PRECEPTOR SPOTLIGHT

Meet Meghan Belden, PharmD, BCPPS

The Preceptor Spotlight features pharmacists on our preceptor team. Meghan was one of the nominees for APPE Preceptor of the Year. Thank you for sharing your insights!

What do you want preceptors to know about you?

My name is Meghan Belden. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy in 2013 and completed my PGY-1 residency at Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI. I've worked at Children's Wisconsin for eight years and practice in general medicine, PICU, NICU, and emergency medicine. I've been a preceptor since 2014 and became board certified in pediatrics in 2017.

What rotations do you precept?

I precept IPPE students in general medicine and APPE students in general medicine and pediatric critical care. I'm the primary preceptor for PGY-1 residents in general medicine and co-preceptor for their longitudinal committee's rotation as chair of our Pharmacy Clinical Practice Committee. I also serve as a research project mentor for PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents.

What are the benefits of precepting? ​Preparing and administering topic discussions for students and residents ensures I stay up to date on current guidelines and literature in the areas I teach. I also gain fresh perspective from learners regarding how we practice pharmacy from the questions they ask and what they have observed at other institutions. The projects and assignments that students and residents complete are very beneficial to our department and institution and have contributed to advancing pharmacy practice. Most importantly, I find it very rewarding to see the success and growth of learners I have precepted and know that I've played a role in their development as clinical practitioners.

What advice and tips do you have for new preceptors?

​Be flexible. Spend time getting to know your learner at the beginning of the learning experience and adapt your rotation to their career goals, learning style, and previous experience. I find the result to be more engaged learners and a more fulfilling rotation experience. Meet learners where they are in their pharmacy education and let them set the pace of the rotation. Spend additional time on introductory topics with students that need it, and continue to challenge high-performing learners with additional responsibilities and advanced assignments.