Your best rotation experiences

[spacecowgirl]

We're getting P4s this year for the first time and I'm finishing up the syllabus. I have most of it done, but I want to know what you guys considered some really valuable experiences during rotations. Great activities, helpful articles or resources, stuff like that. If you want to share what not to do (besides not treating students like free labor techs), that's fine too.

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[njac]

what kind of rotations are you having?

 

[ethyl]

I've had some great rotations so far... I'd have the ideal rotation if I could combine the following:

6-7 hour workday.. preferably starting at 9-10AM.
Guaranteed, scheduled 1 hour lunch
I appreciated having a lot of 1 on 1 time with my preceptors when going up on patient floors and writing in charts.
It felt so much more worth my time to do a presentation or project that actually helped out the pharmacy, hospital or P&T. Useless busy work makes for a miserable rotation.
If the techs are sociable, it's great to hang out and help them with anything they may need whenever I get spare time. I got some nice IV room training from some techs at a couple rotations and the techs loved me because of the extra help.
Lots of drug rep lunches or CE's to help break up the work were always nice too.

 

[cascones92]

I am a 3P and I have always loved exotic animals. I have had many reptiles over the years and have breed some reptiles. My question is has anyone ever heard of a rotation done at a zoo. There is a rotation available for a Vet school at my school so I thought this might be an option. I know that I am a long way away from my rotations my 6P year but I figured might as well look into it early to see if this is even an option.

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

I went oversea for 5 weeks of international research.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I went oversees for 5 weeks of international research.

That? Would be awesome. I couldn't afford to go out of town let alone out of the country.

We have a mixed inpatient/amb care rotation.

 

[Caverject]

We're getting P4s this year for the first time and I'm finishing up the syllabus. I have most of it done, but I want to know what you guys considered some really valuable experiences during rotations. Great activities, helpful articles or resources, stuff like that. If you want to share what not to do (besides not treating students like free labor techs), that's fine too.

You were a student too not too long ago!

 

[spacecowgirl]

You were a student too not too long ago!

It seems like forever ago already and I had a few less-than-stellar rotations.

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

That? Would be awesome. I couldn't afford to go out of town let alone out of the country.

We have a mixed inpatient/amb care rotation.

school paid for airfare and some expenditures.

 

[J ROD]

It seems like forever ago already and I had a few less-than-stellar rotations.

Sounds like you went to Richland for a few!! I got treated like crap by my preceptors since I am not doing a "pharm residency" and going to med school. I have witnesses to support my claims too!! I refused to go back except with a MD.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Participated in P&T twice.

Just sat in another meeting about how to prevent (systematically) further patient death due to the use of a particular medication.

Filled out a 106 form.

Made isometric "party balls".

Pulled charts. Filled out various reports for each chart.

Met with a hazardous waste representative about chemo disposal.


I would like see some IV drug administration before it's all over with...

 

[spacecowgirl]

Sounds like you went to Richland for a few!! I got treated like crap by my preceptors since I am not doing a "pharm residency" and going to med school. I have witnesses to support my claims too!! I refused to go back except with a MD.

Those weren't my bad ones. Plus I worked at Richland for 4 years so I knew everyone

 

[spacecowgirl]

I have it planned that they will help me write a few protocols (something lasting, not busywork as was mentioned), round with the hospitalists, assist in discharge planning - namely med rec, go along with our nursing home provider after they have a study unit on Beers drugs, coag clinic, monthly ADR reports, all the usual hospital stuff - IVs, chemo, TPNs, unit dose, blah blah, a few journal clubs and case presentations, and then seeing MTM patients with me. They'll be there for 10 weeks so we have lots of time to fill. Since our dept is so small, they'll do everything we do...which is everything

 

[PharmDstudent]

I have it planned that they will help me write a few protocols (something lasting, not busywork as was mentioned), round with the hospitalists, assist in discharge planning - namely med rec, go along with our nursing home provider after they have a study unit on Beers drugs, coag clinic, monthly ADR reports, all the usual hospital stuff - IVs, chemo, TPNs, unit dose, blah blah, a few journal clubs and case presentations, and then seeing MTM patients with me. They'll be there for 10 weeks so we have lots of time to fill. Since our dept is so small, they'll do everything we do...which is everything

Where's the cool ****? Come on... why are you trying to make this into a normal, everyday rotation?

In other words, what types of interesting things do you come across that students might want to learn about in addition to the standard stuff? I think that's what makes a rotation "good".

(By asking a genuine question, I'll be waiting for some snarky responses... )

 

[J ROD]

Those weren't my bad ones. Plus I worked at Richland for 4 years so I knew everyone

Being in the "in" crowd helps!!, lol

I think I just got unlucky with who I got from what I have heard and experienced.

 

[Corradoracer]

befriend nurses and they will make your rotation more challenging and fun (they have a ton of unanswered questions)

 

[spacecowgirl]

Where's the cool ****? Come on... why are you trying to make this into a normal, everyday rotation?

In other words, what types of interesting things do you come across that students might want to learn about in addition to the standard stuff? I think that's what makes a rotation "good".

(By asking a genuine question, I'll be waiting for some snarky responses... )

Since we're a rural hospital, we see everything so maybe I'm dorky and/or biased (shut up, Caver) but I think most of what we do is interesting. On the surface, anticoagulation sounds boring, but in reality it's always a patient who has simultaneous GI bleed plus active clot, plus kidney failure, plus cancer. What do you do with that patient? C'mon, that's not boring.

I suppose they could get trained to be on our Code Green team (behavioral disturbance)

When I think back about what was interesting to me, it was using evidence-based decision making for patients that never ever fit into the normal criteria.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Since we're a rural hospital, we see everything so maybe I'm dorky and/or biased (shut up, Caver) but I think most of what we do is interesting. On the surface, anticoagulation sounds boring, but in reality it's always a patient who has simultaneous GI bleed plus active clot, plus kidney failure, plus cancer. What do you do with that patient? C'mon, that's not boring.

I suppose they could get trained to be on our Code Green team (behavioral disturbance)

When I think back about what was interesting to me, it was using evidence-based decision making for patients that never ever fit into the normal criteria.

Sound interesting...

 

[ethyl]

I have it planned that they will help me write a few protocols (something lasting, not busywork as was mentioned), round with the hospitalists, assist in discharge planning - namely med rec, go along with our nursing home provider after they have a study unit on Beers drugs, coag clinic, monthly ADR reports, all the usual hospital stuff - IVs, chemo, TPNs, unit dose, blah blah, a few journal clubs and case presentations, and then seeing MTM patients with me. They'll be there for 10 weeks so we have lots of time to fill. Since our dept is so small, they'll do everything we do...which is everything

Any chance of reducing the "homework" a little bit? eg. less journal clubs and case presentations... or maybe make them informal? I'm a big fan of students being able to enjoy the rest of their day after a rotation.

 

[Sparda29]

I have it planned that they will help me write a few protocols (something lasting, not busywork as was mentioned), round with the hospitalists, assist in discharge planning - namely med rec, go along with our nursing home provider after they have a study unit on Beers drugs, coag clinic, monthly ADR reports, all the usual hospital stuff - IVs, chemo, TPNs, unit dose, blah blah, a few journal clubs and case presentations, and then seeing MTM patients with me. They'll be there for 10 weeks so we have lots of time to fill. Since our dept is so small, they'll do everything we do...which is everything

Instead of a study on Beers drugs, how about going out for some beers.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Any chance of reducing the "homework" a little bit? eg. less journal clubs and case presentations... or maybe make them informal? I'm a big fan of students being able to enjoy the rest of their day after a rotation.

No way, slacker. These people need to get their money's worth.

Actually they'll get time during the day to work on projects.

Instead of a study on Beers drugs, how about going out for some beers.

I'm up for that as well

 

[ethyl]

No way, slacker. These people need to get their money's worth.

Actually they'll get time during the day to work on projects.

I'm up for that as well

Awesome

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

Actually my best rotation was Pharmacy Administration at Kaiser. My project was a proposal for automated mail order refill pharmacy for the entire Kaiser system. I wrote a business plan. This was in 1994.. 15 years ago and the Kaiser's system DOP just smirked at my project... Bastard.

Y'know what? I want that paper back.. Let me call Kaiser..

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

But I learned the most during my Psych rotation. I spent 6 weeks in women's incarceration psych ward. Man oh man... locked up women with psychiatric disorder are something else.

 

[spacecowgirl]

But I learned the most during my Psych rotation.

That was my favorite too. VA psych unit. Whoa.