Student Reflection: First Rotation Experience
The following is an except from a letter received from a student on his first Experiential Education rotation experience:
"With the help of the experiential education faculty and staff, and my site preceptor, Dr. Mathew Letizia, I was able to pave a way for my success in my outstanding self-growth as a pharmacy student; which, as a result, far surpassed any starting experience goals that I originally had in mind.
The overall goal that I wanted to accomplish at my first IPPE rotation, located at a Walmart in New Berlin, was to just simply interact, in some way, with at least 6 patients each week. For example, one interaction could have been met if I just asked a patient if they had any questions on their prescription that day. I was not expecting to get very involved; moreover, I had the expectation that it would have been more of a shadowing experience, to understand what roles a pharmacist has in the community setting. However, as I reflect from week one, leading up to my last week with Dr. Letizia, I have witnessed a huge self-transformation with regards to myself as a pharmacy student.
As each week progressed, I was being taught new lecture material, and consultation procedures, within my Self-Care & Wellness class and Patient Care Lab. Furthermore, my preceptor followed up with me, as I arrived in the morning, to ask what I was taught during the week; then, he applied those concepts to my rotation day and helped implement what I was learning to a real patient encounter. What once was asking six people a single question each day, quickly evolved into two to three “mock” drug information patient questions each week.
By my fourth week into my rotation, I had become primarily focused on
ACE-I and ARB medications. Dr. Letizia had me research specific information about these two medications, in order to begin consulting patients by my fifth week into my rotation. Further, by the eighth week under Dr. Letizia’s supervision, I was counseling on every ACE-I and ARB medication that was being picked up – something I honestly would never had expected to do at least until my second year as a pharmacy student. In addition, after experiencing my first objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and presenting on an over-the-counter (OTC) medication within my patient care lab, Dr. Letizia then allowed me to have the responsibility to consult patients on every OTC medication that a patient purchased.
Reflecting on my past first-rotation conversations, interactions, and experiences under the instruction of Dr. Letizia, I have been able to assess my keen intellectual curiosity in a variety of areas with regards to the world of pharmacy. In addition, I have come to understand my motivation for pursuing a pharmacy career and find it to be pure and heart-felt. Having the combination of my rotational experiences, and the exceptional pharmacy education I will obtain at the Medical College of Wisconsin, I will possess more than what is needed to become the pharmacist of the future"
Professionally, Joshua J. Grutza, B.S. Biology Pre-Health, CPhT Student Pharmacist, Medical College of Wisconsin
