Preparing for Clinical Rotations: Getting Ready

Focus: Enter rotations prepared and intentional

  • Read through the AACP Entrustable Professional Activities to know what you are expected to be able to do as a Practice Ready Pharmacist https://www.aacp.org/resource/entrustable-professional-activities-epas 
    • Note which of these skills you already have and which you still need to work on
    • Work with your mentors and friends to improve your skills
  • Priorities to consider when ranking APPE rotations:
    • Location
      • What are your geographical limitations?
      • Is getting a specific location (ex. in Iowa City, near your hometown or extended family) very important to you?
    • Timing
      • If you have plans to pursue residency or fellowship, having a clinical or industry rotation scheduled prior to December can be very helpful for applications/letters of recommendation, and interviews.
        • If you really want a specific rotation early in the APPE year, it is recommended to rank that rotation highly with multiple different cycles (ex. Site 1 during cycle 2, then Site 1 during cycle 3, then Site 1 during cycle 4) to maximize your chances of getting that rotation.
    • Specialties
      • Is there a certain specialty you’re highly interested in?
      • If so, what rotation opportunities are available? How many spots are there?
      • If there is a specific rotation that you REALLY want, rank specific cycles first, then select “Any Time Frame” to maximize your chances.
      • Is there a knowledge area you would like more experience in?
      • Which preceptors/sites you may want to ask for letters of rec from
  • See sample rotation schedules attached in the “additional documents” 
    • Include link to form?
  • Come up with a plan for targeting your most desired rotations to set you up for YOUR goals
  • General APPE Ranking Tips:
    • To minimize your chances of getting a “random” rotation, fill up your rank list as much as possible. The algorithm will try to put you in any of your ranked rotations, but can select anything if it gets to the bottom of your list and runs out of options.

Career Planning, Professional Branding & Networking

Focus: Career Paths Are Not Linear — Pivoting Is Part of Growth

  • Start thinking about which path you are focusing on so you can tailor your skills and resume to get the career you want
  • Job vs. residency vs. fellowship: Pros and cons

1️⃣ Do I want direct patient care expertise? → Residency
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Residency Guide
Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhorCAS)

2️⃣ Do I want research/industry/business roles? → Fellowship
American College of Clinical Pharmacy Fellowship Directory
Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships

3️⃣ Do I want income + stability soon? → Job
American Pharmacists Association Career Pathways

  • Regardless of which path you choose, you have learned skills which will work in all of them, tailor your resume and frame your skills depending on which career path you are exploring. 

  • See the below table for an idea about how to reframe your transferable skills

    Pharmacy Transferable Skills

 

Time Management and Burnout Prevention

Focus: Maintain balance while preparing for the next stage. 

  • Being prepared for your career is important but so is being functional, be sure to keep up with your self-care and watch for signs of burn-out.
  • UI College of Pharmacy has well-being resources to help with mental health, physical health, finances, career, and more. This is a good place to go if you don’t know where to start
  • Set Digital Boundaries
    • If you find yourself being distracted by technology or social media rather than taking care of yourself use resources to set personal digital boundaries
    • Use productivity apps (Flora, Tide, Pomodoro, Flat Tomato) to focus your effort while working with technology
    • Consider using a brick to remove distractions or set limits for specific apps which are time sinks
  • Using technology late at night or in bed can lead to sleep disruption and long term impacts on health and well being
    • Set limits on certain apps, disable notifications
    • “Phone curfew” at least 30 minutes before bed to improve sleep
    •  Establishing device-free zones in your home 
  • General Tips and Resources: https://www.pharmacist.com/APhA-Press-Releases/the-ins-and-outs-of-self-care-in-pharmacy-school

Licensure Preparation

Focus: Build an organized plan for NAPLEX and MPJE success.