounding earlier if I came in early, but obviously unpaid. Learning operations and thorough evaluation of trials is critical before you start putting on the intervention hat; hopefully you will be a great residency candidate!

Re: asa and plavix, just make sure you know the indications for dual antiplatelet therapy.

 

[owlegrad]

Re: asa and plavix, just make sure you know the indications for dual antiplatelet therapy.

Yeah, I was just thinking that. I won't pretend to have studied primary literature on the topic, but I do recall Plavix+ASA coming up repeatedly in the Chest Guidelines...

 

[lauradiddle]

Hey everybody,

I know a few of us are working during the summers as interns at hospital and community sites. I figured we could use a thread in which we bounce ideas off each other and just kind of share what we've been up to.

What kind of internship do you have?

I'm a 10-week paid summer intern at a smallish hospital. Seems like our biggest departments are L&D, ICU, and surgeries of all kinds. It's not a teaching hospital.

What do you do there?

I go to ICU interdisciplinary rounds with a staff pharmacist. That part's pretty cool since I can follow the same set of patients during the week and see how their care evolves based on their condition. Vents, and AFIB, and VTE prophylaxis, oh my!

I do the daily renal dosing and IV to PO reports for the pharmacists and they check my work.

I try to attend various meetings (P&T, Med Safety, Bed Board) as I find out about them.

All of the interns in my system attend a weekly Pharmacy Grand Rounds where two or three students present either a patient case or a journal club.

Any tips you'd like to share?
If your program doesn't have a very set structure for its interns, then I recommend brainstorming ahead of time to come up with potential projects you might work on or areas in which you'd like to focus. Maybe say you want to round in NICU for two weeks and follow those patients, then ICU the following week, etc.

I'm curious to see what the rest of you have to say. 🙂

Really I'm only an "intern" bc the state of Oklahoma says I can't be a "tech" with an intern license, but I'm just doing a hospital tech job. I wish I had something as awesome as this!

 

[pharm B]

Really I'm only an "intern" bc the state of Oklahoma says I can't be a "tech" with an intern license, but I'm just doing a hospital tech job. I wish I had something as awesome as this!

There was a former hospital tech at Grand Rounds that schooled us in some areas. We were discussing treatment of hyperkalemia and a few other conditions. Some of the agents used, like insulin and bicarb, are given in certain solutions that make sense, but if you've never used/prepared them before, then it's easy to get thrown off. He knew all the standard preparations since he'd made them a million times in the past.

 

[phathead]

Yeah, I was just thinking that. I won't pretend to have studied primary literature on the topic, but I do recall Plavix+ASA coming up repeatedly in the Chest Guidelines...

Plavix + ASA has no benefit, the prof that did anti-coag developed a lot of the nomograms and standard anti- coag protocols. She told us there's not really any benefit to doing both and, in most cases, it is a determent.

I'll dig out my notes later tonight.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Plavix + ASA has no benefit, the prof that did anti-coag developed a lot of the nomograms and standard anti- coag protocols. She told us there's not really any benefit to doing both and, in most cases, it is a determent.

I'll dig out my notes later tonight.

I believe that the combination is indicated for ACS patients at least in some cases. There's some data, but I don't feel like looking it up because it's my birthday and a holiday.

 

[pharm B]

Happy birthday! 😀

And in this particular instance, monotherapy was appropriate. 🙂

 

[pharm B]

What kinds of projects have you guys done this summer or in the past? I just had an idea at our hospital:

We use Meditech, and it looks like it's difficult to schedule "post hemodialysis" doses of antibiotics and other medications. Essentially, because it's scheduled as "post HD" and not just scheduled for say 1400 daily, the med doesn't show up on the nurses' MAR as needing to be given. In fact, it even says "Dose not due today."

I'm going to do an MUE of vanc or another drug to see how many missed doses there have been over the last few months or maybe the year.

Have you done something similar? I was hoping to hear from more interns!

 

[smercer]

What kinds of projects have you guys done this summer or in the past? I just had an idea at our hospital:

We use Meditech, and it looks like it's difficult to schedule "post hemodialysis" doses of antibiotics and other medications. Essentially, because it's scheduled as "post HD" and not just scheduled for say 1400 daily, the med doesn't show up on the nurses' MAR as needing to be given. In fact, it even says "Dose not due today."

I'm going to do an MUE of vanc or another drug to see how many missed doses there have been over the last few months or maybe the year.

Have you done something similar? I was hoping to hear from more interns!

We just did something similar (the missing/not given dose check) here at the hospital I work for. If your hospital does not use bedside med scanning, then I think you will find a good bit of missed doses for po meds. IV meds are bit better because the nurses usually notice forgetting to grab the next bag of whatever, but it is easy to mark pill X given and leave it in the patient bin. Technically, the patient should not get charged for the med as it should be credited when returned, but it does create issues of having documents stating patients reveived meds that they were not charged for/actually given.

 

[pharm B]

This system just recently implemented bedside medication verification, and there have already been a few identified safety moments where the system ensured the right patient got the right med. Neat stuff.

 

[sisson329]

I'm currently doing a summer long (they just said it's all summer with potential to stay on intermittently pending on needs) at a long term care pharmacy. Definitely an interesting situation.

What I do?
Random stuff all the live long day? Hah. The pharmacists just kind of throw stuff at me here and there, but I would say the majority of the time I'm just getting paid to study lately. I had a pharmacist give me a focus of "Go find every natural product that's used in Oregon and check out it's interactions." =O!!!!

I get a lot of clinical questions they want me to research which is actually really fun, it's like studying, but 10x better because I just go at my own pace and really get to learn things (plus I pick brains on here)

We're going to be attending every Board of Pharmacy meeting here, since our CEO is on the BoP for Oregon, which should be interesting.

I'm also constantly working on random NCPA president stuff that I need to get done through the year, but that's side work of course.

 

[sisson329]

There was a former hospital tech at Grand Rounds that schooled us in some areas. We were discussing treatment of hyperkalemia and a few other conditions. Some of the agents used, like insulin and bicarb, are given in certain solutions that make sense, but if you've never used/prepared them before, then it's easy to get thrown off. He knew all the standard preparations since he'd made them a million times in the past.

I just recently heard about this insulin being used for hyperkalemia stuff, sounded like rubbish at first but apparently it's true? Doesn't it seem a bit drastic (or maybe since you're in the hospital, it IS drastic) to screw with hormones just to do what could be done with an agressive diuretic? Or am I just lost on this?

 

[rxlea]

I just recently heard about this insulin being used for hyperkalemia stuff, sounded like rubbish at first but apparently it's true? Doesn't it seem a bit drastic (or maybe since you're in the hospital, it IS drastic) to screw with hormones just to do what could be done with an agressive diuretic? Or am I just lost on this?

You're moving the potassium temporarily with the insulin. Diuretics might not always be the best choice, especially if the patient is hypovolemic.

To clarify, the insulin is typically given with dextrose to prevent hypoglycemia, which is what I think you're referring to in your comment..?

The underlying cause of the disturbance has to be identified so a diuretic or insulin are usually the temporary measures in an emergent situation.

getting the potassium out of the serum is priority since it affects the function of the heart (also why they give calcium chloride- to stabilize the myocardium). Figuring out what is causing it is the next step.

I'll defer to any of our pharmacists here though. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[pharm B]

You're moving the potassium temporarily with the insulin. Diuretics might not always be the best choice, especially if the patient is hypovolemic.

To clarify, the insulin is typically given with dextrose to prevent hypoglycemia, which is what I think you're referring to in your comment..?

That's what we were told, and it makes sense.

 

[lactonerx]

dual antiplatelet therapy indicated post-MI with stent
duration depends on bms or des

some other indications for dual antiplatelet therapy in high-risk individuals with low bleeding risk, too... which i don't remember off the top of my head

 

[BubbleDream]

To clarify, the insulin is typically given with dextrose to prevent hypoglycemia, which is what I think you're referring to in your comment..?

The underlying cause of the disturbance has to be identified so a diuretic or insulin are usually the temporary measures in an emergent situation.

getting the potassium out of the serum is priority since it affects the function of the heart (also why they give calcium chloride- to stabilize the myocardium). Figuring out what is causing it is the next step.

I'll defer to any of our pharmacists here though. Please correct me if I'm wrong.[/QUOTE]

What has been discussed here is right because all of these were discussed in the article published in American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

 

[sisson329]

That's interesting, nice little nugget of information. Storing it currently 🙂

 

[pharm B]

How's everyone's week going so far? We had a low census this morning. Only 75 patients in the whole hospital!

Definitely got a solid reminder this morning that I need to refresh myself on Neuro material. Different kinds of seizures, different kinds of treatment, different causes, etc.

 

[sisson329]

How's everyone's week going so far? We had a low census this morning. Only 75 patients in the whole hospital!

Definitely got a solid reminder this morning that I need to refresh myself on Neuro material. Different kinds of seizures, different kinds of treatment, different causes, etc.

I had a great Friday! Forgot to mention it.

Played a part in possibly saving a patient (or at least as close as I'll get in an LTC off site haha)! Felt great. 90 year old woman was suffering erratic pulse rates in the morning and the physician asked me to look into if this was med-related or what I thought might be done to help. I scoured through her profile to see she was on Diltiazem/Digoxin and might be experiencing digoxin toxicity associated with concurrent therapy. There was also a hiccup in which there somehow was an overlap of Dilt and Verapamil ( = / ) Switched her to Dilt/Metoprolol and she was asymptomatic later that day. = )

This is probably a regular occasion thing for some of you guys but it made me feel good to actually use some of what I know and help someone.

 

[samisab786]

I'm a part of Team Unemployed lolz

 

[pharm B]

I'm a part of Team Unemployed lolz

Nothing wrong with that. How's your summer goin, bro?

Have a tricyclic antidepressant overdose case today. Thought we'd do more to clear the GI, but it sounds like you just treat the symptoms?

 

[rxlea]

Nothing wrong with that. How's your summer goin, bro?

Have a tricyclic antidepressant overdose case today. Thought we'd do more to clear the GI, but it sounds like you just treat the symptoms?

Those are always fun....

 

[pharm B]

I was reading that there might be recurrent toxicity once the GI slowing goes away and it starts functioning again. I thought you would want to try to speed it on through and give it less time to get absorbed. Is that a bad idea?

 

[rxlea]

I was reading that there might be recurrent toxicity once the GI slowing goes away and it starts functioning again. I thought you would want to try to speed it on through and give it less time to get absorbed. Is that a bad idea?

Are you referring to charcoal? Usually only useful shortly after ingestion but because there is slowed gastric emptying because of the toxicity, it is actually a good thing to get out the remaining TCA in the stomach.

Once it's absorbed I dont think there is anything you can do. Just treat the sx.

I know we give bicarb for the arrhythmia and a benzo for sedation. If the bicarb doesn't work, i think they use lidocaine. I would have to look that up though and how much.

EDIT: and I would be highly interested in reading about the recurrent toxicity. Can you link me?

 

[pharm B]

Are you referring to charcoal? Usually only useful shortly after ingestion but because there is slowed gastric emptying because of the toxicity, it is actually a good thing to get out the remaining TCA in the stomach.

Once it's absorbed I dont think there is anything you can do. Just treat the sx.

Sounds right.

I know we give bicarb for the arrhythmia and a benzo for sedation. If the bicarb doesn't work, i think they use lidocaine. I would have to look that up though and how much.

Bicarb + benzo, yep.

EDIT: and I would be highly interested in reading about the recurrent toxicity. Can you link me?

It's in the toxicology entry on Micromedex:

SEVERE TOXICITY: Coma, seizures, QRS prolongation with ventricular dysrhythmias, respiratory failure, and hypotension are the primary life threats. Slowed GI motility may result in retained GI tract drug, with recurrence of toxicity once initial effects resolve and the GI tract becomes active again.

 

[Summitguy98]

I just got hired on at the grocery store I did unpaid rotations at. I guess they liked me.

 

[pharm B]

I just got hired on at the grocery store I did unpaid rotations at. I guess they liked me.

Did you just graduate?

Man, ICU and Step Down total census: 3 patients.

3.

Someone started to say "it sure is quie..." and you could feel the nursing staff swelling up to tackle her.

 

[Summitguy98]

Did you just graduate?

Man, ICU and Step Down total census: 3 patients.

3.

Someone started to say "it sure is quie..." and you could feel the nursing staff swelling up to tackle her.

No, I am class of 2014. I am just going to be working there off and on through school and they will probably offer me a job when I do graduate.

 

[samisab786]

Nothing wrong with that. How's your summer goin, bro?

Have a tricyclic antidepressant overdose case today. Thought we'd do more to clear the GI, but it sounds like you just treat the symptoms?

Not as eventful as I hoped, but not bad either.

 

[pharm B]

Seems like the last week or so has flown by. Haha, definitely living up to the definition of an intern. This last week has been spent doing nothing but generating new charge sheets from scratch for crash carts and departmental boxes and bags. The mnemonics for the drugs were way out of date, so I had to find the new ones and put those in there, too.

Never again.

How's it been for everyone else?

PS Scrubs are awesome. Our system makes pharmacy wear black. I dig it.

 

[rxlea]

Seems like the last week or so has flown by. Haha, definitely living up to the definition of an intern. This last week has been spent doing nothing but generating new charge sheets from scratch for crash carts and departmental boxes and bags. The mnemonics for the drugs were way out of date, so I had to find the new ones and put those in there, too.

Never again.

How's it been for everyone else?

PS Scrubs are awesome. Our system makes pharmacy wear black. I dig it.

My rotation has been sweet. Saw a surgery...watching tendons being ripped out of someone's knee is more fascinating than I imagined lol

We also had a patient with suspected yersinnia pestis but alas it was only klebsiella

I've learned way more on this rotation than I expected.

I know it's not the same thing as an internship but it's making me feel more like a pharmacist everyday.

 

[pharm B]

My rotation has been sweet. Saw a surgery...watching tendons being ripped out of someone's knee is more fascinating than I imagined lol

We also had a patient with suspected yersinnia pestis but alas it was only klebsiella

I've learned way more on this rotation than I expected.

I know it's not the same thing as an internship but it's making me feel more like a pharmacist everyday.

Oh I didn't get that before. What kind of rotation is this, IPPE?

Kudos on getting to see a surgery. I asked about it, but asked way too late. I only have a week left here. 🙁

I feel like I've become well-acquainted with HIV during this experience. Initially, one patient in ICU had it, so I worked them up, researched the guidelines, etc. Then we got another one. And another one...

 

[rxlea]

Oh I didn't get that before. What kind of rotation is this, IPPE?

Kudos on getting to see a surgery. I asked about it, but asked way too late. I only have a week left here. 🙁

I feel like I've become well-acquainted with HIV during this experience. Initially, one patient in ICU had it, so I worked them up, researched the guidelines, etc. Then we got another one. And another one...

It's my institutional IPPE. Since I'm in the rural health program, I have to do them in a rural location. I'm at a critical access hospital in northern arizona. Mostly native population so it's been an interesting experience learning about their health issues. Things are very laid back here and everyone knows everyone. It's building my confidence because everyone is so friendly and encouraging. I was afraid I would come in looking dumb/not knowing anything.

You're lucky to learn so much about HIV. That was my weakest area in therapeutics. There is so much to remember and not just the HIV meds but when/how to do prophylaxis for other stuff. Sadly, you'll see it wherever you go but at least you'll be well acquainted and prepared! 🙂

 

[Notecard]

Are any of you guys with 10 week paid internships doing anything for everyone the last week? I'm thinking of buying some kind of food item but not sure how much I want to spend or what food. I feel like I have 7 preceptors at this place and have gotten pretty close to all the techs as well.