The University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy has announced its 2023-24 Preceptor Excellence Award recipients. They are: Lorin Fisher, Alison Graham, Rachel Grolmus, Beth Soenen, and Sara Wiedenfeld. Congratulations to these outstanding educators!
Each year the College recognizes exceptional preceptors, nominated by Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students, in three categories: Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE), Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE), and Faculty.
As teachers, experts, specialists, and mentors, preceptors provide learning experiences outside the standard classroom to allow student pharmacists a glimpse into the daily life of a health care provider. They help students apply their knowledge and skills in direct patient care and various practice environments. Whether in a community pharmacy, hospital intensive care unit, emergency department, or corporate pharmacy management, preceptors provide hands-on, real-world experiences for student pharmacists.
Read about the recipients, including what nominators had to say about them, below.
APPE Preceptor Excellence Award
Rachel Grolmus, ’17 PharmD
UI Health Care - Respiratory Specialty Comprehensive Care Unit
Iowa City, Iowa
Sara Wiedenfeld, PharmD
UI Health Care - Family Medicine
Sioux City, Iowa
Students in these rotations apply knowledge and skills by actively participating in the development, implementation, and monitoring of pharmacotherapeutic plans for patients. They gain professional competence and confidence by partaking in daily medical rounds, providing medication counseling to patients, submitting drug information to medical teams, and completing other profession-related experiences.
Rachel Grolmus
A clinical pharmacist, Rachel Grolmus specializes in surgery and transplant, with a focus on lung transplantation, at UI Health Care. She earned her PharmD from the UI College of Pharmacy, followed by a postgraduate year one (PGY1) residency at UI Health Care. In addition to her clinical work, Grolmus is an adjunct faculty member at the College, where she also is an IPPE preceptor for pharmacy students and PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents.
Grolmus is deeply passionate about training and mentoring the next generation of pharmacists. Through her preceptor role, she engages students and residents in hands-on learning experiences, helping them build clinical skills and professional confidence. Her approach emphasizes attention to detail and patient-centered care, aiming to inspire future pharmacists to uphold these values in their practice.
Student comments on Grolmus included:
“Rachel is one of the finest clinicians one could hope to learn from. She embodies what it means to be a pharmacist and motivates students through the passion that she shows in her work. She created a stress-free environment where students could feel comfortable asking questions regarding all aspects of pharmacy practice.”
“Dr. Grolmus is very passionate about pharmacy and teaching. She takes the time to have thorough topic discussions related to our patients and prioritizes my learning and understanding of treatment rationale No matter what chaos would ensue on any given day on this rotation, she always made it a focal point to talk through certain patients, situations, etc. to ensure the student was understanding the clinical scenario at hand.”
“She paid attention to my situation as a student, my career plans, and my experiences on past rotations to tailor rotation activities to my needs.”
Sara Wiedenfeld
Sara Wiedenfeld received her PharmD with a concentration in diabetes care from Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences in 2007. Following graduation, she completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency with an emphasis in Family Medicine at Siouxland Medical Education Foundation.
Currently, she serves as clinical pharmacy specialist for UI Health Care-Sioux City and has an adjunct appointment in the UI College of Pharmacy and Department of Family Medicine. Wiedenfeld is associate program director for the UI Family Medicine Residency in Sioux City. She served as clinical assistant professor in the UI College of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science (PPS) from 2014 to 2024. Wiedenfeld is involved with the Iowa Pharmacy Association, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Her scholarship efforts have included regional, national, and international presentations focused on payment and billing for pharmacy services. Wiedenfeld is certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties in pharmacotherapy and ambulatory care. Her practice interests include primary care, wellness, billing for pharmacist services, and women’s health.
Student comments on Wiedenfeld included:
“Dr. Wiedenfeld is a role model in the profession of pharmacy. Seeing the commitment she has to her team and patients taught me just as much about the importance of practicing with integrity and humility as I learned about practicing pharmacy in the ambulatory care setting.”
“She goes out of her way to teach students and makes sure you get everything you can out of the rotation. She taught us every chance she got and always made sure to include us in anything new or interesting that would come up. She brought me to rounds and would make sure I understood every patient case that was going on.”
“Dr. Wiedenfeld practices at the absolute top of her license while teaching and encouraging students to do the same. She always had my back and was there for me whenever I needed her. She has truly inspired me to be a better pharmacist and has become someone I look up to.”
IPPE Preceptor Excellence Award
Alison Graham, ’17 PharmD
CVS #08539
Marion, Iowa
Beth Soenen, ’08 PharmD
Walgreens #05977
Coralville, Iowa
IPPE rotations offer students experience in a community pharmacy with a diverse patient population. In addition to regular prescription filling, students fill unit-dose medications for the Johnson County Jail, provide immunizations (influenza, zoster, and pneumococcal), perform biometric screenings, provide MTM services through Outcomes and Mirixa, and practice some light compounding.
Alison Graham
Alison Graham has worked in community pharmacy in the Iowa City area since graduating from the UI in 2017. For six years, she has been a pharmacist for CVS and serves as the pharmacy manager of its UI campus location.
Throughout her career, Graham has enjoyed the various roles community pharmacy affords that allow her to have a direct impact on patients’ lives. One such opportunity was as a member of the leadership team tasked with organizing and managing the safe and successful implementation of COVID-19 vaccination clinics at long-term care facilities across Eastern Iowa during the outset of the pandemic. However, it is her role in mentoring future pharmacists that Graham believes provides her the greatest opportunity to have a lasting and meaningful impact and is perhaps the one she cherishes most. Through cultivating future leaders who are highly skilled and compassionate professionals, Graham feels she can help promote excellent patient care in communities across the country – and world – for years to come.
Student comments on Graham included:
“Dr. Graham made sure I was there to learn. The entire rotation was very well organized, and she spent as much time as needed with me to achieve my personal learning goals and make sure I understood everything.”
“She showed great knowledge, confidence, and interest in providing the most interactive and beneficial learning experience a student could have at a site. Every moment spent was never dull, uninvolved, or wasted when on rotation.”
“Dr. Graham went above and beyond to supplement my learning and ensure I was getting the most out of the rotation. She seamlessly devoted as much time to her students as she could while still doing her job. I came into the rotation unsure about my decision to work in a community pharmacy, but Dr. Graham made me feel validated in my decision and showed me that no matter what path I take I can be an exceptional pharmacist.”
Beth Soenen
After graduating with her PharmD from the UI College of Pharmacy in 2008, Beth Soenen became a retail pharmacist at Walgreens. For 17 years, she has applied her education and shared her passion of pharmaceutical care with patients and interns.
Soenen has served as her pharmacy’s immunization coordinator for much of her career. She was selected as part of the Walgreens team to administer first-wave COVID vaccines to residents and staff at long-term care facilities in Iowa. Soenen is a two-time winner of the Walgreens peer-nominated Champion of Champions Award for commitment to her team and excellent patient care. Two years ago, she was promoted to pharmacy manager and heads a team to expand Walgreens’ Intern Program to focus on counseling, providing immunizations, and medication management.
Soenen and her husband, John, have been married 17 years. They have two sons, both budding Hawkeye fans: Carter, 12, and Miles, 10. She is very honored to receive this award.
Student comments on Soenen included:
“Dr. Soenen was insightful, helpful, and accommodating during this rotation. She was able to answer all questions I had without making me feel lesser for not knowing.”
“Her excitement for the field is infectious. She had an upbeat attitude and was always ready to tackle the day. I found her to be highly knowledgeable. She tailored the experience to support my goals and pushed me to interact more with customers/patients. This helped me gain confidence.”
“She engaged me in activities that improved my skills as a student pharmacist. Community pharmacy can be grueling and stressful itself, let alone with a new student in the mix, but I never felt like a burden.”
Faculty Preceptor Excellence Award
Lorin Fisher, ’18 PharmD – Clinical Assistant Professor
UI Health Care - Adult Supportive & Palliative Care Clinic
Iowa City, Iowa
Students on this rotation provide direct patient care by collaboratively working in the clinic with physicians and other health-care professionals to offer comprehensive medication therapy and disease-state management to patients. Students interact with patients daily, obtaining medication histories; evaluating drug therapy; identifying, resolving, and preventing drug-related problems; providing recommendations to optimize therapy; following up with all drug-related issues; and providing education on the appropriate use of medications.
Lorin Fisher is a clinical assistant professor in PPS at the UI College of Pharmacy. She is board-certified in ambulatory care and practices as a clinical pharmacy specialist in the Adult Supportive & Palliative Care Clinic at UI Health Care.
In her clinical practice, Fisher collaborates with interprofessional team members, develops meaningful relationships with patients and caregivers, and engages with pharmacists in the community setting to facilitate care transitions. Fisher serves as program director of the UI College of Pharmacy PGY2 Palliative Care/Pain Management Pharmacy Residency. Her diverse research interests include the anticholinergic burden of medications, barriers to prescription opioid access, and evaluating toxicities of cancer-directed therapy.
Student comments on Fisher included:
“The environment Dr. Fisher created in her workspaces, both in clinic and in office at the College of Pharmacy, felt accommodating and safe for me to not only hone my current strengths and skills, but also improve my weaknesses under her guidance, mentorship, and constructive feedback.”
“She walked me through how she approaches each of her tasks at the clinic such as looking through patient charts, identifying pertinent information, what potential goals or suffering a patient may bring to an upcoming appointment, and how she, as a pharmacist, can contribute to the team. This was unique from my previous rotations and pushed me to think and act like a pharmacist.”
“Dr. Fisher had practical recommendations for my improvement throughout the rotation. I am honored to have been given this opportunity to shadow, learn from, and be treated like a part of her team.”