MCW School of Pharmacy Celebrates 2024 Preceptors of the Year

The MCW School of Pharmacy recognizes the recipients of the 2023-2024 Preceptor of the Year Awards, who each embody the qualities, skills and values of the ideal preceptor and exhibit a commitment to excellence in teaching and practice.

Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Preceptor of the Year Steven Finkenbinder, PharmD, AE-C

As the internal medicine clinical pharmacy specialist at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Dr. Finkenbinder is an integral member of a multidisciplinary medicine team, attending daily rounds, managing anticoagulation and pharmacokinetics and educating patients, students and residents. He is passionate about the advancement of pharmacy practice and is an active member of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin.

He enjoys being a preceptor because it gives him the opportunity to shape the next generation of pharmacists, advancing their clinical knowledge and increasing their confidence as part of a multidisciplinary team. He advises students to build professional relationships during rotations, as those connections can be rewarding and lead to employment and advancement opportunities.

Pharmacy students who nominated Dr. Finkenbinder for this award stated that he is considerate, patient and receptive to questions. One student commented on his ability to foster a stimulating learning environment and encourage critical thinking. “I hope that I will be able to have a positive impact on future pharmacy students as a preceptor, in the same way that Dr. Finkenbinder has impacted me,” another student wrote.

In college, Dr. Finkenbinder enjoyed problem solving, chemistry and building relationships with people but wasn’t sure how those interests could converge into a career. Working as a pharmacy technician, his manager invited him to a medical mission trip to Peru, where experienced the extraordinary impact pharmacists can have on patients’ lives.

“I still vividly remember the pharmacist treating a one-year-old girl’s severe bacterial infection with antibiotics in the middle of the Amazon jungle and saving her life,” recalled Dr. Finkenbinder. “Seeing this child’s rapid improvement and how it affected not only the family, but the entire community, was life-altering. After this experience, I vowed to become a pharmacist and one day make the same impact on my patients’ lives.”

He accepted the APPE Preceptor of the Year Award at the Class of 2024 Hooding & Awards Ceremony on May 16.

Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) Preceptor of the Year Michelle Mitchell, PharmD

Dr. Mitchell began her pharmacy career as a Walgreens pharmacy technician when she was in high school. She enjoyed it, so she pursued the pre-pharmacy program at Drake University and then earned her PharmD. After managing the Walgreens pharmacy in Elm Grove for seven years, Dr. Mitchell became the pharmacy manager at the Walgreens in Wales in 2022. She and her team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are proud of the welcoming environment they provide for students.

“I enjoy getting to work with future pharmacists to play a role in their professional development,” said Dr. Mitchell. “Working with students helps me to learn new things, and I’m happy to share with my students that you can work hard, enjoy what you are doing and bring joy to others!”

A common piece of advice Dr. Mitchell gives pharmacy students is “know what you know – and know what you don’t know.” In a situation where they may be unsure, she encourages them to take a moment to do research. At the same time, she tells students to be confident when making recommendations to other healthcare providers when they recognize a potential drug interaction, medical error or other concern.

A pharmacy student wrote in an award nomination statement that Dr. Mitchell is the epitome of a great preceptor. “She is a clear communicator, builds trust with her patients and colleagues and respects everyone,” the student wrote. “She makes sure to provide varied learning experiences for students, prepares us well and gives us the necessary ‘push’ for us to practice our skills.”

Dr. Mitchell accepted the IPPE Preceptor of the Year Award at the Pinning Ceremony, held on June 12, to commemorate the Class of 2025 moving on to their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations in their third and final year in the MCW School of Pharmacy.

Faculty Preceptor of the Year Matthew Stanton, PharmD, BCPS, DABAT

Dr. Stanton is an emergency medicine pharmacist at Froedtert Hospital, a clinical toxicologist at the Wisconsin Poison Center and a clinical assistant professor at the MCW School of Pharmacy. His interests include resuscitation of critically ill patients and forensic, pharmaceutical and natural poisons.

He chose pharmacy as his career path due to its application of science to patient care. “Going through school and discovering the many layers of the pharmacy trajectory was a bonus, which led me to emergency medicine and toxicology,” added Dr. Stanton.

As a preceptor, Dr. Stanton enjoys challenging students to apply didactic information to skills and real-world scenarios where they experience the nuance of medicine. “Bringing students on experiential rotations exposes them to the many layers of care that occur,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to work in two dynamic environments that are highly collaborative with physicians, APPs, technicians and EMS personnel. My goal is to bring students into these spaces to broaden their views of scenarios that appear simple on paper but are challenging in reality.”

Dr. Stanton accepted the Faculty Preceptor of the Year Award at the Class of 2024 Hooding & Awards Ceremony on May 16.

A pharmacy student who nominated Dr. Stanton for this award said he is an enthusiastic teacher who is open to new ideas. “Beyond imparting knowledge, Dr. Stanton served as a mentor and role model, consistently encouraging me to speak up and building my confidence, especially during interprofessional scenarios. His unwavering support and dedication to my growth as a student pharmacist highlight his excellence in clinical education,” added another student.